Sri Lanka rout India by record Margin in Test Cricket.
- From: Muhammad Javed Iqbal <kaleemjavediqbal@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:41:50 -0700 (PDT)
With euphoria of " Chak de India " fast diminishing, India test
cricket was handed a terrible bashing by Sri Lanka, in Colombo Test.
In almost all aspects of life India is witnessing an over all slump
and down fall:
COLOMBO, July 26: Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis made a
mockery of India’s strong batting reputation as Sri Lanka won the
opening Test by a record innings and 239 runs here on Saturday.
Maverick off-spinner Muralitharan finished the match with 11 wickets
as India were shot out for 138 in their second innings after conceding
a lead of 377 on the fourth day.
He was brilliantly supported by debutant Mendis, an unorthodox spinner
with plenty of variation, who took eight wickets in the match to also
play a crucial role in his team’s victory with a day to spare.
It was Sri Lanka’s biggest win over India in 27 Tests, the previous
being by an innings and 77 runs at the same venue in 2001.
“We probably played a perfect game,” said Sri Lanka captain Mahela
Jayawardene. “We put pressure on the Indians by scoring 600 runs. It
was not a bad wicket to bat on, but Murali and Mendis bowled
brilliantly. It is a good feeling that four of our top seven batsmen
got hundreds.”
The Indian batsmen, always considered better against spin than pace,
looked clueless against the Sri Lankan spin duo, who kept striking at
regular intervals even on an easy-paced track.
The tourists lost 14 wickets against spin in the day, including four
in the first innings.
None of the Indian batsmen could read the spin duo as the tourists’
second innings lasted just 45 overs, with the undisputed Man-of-the-
Match Muralitharan grabbing 6-26 and Mendis 4-60 during their almost
unplayable spells.
India were earlier bowled out for 223 in their first innings in reply
to the hosts’ massive 600-6 declared.
Indian opener Virender Sehwag (13), star batsman Sachin Tendulkar (12)
and Rahul Dravid (10) were initially given not out by umpires Mark
Benson of England and Billy Doctrove of the West Indies.
But the Sri Lankan captain requested the officials to review the
decisions under a new experimental rule and they changed their
decisions after consulting TV umpire Rudi Koertzen of South Africa.
“The review system is still an experiment. It has to be reviewed at
the end of the [three-Test] series,” said India captain Anil Kumble.
“It was tough for us to draw the match after they scored 600. The
spells by their spinners were great. Mendis is a find for Sri Lanka
and you cannot take Murali out of the picture.”
Sehwag was trapped leg-before by Muralitharan, while Tendulkar was
brilliantly caught by a diving Tillekeratne Dilshan at leg-slip off
the same bowler after TV replays showed the ball hit pad and bat.
Dravid was caught bat-pad by close-in fielder Malinda Warnapura off
Mendis.
India failed to cope with spin for a second successive time in the
match, with opener Gautam Gambhir top-scoring with 43.
Vangipurappu Laxman, promoted in the batting order following his first-
innings 56, contributed 21 this time before being trapped leg-before
by Mendis, while Gambhir was stumped off Muralitharan after being
beaten in the flight.
Muralitharan earlier took 5-84 in the first innings and Mendis
M. J. Iqbal
.
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