- Scorecard: India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test
Harbhajan Singh took four wickets to keep India in the hunt after Tillakaratne Dilshan's breezy century, on Day 1 of the third and final Test at the Brabourne stadium, in Mumbai, on Wednesday.
Angelo Mathews was unbeaten on a brisk 86, that included 13 boundaries, off 119 deliveries, as Sri Lanka finished on 366 for 8 at stumps.
Dilshan smashed 109 from 160 deliveries, inclusive of ten boundaries and two sixes, his second century of the series, to give the visitors a fine start.
But his dismissal saw India fight back with regular wickets, courtesy Harbhajan, who took four for 107 in 29 overs.
Dilshan was unlucky to be given out. A delivery from Harbhajan clearly missed the bat and went off the pads to Murali Vijay at short leg, but umpire Nigel Long thought otherwise and adjudged him out.
Dilshan, who scored a century in the first Test in Ahmedabad, seemed keen to make up for failure in the Kanpur Test. He started off cautiously before changing gears, and added 93 runs in 119 deliveries for the opening wicket with Tharanga Paranavitana.
Left-hander Paranavitana, who started with a flurry of boundaries against the pacers, hit 53 from 81 deliveries, inclusive of seven boundaries. He was the first to be dismissed, caught by Rahul Dravid at first slip after getting an outside edge while attempting to drive Harbhajan through the off-side.
Captain Kumar Sangakkara's wretched form in the series continued, as he fell for 18, caught down the leg side off Pragyan Ojha.
Mahela Jayawardene made 29 from 63 deliveries before he top edged a pull to the square leg fielder off S Sreesanth.
In the next over, Harbhajan Singh claimed the wicket of Thilan Samaraweera, who was out for 1, caught at short leg by Murali Vijay.
Morning session: (27 overs, 117 runs, 1 wicket)
Paranavitana got the Sri Lankan innings off the mark in style, driving Zaheer Khan for a boundary through the covers off the first delivery of the match. The left-hander got his second boundary when he hit another full delivery from Zaheer through the point region in the third over of the match.
Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored 0 and 11 in the last Test, hit his first boundary when he slammed a full delivery through the cover region.
While Dilshan was looking to get his eye in, Paranavitana did the bulk of the scoring and bagged his third boundary by flicking Zaheer through midwicket in the fifth over.
Even though the seamers were getting a fair amount of help from the wicket, Paranavitana was not at all bothered. He hit Sreesanth for two boundaries in as many overs to take Sri Lanka to 38 for no loss after eight overs.
After Paranavitana's brisk start, it was now Dilshan's turn to cut loose. He pulled Sreesanth for a huge six over square leg and followed it up with two boundaries in his fifth over to race to 21 from 20 deliveries.
Paranavtina continued making merry against Zaheer as he played another wonderful drive through the covers. He survived a close run-out chance in the same over when he attempted a quick single but Yuvraj Singh's wayward throw missed the stumps and fetched Sri Lanka another four.
Sreesanth was hit for 32 in five overs in his first spell before he gave way to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, with India desperate for a wicket after Sri Lanka's quick start.
With Sri Lanka off to a flier and Sreesanth struggling, Dhoni was forced to bowl Zaheer for a longer spell. At the other end, Harbhajan settled into a good rhythm immediately and caused a few problems for the well-settled Paranavitana with his flighted deliveries that turned and bounced on the odd occasion.
Zaheer bowled a long spell of eight overs, conceding 37 runs, before Pragyan Ojha took over from the pavilion end to partner Harbhajan.
Paranavitana brought up his half-century, his third in Tests, off 69 deliveries with a double on the leg side off Ojha in the 16th over. In the same over, Dilshan increased India's woes as he slammed successive boundaries off Ojha by charging down the wicket and hitting straight down the ground.
Harbhajan's probing spell with the ball was finally rewarded with the wicket of Paranavitana. The left-hander, who scored 53 from 81 deliveries, inclusive of seven boundaries, was tempted by the full delivery from Harbhajan that turned a bit and took the outside edge to Dravid at first slip. (93-1, 19.5)
The two openers had given Sri Lanka a good start as they were involved in a quick partnership of 93 runs in 119 deliveries for the opening wicket as Sri Lanka made the most of electing to bat first.
