The Hindu : Sport : Indians set a target of 294

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Monday, Aug 06, 2007
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Indians set a target of 294

S. Ram Mahesh

For a while, the Indians didn’t look like trying to take wickets
Vandort notched up his 17th First Class century

Leicester: Set 294 in 57 overs for victory by Sri Lanka ‘A’, the Indians scored 92 for three in 23 overs by tea on the third and final day of the practice match here at Grace Road. Wasim Jaffer was unbeaten on 43 (66b, 4x4, 1x6). With him was Gautam Gambhir on four.

The Indians lost Dinesh Karthik, bowled by left-armer Chanaka Welegedera for nine, Yuvraj Singh, leg-before for an attractive if patchy 33, and M.S. Dhoni, bowled pulling the wrong length for one.

Highlight

Opener Michael Vandort’s fine 117 (186b, 18x4) was the highlight of the morning, allowing as it did Sri Lanka ‘A’ to declare after lunch on 265 for seven from 64 overs. But, much of Sunday’s first session was an illustration of how contriving to inject excitement can actually compromise it.

Gambhir, after his 67 on Saturday, had said that both sides were looking to play 60 overs in the second innings to “make the match more interesting”, and prevent it from becoming “monotonous”.

The trouble with the decision, admirable for its intent, was the focus shifted completely to the chase. The second innings of Sri Lanka ‘A’ had to be endured, and, for a while, the Indians didn’t look like they were trying to take wickets.

Two facets of the game were immediately lost: the tease in the timing of a declaration decision from the batting side, for one; the intent and the intensity in the bowling effort, the other.

Make no mistake, the Indians started out, looking for wickets, and got two in the first 20 minutes.

They were helped by Dilruwan Perera running himself out, one short of a half-century. Perera pushed to mid-on’s left and took off; Vandort didn’t respond, guilty of watching Gambhir move smartly; Karthik had little trouble with the throw.

Ranadeb Bose angled one across left-hander Malinda Warnapura’s body for Karthik to complete a simple catch — a replay of his dismissal in the first innings, only he had scored three more then. Ishant Sharma cut the ball back into the right-hander, and the Indians were looking good for an early finish.

But, Sharma was denied a leg-before decision against Thilan Samaraweera, the Sri Lanka ‘A’ captain, as the bowling effort began to flag.

Vandort’s was a punishing century. The 6ft 5in left-hander drove Bose straight, closing his bat-face, before flicking him between mid-wicket and mid-on.

The redoubtable Anil Kumble was toyed with, completing a lacklustre match for the leg-spinner.

Vandort chipped past the bowler for four, causing Kumble to bring his mid-on straighter. The next ball was sent where the fielder had been moved from.

Vandort tickled Kumble fine to bring up his 17th First Class century. Yuvraj was reserved for special treatment — the slow left-arm was the onset of the dross, and Vandort powdered long-hops through cover.

Ramesh Powar eventually dismissed Vandort, having him caught well at long-off; the off-spinner followed it up by tricking Samaraweera in flight and accepting the caught-and-bowled.

It was a rare phase of good bowling as V.V.S. Laxman, Gambhir and even Karthik, who gave Dhoni the gloves, tried their hand. Laxman took his 20th First Class wicket, but his flat off-spin would have given pensioners little trouble.

Gambhir’s fat leg-spinners were tempting: Dammika Prasad succumbed, helping himself to two robust fours and a six in Gambhir’s first over.

A measure of revenge was extracted — Prasad was caught in the deep, but he had taken 21 in 16 balls by then.

The day’s worst over came from Karthik.

Old timers struggled to cast their mind backs and find a more terrible over in their years of watching First Class cricket.

Surprisingly, only nine came. Karthik even managed an unconvincing shout for leg-before: it fooled no one, and the prolonged appeal was unbecoming.

The scores:

Sri Lanka ‘A’ — 1st innings: 266.

Indians — 1st innings: 238 for five decl.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ — 2nd innings: M. Vandort c Bose b Powar 117, M. Udawatte c Laxman b Sharma 0, D. Perera (run out) 49, M. Warnapura c Karthik b Bose 0, T. Samaraweera c & b Powar 24, K. Lokuarachchi c Kumble b Laxma n 16, K. Silva (not out) 17, D. Prasad c Karthik b Gambhir 21, Herath (not out) 11; Extras (b-1, lb-4, nb-1, w-4) 10; Total (for seven wkts. decl. in 64 overs) 265.

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Udawatte), 2-115 (Perera), 3-115 (Warnapura), 4-196 (Vandort), 5-205 (Samaraweera), 6-217 (Lokuarachchi), 7-248 (Prasad).

Indians bowling: Bose 13-3-56-1, Sharma 14-3-36-1, Powar 12-4-37-2, Kumble 9-1-48-0, Yuvraj 9-0-36-0, Laxman 3-1-16-1, Gambhir 3-0-22-1, Karthik 1-0-9-0.

Indians — 2nd innings: D. Karthik b Welegedera 9, W. Jaffer (batting) 43, Y. Singh lbw b Perera 33, M.S. Dhoni lbw b Prasad 1, G. Gambhir (batting) 4; Extras (w-2) 2; Total (for three wkts. in 23 overs. at tea) 92.

Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Karthik), 2-66 (Yuvraj), 3-73 (Dhoni).

Sri Lanka ‘A’ bowling: Ganegama 4-1-18-0, Welegedera 4-0-23-1, Prasad 6-0-16-1, Perera 7-0-21-1, Herath 2-0-14-0.

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