GALLE
Sri Lanka beat India comprehensively by 10 wickets in the first Test at theGalle International Stadium on the morning of the fourth day.
With just six runs needed to seal the win, the Sri Lankan captain SanathJayasuriya, rather appropriately, brought up the victory by playing his pet cutshot off Zaheer Khan in just the second over of the second innings.
Earlier, with Javagal Srinath injured and not in a position to bat, theIndian ninth-wicket pair of Rahul Dravid and Venkatesh Prasad put on 55 runs toensure that the Sri Lankans would be denied the pleasure of registering theirfirst innings win over the Indians.
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Their valiant stand though was brought to an end when Muttiah Muralitharantrapped Prasad leg before and ended the innings. Prasad made 20 in 70 minutes.
Rahul Dravid was left stranded on 61.
Play on the fourth day earlier resumed with India on 130 for eight, stillneeding a further 45 to make Sri Lanka bat again and with Dravid on 37 andPrasad on five.
Dilhara Fernando started the proceedings for Sri Lanka from the Old DutchFort End and the Indian batsmen scored nine runs off the first over.Muralitharan came on from the City End.
The Indian 150 came in the 62.3 overs and 262 minutes.
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Chaminda Vaas came in for Dilhara Fernando in the seventh over ofthe match. Muralitharan bowled four overs from the City End before shifting toOld Dutch Fort End replacing Vaas who bowled two overs.
Skipper Jayasuriya then took up the bowling from the City End.
Dravid who was fighting a lone battle in the centre reached his 50 with Indiaon 164, pulling a Muralitharan delivery to the mid-wicket boundary. His fiftycame in 151 balls and 191 minutes with six boundaries.
Dravid wiped off the Indian first innings lead when he hit an exquisite coverdrive through the extra cover region.