Kumar Sangakkara also had a few problems against the spinners as a few deliveries turned sharply in the first session itself as both Ojha and Harbhajan got sharp turn and bounce.
Ojha, though, failed to control the flow of runs as Dilshan cut him through point for a boundary. The spinner conceded 27 runs in his first five overs.
Dilshan got his half-century from just 57 deliveries, having hit seven boundaries, with a fine sweep for two runs against Harbhajan in the 26th over.
At the lunch break, Sri Lanka were 117 for one in 27 overs, with Dilshan unbeaten on 51 from 63 deliveries, while Sangakkara was not out on 10.
Harbhajan was easily the best bowler for India in the morning, as he took one for 19 in his eight overs, while Ojha struggled, giving away 26 runs in six overs, despite the pitch giving a fair amount of assistance.
Post-lunch session: (96 runs, 29 overs, 3 wickets)
India's spinners kept things tight after lunch as just two runs came in the three overs after the break. Sangakkara broke the shackles with a boundary past point, his first of the innings and followed that up with another two deliveries later when he flicked a full delivery through midwicket.
But Ojha had his revenge when he got Sangakkara off the next delivery as the left-hander was caught down the leg side attempting to play it fine. Once again the Sri Lanka captain had let down his team, failing to convert his start. He was out for 18 from 35 deliveries. (128-2, 30.5)
Sangakkara has so far scored just 104 runs in four innings, at an average of 26, with a best of 44.
That wicket seemed to have lifted Ojha's confidence as he beat new batsman Mahela Jayawardene with a few deliveries that turned and bounced in his next over.
Dilshan got a bit lucky when he tried to cut Ojha but got a thick outside edge, which went between the two slips for a boundary in the 35th over.
Jayawardene found it hard at the start of his innings as Ojha constantly kept going past the outside edge. But the former Sri Lanka captain took full toll on the one occasion that the left-arm spinner pitched for a boundary to take Sri Lanka past the 150-run mark in the 37th over.
Harbhajan also suffered in his next over, his 14th, as he was hit for three boundaries. Dilshan hit him for two successive boundaries on both sides of the wicket and Jayawardene followed that up with a sweetly-timed boundary through the covers.
The off-spinner took one for 41 in 14 overs before he got some rest and was replaced by part-timer Yuvraj Singh, who also bowled a single over before giving way to Sreesanth.
Jayawardene cut a short delivery from Ojha through point to bring up the 50-run partnership in 68 deliveries for the third wicket with Dilshan in the 43rd over.
Sreesanth proved his utility with the old ball yet again as he bowled a good few overs before claiming with the wicket of Jayawardene for 29. India's bowlers had managed to slow down the Sri Lankan scoring rate before Jayawardene decided to take on Sreesanth's short delivery, but top edged it and was taken by Virender Sehwag on the square leg boundary. (187-3, 47.4)
In the next over, Harbhajan claimed the wicket of Thilan Samaraweera with the first delivery of his new spell. Samaraweera, who made 1, lasted just two deliveries before he played forward and was caught at short leg by Murali Vijay. (188-4, 48.1)
If he seemed clueless in his opening spell, Sreesanth was a changed bowler in his second as he took one for seven in five overs, using the old ball to good effect. Even Zaheer got the ball to reverse swing and once got the edge of Angelo Mathews's bat but it went for a boundary through the vacant third man region.
It was the last over before the tea break and Dilshan was closing in on his century but it hardly mattered to him as he stepped down and lofted Ojha for a huge six over mid-on to move to 99.
At the tea break, Dilshan was unbeaten on 99 from 138 deliveries, inclusive of 10 boundaries and two sixes, and Angelo Mathews was not out on eight from 19 deliveries, helping Sri Lanka reach 213 for four in 56 overs.
The Indian bowlers pulled back things with three wickets in the session, but Dilshan was proving to be the major obstacle.
Harbhajan continued to pose the main threat as he claimed two for 50 in 18 overs, but Ojha, despite picking up a wicket, had figures of one for 76 in 17 overs.
Sreesanth staged a fine comeback in his second spell, taking one for 39 in ten overs, while Zaheer went wicketless for 43 runs in ten overs.
