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| Sri Lanka vs India, 1st Test, Galle, Day 4 |
| Marvellous Murali mesmerizes India |
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| Date: 21 July, 2010(Wednesday) |
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Cricdb staff writer
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Print Version  |
Sri Lanka's most potent pair, fast bowler Lasith Malinga and spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, allied to set visiting India on course for a defeat on an action-packed fourth day at Galle. Despite a first-innings century from Virender Sehwag, Murali bamboozled India with a superb 5 for 63 as Sri Lanka enforced the follow-on; despite a valiant 84 from Sachin Tendulkar, Murali and Malinga again proved too much for India, who tumbled to 181 for 5 and on course for a likely defeat.
Sehwag, with as many as 18 fours and a six in a sparkling 109 off 118 balls, had set off with a casual burst of fours as Kumar Sangakkara, somewhat puzzlingly, held back the dangerous Murali till about an hour into the morning. But it was the footmarks on the opposite end that it appears left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedera, who was fairly unimpressive today as well, was brought on to roughen. He also managed the prized scalp of Sehwag, who threw away his wicket hacking a very wide long-hop straight to point. VVS Laxman, a direct contrast in a subdued 22, also fell tamely, a rather soft prod at a short ball from Malinga looping up to square leg (178 for 5).
Left-hander Yuvraj Singh, looking rather fitter and with a point to prove, delayed Sri Lanka for a while with MS Dhoni giving useful support as the pair settled in before Murali's arrival. There were glimmers of Yuvraj's best; his clean-struck 52 (eight fours and a six) included handsome leaps down the track, an exquisite straight six off Rangana Herath as well as an array of boundaries over long-on and through the covers. Dhoni added an intelligent 33, but a marvellous Murali delivery removed the Indian captain and changed the tempo of the match.
The off-break pitched about a foot outside off, gripped, turned, and castled the top of Dhoni's leg-stump (252 for 6). Buoyed, Murali then had Yuvraj pushing at slip, where Mahela Jayawardene took one of his four catches today. The tail couldn't stick around for long, India finishing at 276 Murali finishing with a masterly five-for that left many admirers lamenting his leave from Test cricket; he finished the day with the wicket of Yuvraj again, and needs four more to reach the uncharted peak of 800 Test wickets.
Malinga then reminded India of how lethal he can be; zinging on target from the start, he had Gautam Gambhir caught behind by Prasanna Jayawardene third ball. Sehwag again fired off a thumping cameo, with six fours in a 30-ball 31, but it took a stunning catch at backward point from Mahela to terminate his knock. Welegedera banging it in across him, Sehwag creamed it in the air where Mahela sprang full-stretch to snatch a spectacular catch (42 for 2).
Sri Lanka were delayed by a steadfast Rahul Dravid, who scored 44 off 152 balls and added 119 with Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar (11 fours and a six) began with a majestic punch down the ground. The top run-getter in Tests swept his old rival Murali for four and then smacked him through the covers. Another beautiful shot, a lofted straight drive coming down the pitch, carried for six, but just as India were breathing easier Malinga struck again.
The menacing pacer (3 for 33) had Dravid sharply caught at leg gully by Sangakkara, before honing in a screaming yorker to trap Tendulkar in front of leg-stump. Murali, not to be outdone, ended the day by removing Yuvraj, and it will take a really committed performance from India to deny the masterly old off-spinner a victory to sign off.
© Cricdb
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Team |
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| 1 |
India |
| 2 |
South Africa |
| 3 |
Australia |
| 4 |
Sri Lanka |
| 5 |
England |
| 6 |
Pakistan |
| 7 |
New Zealand |
| 8 |
West Indies |
| 9 |
Bangladesh |
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| Pos |
Team |
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| 1 |
Australia |
| 2 |
India |
| 3 |
South Africa |
| 4 |
New Zealand |
| 5 |
England |
| 6 |
Pakistan |
| 7 |
Sri Lanka |
| 8 |
West Indies |
| 9 |
Bangladesh |
| 10 |
Zimbabwe |
| 11 |
Ireland |
| 12 |
Kenya |
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