Sri Lanka Sent Packing; India Revel in Tit-for-Tat

Even India would have not expected it to come this easy. Sri Lanka had lost four crucial wickets before tea. But it appeared that they would still stretch it to the fifth day even though the result seemed inevitable. But the end came all too soon and Sri Lanka wilted almost without a fight in their final innings in Galle.

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The morning did not start very well for India either. Sourav Ganguly won two successful appeals against the Sri Lankans who felt they had got him twice. But India failed to capitalize on it. They lost wickets adding only forty-eight runs to their overnight score. The confident Indian team, who last night stated they were looking to get a 400 run lead, had to settle for setting Sri Lanka a target that barely only crossed the 300 mark.

If India had seen South Africa pull off an incredible victory at Edgbaston against England on the back of the skipper’s phenomenal 150, they would have known one such innings from the tall Sri Lankan order would easily douse their hopes of leveling the series.

India could not let up in the bowling department. After all, the team they were facing had four centurions in the first Test at the SSC that saw India crash to an innings and 238 run defeat. Coming back then from such a beating, it was creditable that India had at least come this far. But they still had much to go and a lot was expected of them.

The spinners have completely dominated this series. All the talk was about Ajantha Mendis, Murali and Harbhajan Singh. Hence, the onus of getting the wickets lay heavily on Indians skipper, including skipper Anil Kumble. No one really expected the fast bowlers to wreck damage. But heartening for India, it was the fast bowling department that made the inroads and made it easier on the spinners.

Zaheer Khan may not have too many wickets to show but Ishant Sharma did not shy of picking up a heap of three. When Rahul Dravid dropped a difficult at slip off the first over of Zaheer, it appeared India would continue to struggle to put it past Sri Lanka. But Ishant made it seem all easy. While Kumar Sangakkara fell to Zaheer, Ishant accounted for two other men in form, Malinda Warnapura and the crucial wicket of skipper Mahela Jayawardene.

But India could not rest lightly even at tea. Four wickets in the hut, Tillekeratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera were building on the first real partnership of substance for India. While it is hard to imagine the history would be made two days in a row in two different countries, any complacency on the part of the Indians could well have prolonged their time on the field and given Sri Lanka more than just a glimpse of hope.

Ishant picked up the wicket of Dilshan of a faint nick to wicket keeper Dinesh Karthik and the rout was on its way. Sri Lanka lost five wickets in the space of just six runs! Harbhajan Singh has been the Mendis of the Sri Lanka innings (while Mendis returned the favour against India in this match; both spinners picking up ten for the match). Sri Lanka seemed to lack a concrete plan and their batting seemed to fall apart, as much due to their own making as to some splendid Indian bowling on offer. Some casual shots with inconsequential goals attached to them ended Sri Lanka’s misery faster than even they would have wanted.

In the light of the creditable performance of the spinners, Mendis and Harbhajan, it was almost as easy to forget the phenomenal innings of a double century from Virender Sehwag. However, this was the man who set the tone and the possibility of a comeback for India. While a few more people have to pull up their socks to keep the smarting hosts down in the final Test coming up, for the moment, India can heave a sigh.

The series is still alive.