Sri Lanka ride on Sangakkara ton in keen contest
Kumar Sangakkara kept Sri Lanka’s nose ahead with a patient century
The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga09-Aug-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Kumar Sangakkara’s century gave Sri Lanka a slender lead on the second day © AFP
It was good old-fashioned Test cricket on the second day – an examination of patience, will andconcentration – and Kumar Sangakkara kept Sri Lanka’s nose ahead with a patient century. After Chaminda Vaas and Sangakkara had frustrated India in the first session, the Indian spinners fought back in the middle, drying up the runs and getting importantwickets as a result, but they were denied by a rock-solid Sangakkara, and to alesser extent by the inconsistent umpiring when it came to reviews.Sangakkara’s hundred competed with the review decision that went ThilanSamaraweera’s way as the talking point of the day. India had takentwo wickets, those of Vaas and Mahela Jayawardene, for four runs to reduce Sri Lankato 141 for 4, and should have made it three for 16 when Kumble’s appeal foran lbw against Samaraweera was rejected. In live time, it seemed there mighthave been an inside edge before the ball hit pad, but the replays clearly showed the ball hit the pad first. The impact was 40% inside the mat – as it was with Rahul Dravid when he was given out yesterday – and the ball would have gone on to hit the middle stump three-fourths of the way up. For some reason, though, the original decision was upheld, which left the Indians irate. Sachin Tendulkar, who had injured his elbow earlier,even signalled “out” from the dressing room. Samaraweera was on 5, then, andwent on to score 35, and more importantly, put together a 60-run partnershipwith Sangakkara at a crucial juncture.Nothing should take away from Sangakkara, though, who curbed his stroke-playing instincts, realising that his wicket would have been critical. He made a dicey start in the morning with an uppish boundary past a diving Rohit Sharma at point, but was determined to make amends for his ordinary series till then. Before this Test, his average in 2008 was close to 24. Twice in the previous Tests, Zaheer Khan had caught him in the crease, making him play at legcutters. This time, though, Sangakkara consciouslygot on to the front foot, especially against Zaheer. Once he saw Zaheer off, there were no signs of struggle, and he was severe on anything loose.A big chance arrived for India when Sangakkara, on 34 then, edged a faster onefrom Kumble, but Rahul Dravid failed to latch on to what would have been aspectacular slip catch. To rub salt in, Sangakkara came up with an exquisitecover-drive off Harbhajan in the next over.The run machineKumar Sangakkara’s unbeaten 107 was his second Test hundred against India. His first came during India’s previous visit in 2001.It was also Sangakkara’s second ton at the P Sara Stadium, where he presently averages over 100.Sangakkara’s Test average of 55.39 is the best among Sri Lankan batsmen who have played more than one Test. He scores over 85 runs per innings when playing as a specialist batsman.Starting with his 287 against South Africa in July 2006, his highest score, Sangakkara averages an astounding 97.84 in 26 innings.With the 17th run of his 107, Sangakkara became only the third batsman to score 2000 runs without being bowled in a Test innings. Sangakkara was last out bowled in April 2006, and has not been dismissed in that manner ever since. Shivanarine Chanderpaul and Javed Miandad are the two others to achieve this feat. Read more on Chanderpaul in the It Figures blog.After lunch India came out determined to make runs hard to get. In the firstsession Sri Lanka had managed 100, while in the first 11 overs of thesecond they got only 23. Harbhajan kept bowling outside off, whileKumble – from round the stumps – got purchase from the pitch. Vaas, thenight-watchman who took ownership of the house in the first session, wasstrangled: he survived two close calls in one Kumble over, and inHarbhajan’s next, lobbed an easy catch to extra cover, falling two runs short of achieving the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets. Harbhajan thenbeat Jayawardene with an offbreak, and for once Jayawardene got the reviewcall wrong. He was given out lbw and that’s how it stayed.That was when Sangakkara dug deeper, not falling for India’s tactics,scoring 27 runs in the middle session. Bar one shot, he was a picture ofdiscipline. Even that shot was perhaps a statement – I can hit those, but Idon’t want to. To a full, wide offbreak from Harbhajan – a similar one hadbeen called wide earlier – Sangakkara went down on one knee and swept tomidwicket for four. As he approached his 17th century, the Indians kept gettingmeaner on him. In moving from 76 to 99, he took 56 balls, and hit only one boundary.India suffered injury setbacks through the day. VVS Laxman had twisted his ankle in fielding practice before the start of the play and didn’t take the field. After tea Ishant Sharma became the third casualty when he tumbled during his follow-though, not for the first time in the series, hurt his hip, and had to go off the field. Still, the bowlers put up a brave show overall. TheHarbhajan-Kumble duo worked well in the middle session, and Zaheer bowled atesting spell after tea, giving away 21 runs in eight overs and eventuallygetting Samaraweera out with a delivery that bounced and left the batsman.Tillakaratne Dilshan, as usual, came out full of intent, and in partnership withSangakkara started to break free. For 12 overs at one pointtowards stumps, Sri Lanka didn’t score a boundary, getting only 27 runs, butonce Dilshan cut loose things began to look ominous for India. But Kumble,unfortunate not to have got a wicket till then, struck at the right timewith a topspinner. Dilshan asked for the review, but he had been caught plumb. Given the tendency of lower orders to collapse dramatically, and also that Sri Lanka have to bat last, it would be brave to say that Sri Lanka have a clear advantage.