Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis and debutant Dammika Prasad restricted India to a modest first innings score of 249 in the third and final Test yesterday despite a defiant last-wicket stand.
Unorthodox spinner Mendis finished with five for 56 and pace man Prasad with three for 82 as India were bowled out in the last session of the opening day after winning the toss on a good batting wicket.
India slipped from 151-3 to 198-9 before Zaheer Khan (32) and Ishant Sharma (17 not out) frustrated Sri Lanka with a 51-run partnership for the last wicket, the joint-highest stand of the innings.
PHOTO: AFP
Fast bowler Sharma then returned to dismiss Malinda Warnapura before Sri Lanka reached 14-1 in reply at stumps. Michael Vandort was unbeaten on 3 and night watchman Chaminda Vaas had yet to open his account.
Mendis continued to haunt the Indian batsmen, having so far grabbed 23 wickets in the series with clever variations.
Left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir was the only specialist batsman to give a good account of himself, top-scoring with a solid 72 for his third successive half-century. He hit 10 fours before falling leg before wicket to Mendis.
PHOTO: AFP
The series is tied at 1-1, with the hosts winning the first Test by an innings and 239 runs and India clinching a 170-run victory in the second match.
India’s famed middle order flopped yet again. Sourav Ganguly (35) and Venkatsai Laxman (25) failed to convert starts into big innings, while Sachin Tendulkar (6) and Rahul Dravid (10) were not allowed to settle.
Prasad did the early damage with a triple-strike, having in-form opener Virender Sehwag caught behind in his first spell and then trapping Dravid and Tendulkar leg before in the second before the lunch break.
India got off to a sound start when Sehwag (21) and Gambhir put on 51 for the opening wicket, but faltered against a disciplined Sri Lanka pace-spin combination.
Sri Lanka also benefited twice under a new experimental rule allowing players to seek a second opinion on umpiring decisions.
Gambhir and Dravid were initially given not out by umpire Mark Benson of England, but Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene asked the official to review his decisions. Benson ruled the batsmen out after consulting TV umpire Billy Doctrove of the West Indies.
Gambhir, who scored 56 and 74 in the second Test, reached his half-century when he fluently drove Mendis through mid-wicket for his ninth four. He put on 49 for the fourth wicket with Ganguly.
Ganguly hit the match’s first six when he hoisted off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (2-58) over long-off and then gave a sharp chance in the same over, the edge flying past slip fielder Jayawardene for a four. Jayawardene made no mistake when Ganguly edged Muralitharan again, holding a low catch to his right.
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