India v Sri Lanka : India crash to Sri Lanka spin in first Test
July 26, 2008
India were staring at a massive defeat in the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka after collapsing to 103 for 6 at tea on the fourth day of the match here today.
With VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid back in the pavillion, it would take herculean effort from the lower order to take the match into a fifth day.
India, following on, collapsed again in the face of Muralitharan, who took 11 wickets overall, and Ajantha Mendis.
Debutant Mendis took 4-60, giving him eight wickets for the match, as India were skittled for 138, to lose by an innings and 239 runs.
Gautam Gambhir’s knock of 43 proved the only Indian resistance of any note.
Mahela Jayawardene’s side took an emphatic 1-0 lead in the three-Test series as they dominated the fourth day.
Muralitharan ripped through the Indian batting, taking the early wicket of Virender Sehwag for 13 and subsequently striking at regular intervals.
India lost their remaining nine wickets in little more than a session, marking another disappointing performance with the bat.
VVS Laxman fell to Mendis for just 21, trapped plumb in front on the back pad, and Sachin Tendulkar soon followed him back to the pavilion, caught at backward short leg for 12.
Umpire Billy Doctrove initially ruled not out, having failed to spot the ball flick Tendulkar’s bat as he attempted to paddle-sweep Muralitharan, but third umpire Rudi Koertzen overruled the decision on review.
Muralitharan then snapped up the wickets of Gambhir (43), Sourav Ganguly, Dinesh Karthik and Anil Kumble.
Mendis added the wickets of Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan to his capture of Laxman.
India’s first innings had earlier been brought to a close well inside the first session.
Beginning the day on 159-6, India put up some struggle through Laxman’s 56, until a googly from Mendis ended his resistance to leave the visitors all out for 223.
India must now regroup ahead of the second Test, which begins in Galle on Thursday, 31 July.
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