India 'A' struggling
in second 'Test'
Sri Lanka 'A' cornered the honours on the second day of the second 'Test' against
India 'A' on Thursday, grabbing four crucial wickets after posting a quick
total of 282, as the match got under way after play was washed out yesterday.
India 'A' were reduced to 55 for four by close, 227 behind
their opponents, after their bowlers had made up for their loose display to dismiss the Sri Lankans for 282.
Opener Akash Chopra was batting on 37 and Jaiprakash
Yadav was on six at stumps.
The Indian top-order failed collectively for the first
time in this tour, as former Test all-rounder Duleep Liyanage
capitalised on the tension that grips batsmen when required to
play an awkward hour before stumps.
India's left-hled by in-form opener Gautam Gambhir, Sridharan Sriram, skipper
Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Rohan Gavaskar came a cropper against
some accurate seam bowling. Liyanage ended the day with three
for 22 off eight overs.
Earlier, a quickfire 51 by opener Avishka Gunawardena and
a patient 87 by left-handed Navid Nawaz and the latter's 121-
run fourth-wicket partnership with Chamara Silva (65) helped
the hosts post a tidy total in less 78.2 overs.
Speedy scoring holds the key to the match which has been
reduced to a three-day encounter due to inclement weather.
Kanitkar won the toss, and promptly put the hosts in.
Gunawardena got Sri Lanka off to a blazing start, as his
flurry of boundaries against the opening bowlers took the
team to 50 in just 29 minutes off 7.2 overs. However, he lost
his opening partner Ian Daniel immediately thereafter.
Gunawardena reached his half-century in 49 balls, but did
not last long, edging L Balaji to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel.
His 51 contained nine fours. Skipper Tillekaratne Dilshan, was
the next to be dismissed, trapped in front by leggie Amit
Mishra to leave the hosts struggling at 96 for 3.
However, Chamara Silva, who joined Nawaz, scored briskly,
as the pair went in for lunch at 134 for 3, without further
damage. Nawaz soon reached his 50 with six fours and a six in
111 balls, and was followed soon by Silva, whose half-century
came off 93 deliveries.
The fall of Nawaz to a simple return catch to Gavaskar's
left-arm spin led to a collapse. From 217 for 3, Srall out for 282, the last seven wickets falling for just
65 runs. Gavaskar soon caught Silva plumb in front. All-
rounders Muthumudalige Pushpakumara and Dulip Liyanage did not
last long, both falling to Mishra's guile.
K S Lokuaracchi offered some resistance, lasting nearly an
hour for his 29, but was consumed in a final burst by Balaji.
The lanky Chennai fast bowler polished off the tail to have a
bag of three wickets.
India fielded an unchanged side but the hosts made three
changes, bringing in wicketkeeper Chatrith Sylvester Fernando
for Malinda Perera and bowlers Lokuarachchi and Akalanka
Ganegama for Rangana Herath and Chamila Gamage.
The first 'Test' had ended in a draw.
Mail Cricket Editor
