Cricket
Leading Paceman with over ten years of experience in International cricket and 242 Test victims, Zaheer Khan’s absence from the current test owing to an injury has battered India’s bowling attack and the further absence of seamer Sreesanth has left it numb. Skipper Dhoni must have prayed for a win, not in the match but at least with the coin. But lady luck refused to smile as India lost their sixth consecutive test toss.
The Test is just a day old now, but seems an age for the Indian camp. As they huff and puff running after their share of the 31 boundaries that the bowlers conceded on Day 1 of the Galle Test. The Indian bowling attack defined lackluster and lacked any sting, making things easy for the Lankans with the willow who butchered Indian bowling and went on to score 256 losing 2 wickets in the 68 overs that were possible in a cloudy and overcast conditions.
Winning the toss skipper Sangakkara elected to bat first. Exploiting India’s weakness in the bowling department, Lankan batsmen started firing all cylinders right from the very first over. With an overcast and cloudy sky above the islanders made no haste in taking the attack to the Indian camp as they set up a quick fire opening partnership of 55 in just 61 balls. Abhimanyu Mithun scalped his first Test victim of Tilakeratne Dilshan.
An early breakthrough of danger man Dilshan out for a 24 ball 25 could have pumped up the Indian camp, but the Lankan pair of skipper Sangakkara and Paranavitana ensured that there would be no further hiccups in the Islanders way. Attacking the bowlers with glee and fetching boundaries now and then the Lankan duo made people doubt whether they were playing against the number one Test team.
With great ease clobbering the Indian bowlers the second wicket partnership went on to add 181 runs amongst them until Sangakkara fell victim to Sehwag’s wily tweakers, scoring 103 from 145 deliveries with 12 boundaries.With 236 for the loss of two wickets Lanka looked poised for greater things to come their way. But bad light called an end to day one’s play with the Islanders at 256 for 2, with Paranavitana on 110 and Jayawardena on 8.
The depleted and injury hit Indian bowling attack had nothing positive to ponder other than lone display of intent and grit from rookie and newly capped Mithun. The debut boy managed a decent and disciplined spell of 41 runs and a wicket from his 13 overs. Ishant looked out of form as usual going for 79 runs in 14 overs, with a disastrous economy rate of 5.64.
The second day would need some discipline and hard fought intent from the Indian camp as Murali will be praying for the clouds to disperse as he gets ready for his prized figure of 800 Test wickets.
By: Soubhik Ray
Tags: 1st Test, Cricket, Day 1, Galle, Sri Lanka vs India, Test Match
