India put themselves in a position of strength by batting sensibly and looked set for an easy win in the second Test after giving the touring Sri Lanka side, a chasing world record 436 for victory.
Lanka slumped to 123 for five at the close.
Batting last is not going to be easy and for a team that could score only 230 runs on a good batting pitch on the second day, it will take a real big effort from the Lankans to score whatever India sets them to chase. The ball is turning albeit slowly and the odd ball is keeping low so it won’t be easy at all and it’s here that Sri Lanka will miss the experience of Sanath Jayasuriya. He may not have been in the best of form in recent times but it’s in situations like this that experience comes in handy. His left-arm bowling also would have come in use as he could have also been bowled to a negative field placing and stop the Indians from scoring the runs.
Anil Kumble was magnificent and on his favorite pitch captured six wickets and he will be licking his fingers in anticipation of bowling in the second innings on a pitch that will take a bit more turn than it did on the second day. He was well supported by Irfan Pathan and the left-hander also showed great temperament in batting in an unfamiliar position and coming close to a first Test century.
Having got ducks in his previous two innings and getting out to that magician Muralitharan, he would have been nervous as he went in to bat in a responsible position. Attapattu got it right by having Murali open the bowling to add to the pressure but Pathan displayed his temperament by getting to his highest Test score, as well as his developing skills as an all-rounder. Yes there’s no point putting pressure on him by expecting him to score every time but as long as the young man does not chuck his wicket away and makes the opposition bowlers work as hard as getting his wicket as he himself has to get wickets, then he will deliver more often than not.
The skipper Dravid also batted solidly when India had lost wickets in quick succession and were in a bit of a spot and in the process got his first 50 as a Test captain and also got to 8000 in the fastest time ever. What the latter achievement brings into perspective is the stupidity of the image given to him as a stone-waller when he has time and again in both forms of the game produced strokes of the highest pedigree. Yet, once an image is given then its sheer laziness more than anything else for the ones who give it, to change and of course, accept that they were wrong in the first place. So the little champion will still be called the master blaster when his game is no longer the blasting variety and Dravid will always be the wall when he is producing sparkling strokes.
What was also impressive about the skipper was his willingness to take the responsibility of opening the batting in the first innings. However the question that needs to be asked is why there was no replacement opener brought in the side as a cover for Sehwag. After all it wasn’t that Sehwag took ill on the morning of the match but had in fact been admitted to hospital a day before, so there was ample time to call for a replacement. When a bowler is injured isn’t a cover called for him, then why for such an important position as opening the batting, was a cover not called for? In fact Dheeraj Jadhav, who has been in the Indian test squad in Zimbabwe was in Delhi at the time playing for Maharashtra and he should have been called in as a substitute cover for Sehwag. If anything, the squad should always have a reserve opener but it has two middle order batsmen, which suggests that looking after the favorites is still in vogue rather than what’s best for the team and country. So nothing seems to have changed in spite of a new regime.
The selectors also need to ensure that the reserves are in match trim and so should send back two of the players to play Ranji cricket and get match fit rather than staying inside the dressing room fetching water for the team. Still if the team wins these things will be swept under the carpet as usual which is sad for Indian cricket.
