Galle: Harbhajan Singh’s match haul of 10-153 helped India to a comprehensive 170-run victory over Sri Lanka with a day to spare in the second Test at Galle on Sunday. India’s victory gets them level with Sri Lanka in the three-match series, which is keenly poised with the decider to be played at the Colombo Oval.
Sri Lanka, who were set a target of 307 to win on a wearing fourth day wicket at the Galle International stadium, were blown away for 136 on a day that say 16 wickets fall in a little over two sessions.
India, resuming day four on 200-4, were bowled out after adding just 69 runs, but had amassed an overall lead of 306 runs, before fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan produced a hostile opening spell which left the hosts reeling at 23-4 before lunch.
While the Indian light artillery was waiting in the wings, Sri Lanka had fought a sensible rearguard in this second Test on Sunday.
Only it was accurate sniper fire of lanky fast bowler Ishant Sharma who broke through in the first over after tea on day four when he had Tillekeratne Dilshan caught behind by a ball which forced the all-rounder to push ungainly at the ball and edge a catch.
It left Sri Lanka 115 for five in the first over after the interval and meant that Thilan Samaraweera would need to put together a monumental effort to attempt to win this game as India closed in for a series-levelling victory.
While it was thought that Virender Sehwag and even Sachin Tendulkar might be soon called on to bowl a few overs to break an obdurate fifth wicket partnership, Sri Lanka had reached 109-4, needing a further 198 runs to win this Test.
But the Dilshan wicket falling so soon after the break to Sharma meant that all the hard work of the fifth wicket partnership of 76 went for nothing the way Dilshan lost his wicket.
While Samaraweera put together an impressive half-century and Sri Lanka recovered from 37-4 at the end of the 20th over, the fall of Dilshan meant that the impetus which Sehwag had kept going through his two innings was not being wasted.
The Samaraweera-Dilshan partnership was notable for its rotation of the strike as they built a total on sound understanding that has often served Sri Lanka well in the past. They batted with care and attention as Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble tried to break through after the lanky Michael Vandort was trapped lbw by Harbhajan for 10.
Playing back on this surface is not technically wise unless you are competent and there are few batsmen who can do it with such effect these days.
Both batsmen looked comfortable until Sharma was brought back into the attack and the pace, bounce and length unsettled the both batsman although Dinesh Karthik’s appeal for a catch gave the impression that the wicketkeeper was taking a chance when a referral was made but turned down.
It was the clever footwork displayed by Dilshan and Samaraweera that put India under some pressure as they leaked runs in all directions.
Yet the day has not been without its drama and rarely have the freeloaders atop the munificent ramparts of Galle Fort experienced such a feast or seen avalanche of wickets in a morning’s session.
India crumbling from an overnight 200-4 to 269 and along the way wrenching a valuable overall lead of 306, quickly had Sri Lanka’s second innings efforts under pressure with three quick wickets.
On a morning of that has provided drama and remarkable bowling performances Sri Lanka, at lunch were 24-3, were on decidedly shaky ground with a required target of 283 and only seven wickets remaining as Sharma and Zaheer Khan ripped the top off the innings in an impressive display of pace and swing.
Sharma, who has made a habit of taking out important batsmen in his short Test career, in successive overs dismissed Malintha Warnapura and the big one of Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene as India’s slips and gully cordon clung to valuable catches.
All this left a packed home crowd, in a buoyant mood after Ajantha Mendis earning his first 10 wicket Test haul with four for 92 to add to his six in the first innings, stunned as they went to lunch. Whether they will enjoy it is another matter.
Yet for India to stretch the lead past the 300 mark and on a pitch where bounce was often irregular and as near a minefield as you would discover without the mines, required some effort and explains why Virender Sehwag’s half century along with that of Gautam Gambhir on day three are important sign posts in an innings where today batsmen have struggle to come to terms with the pitch.
There were several referrals for lbw as well that delayed the flow of the game with Sourav Ganguly surviving one that he requested of the umpire from a Mendis appeal before being stumped by Prasanna Jayawardene off Muttiah Muralitharan’s flight and guile.
It is a match where pickings have been lean for Murali with five wickets, as India worked hard towards achieving that 300 runs lead.
From the moment VVS Laxman on the backfoot was trapped in front for 13 by Mendis with the floating off-spinner, the feeling was that India would struggle to reach the 300 mark. There was none of the positive batting seen after lunch on day three when Virender Sehwag thrashed the ball around with aggressive intent or when Rahul Dravid and for a time Sachin Tendulkar were batting.
There was a certain desperation in the batting pre-lunch and it showed the way Dinesh Karthik was fooled into going for the lofted drive, suckered by the floating delivery that Murali tossed up.
But if the referral for lbw decisions took an age and frankly, after the Dravid decision, the accuracy of the technology, or those handling it, needs to be questioned, the stuttering start to the Sri Lanka second innings left the hosts wondering.
Not all the strokeplay today has been of the highest quality and not all of this is to do with the pitch. While it was good bowling that had batsmen in a tangle, the shot that Jayawardene played was not one that would like to remember.
There was also the catch that Laxman took off Zaheer Khan’s bowling to get rid of Kumar Sangakkara that emitted volumes in confidence. It was a juicy delivery that held its line and swing and pulled the batsman forward, but the way he aimed to defend had the ball flying from the edge to Laxman.
When Jayawardene departed, India knew they were in with a chance to level the series.