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| December 20, 2005 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 17, 1426 |
Harbhajan Singh puts Sri Lankans into spin
AHMEDABAD (India), Dec 19: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh snared four Sri Lanka wickets in quick succession to leave them on 131 for five and give India the edge on the second day of the third and final Test on Monday.
A century from Vangipurappu Laxman had helped the hosts reach 398 in their first innings.
Harbhajan dismissed Marvan Atapattu (40) and Mahela Jayawardene off consecutive deliveries and then sent back Thilan Samaraweera — in the space of 16 balls without conceding a run.
He bowled left-hander Kumar Sangakkara (41) around his legs with a big-spinning off-break. In his 11-over spell, the bowler from Punjab claimed four wickets for just 24 runs.
Harbhajan enticed Atapattu into top-edging a sweep for skipper Virender Sehwag, running from leg slip, to catch.
New man Jayawardene gloved a delivery and was caught by Mohammad Kaif at short leg. Samaraweera, who had four men around the bat, then flicked Harbhajan to Kaif.
Sri Lanka lost opener Upul Tharanga early, when the debutant edged paceman Irfan Pathan to wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni for two.
Atapattu and Sangakkara put on 60 for the second wicket, before Harbhajan dashed Sri Lanka’s hopes of posting a challenging score. He took his wickets in the space of 30 balls, conceding just nine runs on a Motera pitch that aided turn and bounce.
Sri Lanka, who trail the three-match series 1-0, were hoping to secure their first Test victory on Indian soil.
India’s Laxman (104), on 71 overnight, added another 61 runs with Pathan (82) to take the team past the 300 mark after they had resumed at 247 for six.
The pair’s stand of 125 was India’s best for the seventh wicket against Sri Lanka.
In the absence of the sick Rahul Dravid, Laxman put patience ahead of flair, and helped stage a remarkable recovery after India had been reduced to 97-5 on the opening day.
The 31-year-old from Hyderabad reached triple figures with a flick off paceman Farveez Maharoof after the visitors took the second new ball in the 93rd over.
Maharoof dismissed Laxman, who scored a half century in the previous Test, just before lunch, bowling him through the gap between bat and pad. The wristy batsman had struck 14 boundaries from 237 balls.
Left-hander Pathan, resuming on 39, recorded his fourth half-century and flourished in Laxman’s company, displaying sound shot selection. He hit 12 boundaries in his 162-ball innings. Pathan, who made 93 in the second Test fell lbw to Maharoof.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA (1st Innings, overnight 247-6):
G. Gambhir c Tharanga b Malinga 19
V. Sehwag b Malinga 20
V.V.S. Laxman b Maharoof 104
S.R. Tendulkar c Mubarak b Muralitharan 23
Yuvraj Singh c S’weera b Muralitharan 0
Mohammad Kaif c Atapattu b Bandara 4
M.S. Dhoni lbw b Muralitharan 49
Irfan Pathan lbw b Maharoof 82
A.B. Agarkar b Malinga 26
A. Kumble c Jayawardene b Bandara 21
Harbhajan Singh not out 8
EXTRAS (B-15, LB-13, W-5, NB-9) 42
TOTAL (all out, 122.4 overs) 398
FALL OF WKTS: 1-31, 2-52, 3-88, 4-88, 5-97, 6-183, 7-308, 8-345, 9-384.
BOWLING: Malinga 32-4-113-3 (9nb, 1w); Maharoof 27-11-52-2; Muralitharan 36-4-128-3; Bandara 24.4-3-69-2; Dilshan 3-0-8-0.
SRI LANKA (1st Innings):
W.U. Tharanga c Dhoni b Pathan 2
M.S. Atapattu c Sehwag b Harbhajan 40
K.C. Sangakkara b Harbhajan 41
D.P.M. Jayawardene c Kaif b Harbhajan 0
T.T. Samaraweera c Kaif b Harbhajan 1
T.T. Dilshan not out 27
J. Mubarak not out 11
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, NB-6) 9
TOTAL (for five wkts, 40 overs) 131
FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-74, 3-74, 4-82, 5-105.
TO BAT: M.F. Maharoof, C.M. Bandara, M. Muralitharan, S.L. Malinga.
BOWLING (to-date): Irfan Pathan 10-1-36-1; Agarkar 6-2-18-0 (6nb); Kumble 13-2-50-0; Harbhajan Singh 11-3-24–4.—Reuters
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