KANDY
Most sensible commentators interpreted Sourav Ganguly's pre-match claims that"morale was good" and that "there was no reason to be down"as a valiant but forlorn attempt to save an injury ravaged team from totalcombustion. India had been soundly beaten on a grassy pitch in Galle and nowfaced a cocksure Sri Lankan unit, without their premier strike bowler, on aneven livelier looking surface at Asgiriya International Stadium.
The Indian captain, however, proved as good as his word. The tourists,perhaps boosted by the good fortune promised by Lord Ganesh's Pooja, playedthemselves back into this three-match series as they grabbed the initiative inthis crucial second Test by reducing the home side to 274 for nine at the close.There is still a very long way to go and Sri Lanka's total is alreadycompetitive, but their day still surpassed the modest expectations of many.
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Sri Lanka, though, will feel a tinge of relief as they reflect on the firstday's play. The Kandy hoodoo (six defeats in eleven games) has been lurking atthe back of their minds this week and at one stage they looked to be in diretrouble having slipped 101 for four and then 138 for five.
Like he did in against England last March in similar circumstances MahelaJayawardene fought back with a sublime century, full of effortless pulls andlanguid cover drives. He scored 104 from 149 balls and compiled crucial middleorder partnerships with Hashan Tillakaratne, Suresh Perera, and Chaminda Vaas of37, 51 and 43 respectively.
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Even after the fall of Jayawardene, caught behind as he poked at anoutswinger from Venkatesh Prasad, Sri Lanka continued to frustrate India with a29 run ninth wicket partnership, full of forthright stroke play from ChamindaVaas, who ended up the second highest run scorer with an unbeaten 42 off 61balls.
Sri Lanka had made the worst possible start this morning when star batsmanSanath Jaysuriya was run out in the fifth over of the day. Jayasuriya hadglanced to leg and immediately sensed the possibility of two runs. MarvanAtapattu, however, failed to notice his partner's urgency and settled for one.The Sri Lankan captain, running to the danger end, was left stranded.
Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu responded positively. Indian coach JohnWright keeps reminding us that 70 per cent of bowling is about "getting theball in the right areas," but for the next hour the Indian bowlers appearedconfused, with 70 per cent of the bowling being utter rubbish. They made thepitch look like a featherbed which it wasn't and rattled on to 58 for oneafter the first 70 minutes.
A timely downpour gave them an opportunity to regroup and when they returned,the bowling improved and the run scoring slowed. Then, just before the luncheoninterval, Sourav Ganguly made an inspired bowling change: he brought himself on.
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He bowled gun barrel straight - he also ran straight down the wicket andwas warned twice by umpire Steve Bucknor - and wobbled the ball in the air. Hisfirst over was a maiden and in his second he struck a vital blow, as Sangakkaraedged an attempted cover drive, having scored 31 from 51 balls, and SadogoppanRamesh held onto to an excellent catch in the gully.
In the next over, the last before the interval, Zaheer Khan returned for asecond spell. Atapattu's batting had had a pre-destined air about it, as if fatehad already informed him that his incredible success in Kandy was to continue(He averages 85 here and has already scored two double centuries), but Khancreated a moment of indecision and the ball cannoned into his stumps as he triedto leave the ball at the last minute. Atapattu had scored 39 from 79 balls andSri Lanka were 82 for three.
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India continued with Ganguly and Khan after lunch and so well did they bowlthat Harbhajan Singh was not required until the 47th over of the innings.Suddenly the ball was darting off the pitch and swinging through the air. RusselArnold was dismissed for five as he edged a good length delivery to first slipand, when Prasad replaced Khan, Hashan Tillakaratne belied his reputation forstudious accumulation with a reckless cut to be caught behind. Sri Lanka were138 for five.
Jayawardene, who's first scoring stroke was a minimalist straight drive tothe boundary, had played himself in carefully, but sensed the time had come toraise the tempo, or face a slow painful demise. Seeing the ball like a jackfruithe was merciless on the loose ball, waiting until the last millisecond before hecaressed it into a vacant gap.
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Speaking afterwards Jayawardene claimed the innings to be: "One of mybest Test knocks if you take into account the conditions, which favoured thefast bowlers, and the fact that they bowled well." Tomorrow we will findout just how important it was.
