Tendulkar and Laxman have a chance to make up for their 1st innings failures as India face a daunting task to save the Test on last day.
Sachin Tendulkar may have missed a chance in the first innings to make the Ahmedabad Test a memorable one, but he has an opportunity to compensate for that on Friday as India fight to save the first Test against Sri Lanka. The home team was 190 for two at stumps on Day Four, needing to score 144 more runs to make the visitors bat again. Gautam Gambhir (74) anchored the Indian ship with night watchman Amit Mishra (12) at the other end.
As India began their second essay with a deficit of 334 runs, Virender Sehwag made his intentions clear. He opened his account with a boundary off Chanaka Welegedara. Despite Sri Lanka taking a huge lead, the Indians looked comfortable on a wicket that looked wrinkle-free. A batting beauty, the Motera Stadium has yet to trouble any batsman, and the Indian batters should have no difficulty in keeping the opposition at bay.
Meanwhile, as Sehwag entertained the desperate crowd with his trademark — stand and deliver — shots, India looked to be on the road to recovery. The opener also had a couple of reprieves. Sehwag (51) sprinted to his half century in 63 balls, hitting a handsome boundary off Ranga Herath. But soon he threw his wicket away.
Unlike Sehwag, Gambhir played a responsible innings, displaying impressive footwork and avoiding risks. He was cautious against Muttiah Muralidharan. Gambhir shared an 88-run stand with first-innings centurion Rahul Dravid (38), who was unlucky to be given out leg-before to Welegedara.
The day begun on an explosive note, with Prasanna Jayawardene reaching his second Test century and Mahela Jayawardene going past 250 runs in the first hour of play. They were separated when the latter, attempting to score maximum off Mishra, missed the line. But this was not before a few records tumbled.
Mahela (275) and Prasanna (154*) added 351 runs off 592 balls to set a new sixth-wicket partnership record, surpassing the 346 set by Don Bradman and Jack Fingleton for Australia, in Melbourne in 1936-37. Sri Lanka also overtook the highest score by any team visiting the subcontinent when they reached 653 for five.
The Indian bowlers looked hapless as the duo added 117 runs to the overnight total of 591 for five. Damika Prasad (21) was the last man out before Kumara Sangakkara declared the Sri Lankan innings at 760 for seven, 40 minutes before lunch.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}