Post-tea session: (33 overs, 153 runs, 4 wickets)
Mathews welcomed Harbhajan to the final session of the day with a boundary off the first delivery after the break. A few deliveries later Dilshan completed his century, his 11th in Tests, with a cut shot off Harbhajan that fetched him three runs. It took the right-hander 139 deliveries to reach the landmark, having hit 10 boundaries and two sixes, in the 57th over of the innings.
Mathews kept attacking Harbhajan and swept him for a boundary through square leg followed by another one courtesy an inside edge to race to 28 from 31 deliveries, while also bringing up the 50-run partnership in 65 balls for the fourth wicket with Dilshan.
Sreesanth continued getting good movement with the old ball and Mathews was lucky to get two boundaries in his 12th over, as the ball twice went past the slips through the third man region.
Finally Mathews got the middle of the bat when he unleashed a powerful cut shot off Zaheer to race to 43 from 41 deliveries, having hit eight boundaries.
Dilshan's brilliant innings came to a tame end when he was wrongly given out. The right-hander made 109 from 160 deliveries, inclusive of ten boundaries and two sixes, before umpire Nigel Long gave him caught at short leg despite the ball missing the bat by a long way, off Harbhajan. (262-5, 65)
Mathews brought up his half-century with another boundary using the sweep to good effect against Harbhajan. It took him 60 deliveries to reach the landmark and included nine boundaries, in the 67th over of the innings.
Prasanna Jayawardene also continued to torment Harbhajan with the sweep, as he slog swept him for a flat six over midwicket early in his innings, in the 69th over. He nearly holed out to the fielders on the leg side as he top edged a pull shot against Zaheer but the ball fell in the vacant area near square leg.
Yuvraj replaced Zaheer and immediately Jayawardene looked to attack him. The Sri Lanka wicketkeeper played the paddle sweep for a boundary through fine leg to bring up the 300-run mark in the 74th over. Off the next delivery, he tried to loft Yuvraj over the cover region but got a thick edge, which went for a boundary through the gully region.
Jayawardene and Mathews upped the ante as they looked to increase the run rate, bringing up their 50-run partnership in the 77th over at more than four runs per over.
Mathews brought out the sweep yet against Harbhajan for another boundary, his sixth against the off-spinner, in the 79th over of the innings.
Jayawardene hit Ojha for back-to-back boundaries as the Sri Lankan batsmen continued to target the left-arm spinner. But it was Ojha who had the last laugh, when Jayawardene hit one straight to Harbhajan at mid-on, attempting to clear the fielder. He was out after a quick 43 from 47 deliveries, inclusive of six fours and a six. (329-6, 80)
The two batsmen put on a brisk partnership of 67 runs in 92 deliveries for the sixth wicket as Sri Lanka motored along nicely in the post-tea session.
India wasted no time in taking the new ball after 80 overs, hoping to get a few more wickets before the end of play. But, just like the first new ball, the Indian pacers disappointed, spraying the second new ball all around and failed to test the batsmen.
Sreesanth struggled to control the second new ball too and was hit for two boundaries in the 82nd over by new batsman Nuwan Kulasekara. In the next over, Mathews lashed at a short wide delivery from Zaheer that went over the slips for a boundary. It took Sri Lanka past the 350-run mark.
Kulasekara drove Sreesanth straight down the ground for his third boundary as runs continued to flow against the new ball, with 29 runs coming in the first four overs.
Zaheer finally did the trick with the second new ball, sending down an unplayable outswinger to have Kulasekara caught behind by Dhoni for 12. (359-7, 85)
At the other end, Sreesanth was replaced by Harbhajan after just two overs with the ball as he gave away 17 runs.
The move worked as Harbhajan claimed the wicket of Rangana Herath for 1, caught at first slip attempting a sweep.
Yuvraj bowled the last over of the day and Mathews finished off proceedings in style, slamming a straight boundary back past the bowler. He was unbeaten on a good 86, inclusive of 13 boundaries, off 113 balls, as Sri Lanka ended the day on a healthy 362 for eight in 89 overs.
Harbhajan played a big role in keeping India alive, with figures of four for 107 in 29 overs, while Ojha took two for 97 in 23 overs.
Zaheer and Sreesanth, took one for 70 and one for 66 respectively, must be disappointed for failing to utilise the conditions better.
Sri Lanka will now be hoping that Mathews can complete his century and take them past the 400-run mark, which should prove to be a very good total on this lively track.
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