Sri Lanka are on the verge of creating history. The visiting side is now sensing its first Test win on the Indian soil. After scoring his first century in India in the first session, Mahela Jayawardene completed a double century in the third session on Wednesday, giving Sri Lanka a chance to tame India in their own backyard.
At the end of Day Three of the first Test at Motera, Sri Lanka were 591 for five — an advantage of 165 runs — with the two Jayawardenes — Mahela and Prasanna — at the crease. In three sessions, the islanders scored 316 runs at the cost of two wickets. Mahela appeared relaxed but determined in his approach on Wednesday. The former captain, who has admitted to enjoying the role of mentor since handing over the captain’s blazer to Sangakkara, clobbered the Indian attack in subtle style. His assault which commenced in the morning continued till the final ball was bowled.
The situation was so bad for the home team that there was a time after lunch when it seemed the spectators were enjoying their afternoon siesta as the sixth-wicket partnership blossomed and Sri Lanka neared India’s total. The visitors surpassed India’s first-innings score of 426 in the 107th over of the innings.
The failure of the frontline bowlers was clearly visible as MS Dhoni turned to part-timers Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar but Jayawardene continued his assault with a flurry of boundaries on either side of the wicket. The Indians, especially Amit Mishra, were guilty of conceding extra runs. The leg spinner bowled as many as six no-balls. Ironically, for the 6,000-odd turnout, the occasional good fielding from the home side was the only reason for cheer as the two Jayawardenes ruled the batsman-friendly wicket.
The unbroken sixth-wicket association added 216 runs off 387 balls, with Mahela completing his sixth double century with a quick single off Zaheer Khan in the last session. Prasanna, on the other hand, was closing in on his second century in the longest format of the game.
Dhoni started the proceedings with spinners Harbhajan and Mishra. But Mahela and Thilan Samaraweera picked up from where they left the previous day.
As per plan, Dhoni got the new ball in the first hour of play; but the Sri Lankans remained unaffected. Zaheer and Ishant Sharma were bending their backs, but the dead wicket sapped their energy.
India got the breakthrough when Samaraweera (70), tried to pull Ishant. Angelo Mathews’s short spell on the 22-yard strip raised Indian hopes of a comeback, but this was not to be as wicketkeeper-batsman Prasanna soon settled in.
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