Dilshan, Mathews lift SL
Thursday, 3 December 2009
MUMBAI: Dec 2 (Cricinfo): A clever hundred by Tillakaratne Dilshan, supported by half-centuries from Tharanga Paranavitana and Angelo Mathews playing the innings of their young careers, took Sri Lanka to a comfortable total on the first day at the Brabourne Stadium. Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth bowled probing spells during the middle parts of the day but Dilshan and Mathews made sure a good start was not wasted on a pitch that had started to turn and bounce on the first morning of the Test.
The Sri Lankan openers caught the new-ball bowlers on the hop and ran away to a brisk start and after that they didn't let India build momentum, losing two wickets on the trot only once. India did not control the run-rate either, except during that brief phase when Harbhajan and Sreesanth tested Mahela Jayawardene and Dilshan. Sri Lanka scored only 59 runs in 16.5 overs in that period and then lost two wickets for one run but Mathews and Dilshan wrested the momentum again by scoring quickly. Their partnership involved a bit of luck but it worked and Sri Lanka eventually scored the most runs in a day for a team visiting India.
There wasn't much luck involved, though, when Paranavitana and Dilshan punished Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan, continuing the trend of frenetic first sessions in the series by scoring 116 runs. Unlike Kanpur, this pitch kept the bowlers interested with swing, bounce and turn - it wasn't prodigious but more than enough for a first morning.
Sri Lanka 366 for 8 (Dilshan 109, Mathews 86*, Paranavitana 53, Harbhajan 4-107) v India.
The Sri Lankan openers caught the new-ball bowlers on the hop and ran away to a brisk start and after that they didn't let India build momentum, losing two wickets on the trot only once. India did not control the run-rate either, except during that brief phase when Harbhajan and Sreesanth tested Mahela Jayawardene and Dilshan. Sri Lanka scored only 59 runs in 16.5 overs in that period and then lost two wickets for one run but Mathews and Dilshan wrested the momentum again by scoring quickly. Their partnership involved a bit of luck but it worked and Sri Lanka eventually scored the most runs in a day for a team visiting India.
There wasn't much luck involved, though, when Paranavitana and Dilshan punished Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan, continuing the trend of frenetic first sessions in the series by scoring 116 runs. Unlike Kanpur, this pitch kept the bowlers interested with swing, bounce and turn - it wasn't prodigious but more than enough for a first morning.
Sri Lanka 366 for 8 (Dilshan 109, Mathews 86*, Paranavitana 53, Harbhajan 4-107) v India.