The Hindu : Sport : Rain curtails play on the first day at the SSC

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Rain curtails play on the first day at the SSC

S. Ram Mahesh

Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan scalp one each, the latter getting rid of dangerman Sangakkara

— PHOTO: AFP

FIRST STRIKE: Ishant Sharma took the first wicket of the series when he got Michael Vandort caught behind with a rising ball.

Colombo: India made substantial gains on a rain-truncated first day of the first Test here at the Sinhalese Sports Club, purchasing two wickets, including, crucially, that of Kumar Sangakkara. Malinda Warnapura (50 batting) and Mahela Jayawardene (16 batting) took the umpires’ offer of light in the gathering gloom, as Sri Lanka ended on 85 for two in 22 overs.

That play began at all was a surprise, for it had rained through the night and Wednesday’s milky dawn gave way to showers. Fortunately, a large part of the ground was draped in covers. For much of the first four hours, the following ritual was repeated: the sun would emerge from behind grey clouds; the tireless ground staff would peel the covers off with elaborate care; a hundred crows, black as sin, would descend to peck at the grub uncovered; the clouds would shroud the sun, and threaten to deposit their contents; the ground staff would lay the covers back with elaborate care.

Delayed start

Play eventually began at 3.30 p.m., after the players had taken tea. It wasn’t a bad toss to lose for the Indians — often on strips that merely lose pace but don’t break up as the match progresses, teams asked to bowl discover that it’s easier dismissing the opposition twice when their efforts are punctuated by those of their batsmen; with the abandonment of the rest day, the option of batting big and enforcing the follow on has become less practical.

Certainly, the numbers suggest it: four of the last eight matches at the SSC have been won by teams batting second, while the team batting first has won two.

Moreover, India’s opening bowlers found that the strip was offering just enough traction for cut. Ishant Sharma broke through in the fourth over. Having drawn an edge from Michael Vandort, the tall left-handed opener, in his first over, Ishant shortened his length. The movement off the pitch accentuated the fast-bowler’s angle across the batsman, the ball rose discomfortingly, and Vandort was drawn into fending at it away from his body. Dinesh Karthik, playing his first Test since late last year, moved powerfully to his left to complete the catch in front of first slip.

Sangakkara guided the inexperienced Warnapura through a difficult period. Warnapura, whose uncle Bandula captained Sri Lanka in its first ever Test match, is another from the island’s lineage of uniquely bottom-handed batsmen. An off-drive off Zaheer, the first stroke of authority on Wednesday, illustrated Warnapura’s ability to generate bat speed by slapping through with his left hand.

Zaheer took to hounding the 29-year-old with short-pitched deliveries. Warnapura wasn’t convincing, once nearly lobbing the ball back to the left-armer, and encouraging Anil Kumble to employ a leg gully. Zaheer set the left-handed opener up for a floated outswinger, but the edge squirted through the slip cordon for four.

Warnapura had a few moments of anxiety, but survived them to advance to his third half-century (74 balls, 6x4) in five Tests with efficient play off his legs.

High-quality cricket

Zaheer had earlier snapped the 50-run second-wicket stand with a marvellous bit of bowling.

Indeed, the spell of three balls that included Sangakkara’s dismissal contained cricket of the highest quality.

Zaheer beat Sangakkara with the first ball — a shallow outswinger — but the left-hander countered by moving further across and on-driving the next to the boundary.

The wicket-taking delivery was entirely deserving of its illustrious victim. The length was perfect, catching Sangakkara betwixt moving back and pressing forward. Further, it left him off the surface, taking the edge as it passed the inadequate prod. Rahul Dravid did well at first slip to get his palms under a ball that was dying as it reached him.

To make up for lost time, play will start 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled start on the remaining days; the forecast, however, isn’t encouraging.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka - 1st innings: M. Vandort c Karthik b Ishant 3, M. Warnapura (batting) 50, K. Sangakkara c Dravid b Zaheer 12, M. Jayawardene batting) 16, Extras (lb-1, nb-3) 4; Total for two wickets in 22 overs) 85.

Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Vandort), 2-57 Sangakkara).

India bowling: Zaheer 9-0-42-1, Ishant 7-2-21-1, Ganguly 5-1-14-0, Harbhajan 1-0-7-0.

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