It was the Jayawardene and Jayawardene Show that set up the Ahmedabad Test nicely for Sri Lanka last week.
It was the Jayawardene and Jayawardene Show that set up the Ahmedabad Test nicely for Sri Lanka last week. Mahela and Prasanna's world record sixth-wicket partnership made sure the visitors did not lose the series opener at Motera.
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Virender Sehwag made Sri Lanka pay for a dropped catch. He went on to score 131 off 122 balls. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE |
However, it was the same duo who was largely responsible for the Islanders being on the backfoot at the end of the first day's play in the second Test at Green Park yesterday. Had Prasanna, the glovesman, not gone for an edge off Virender Sehwag's bat that was sailing straight into Mahela's palms at first slip, the seasoned slipper wouldn't have spilled a regulation catch.
Sehwag had not even opened his account and India's total was two. Three hours later, when Sehwag finally perished off Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling, he had scored 131 runs off just 122 balls and the scoreboard read 233 in the 42nd over.
A determined Gautam Gambhir (167), a defiant Rahul Dravid (85 not out) and a watchful Sachin Tendulkar (20 not out) carried on the good work as India ended Day One at 417 for two, the highest-ever total in a day by India and the highest tally in a day on Indian soil.
"It would have been nice to take that catch and that could have changed the complexion of the game. But they also have a quality batting line-up. You never know. We could have put the next guy under pressure and take a few wickets like we did in the first Test," Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said.
Once Sehwag got the reprieve, he and Gambhir cautiously played out the first hour. But after the first drinks break, the tide turned around quickly and in the next one hour, the duo plundered 92 runs off 14 overs as India went in to lunch at 131 without any damage.
"They dropped catches in Ahmedabad also and here too in the first over. After that, I was telling myself see off eight-10 overs and then everything will fall in place","u00a0 said Sehwag.
"I was just concentrating hard, telling myself to leave balls outside off-stump. I did that, I worked hard the first one and a half hours and after that I was playing my shots,"u00a0 added Sehwag.
The trend continued throughout the rest of the day, as India have set themselves to bat just once in the Test and then expect the new-look bowling attack to pick 20 wickets in three days.
"I think we can get 20 wickets. We took 20 wickets against Australia on a flat track in Mohali last year and we have a similar attack here too," said Sehwag.
