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Gambhir backs the middle-order

Special Correspondent

Colombo: Gautam Gambhir, whose 72 was one of few bright spots on dismal batting day for India, backed his illustrious colleagues to come good in the second innings, saying the tourists could still win the third Test — and the series.

“We should have got more than what we got at the end of the day but this is part and parcel of Test cricket,” said the left-handed opener. “It is important to win sessions, and I still feel we are very much in the game if we can have one or two early wickets in the morning.”

Gambhir said the strip at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium was ripe for batting. “There was hardly anything for the bowlers, nothing for the fast bowlers and nothing for the spinners. It is just that we didn’t bat well.”

Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly have failed to break 100 in five innings; V.V.S. Laxman’s 56 at the SSC is the only half-century from the Fab Four in the series so far.

Rectifying mistakes

Gambhir said, however, that the middle-order would do better in the second stint.

“They have played enough cricket to analyse what mistakes they are making. It’s important to rectify those mistakes and move ahead and that is what we have to do in the second innings. There is one more innings to go which is the most important innings of this series. It’s 1-1. We must be looking forward to the next innings rather than thinking about what has happened today.”

Gambhir complimented Ajantha Mendis, calling the mystery spinner a ‘quality bowler’. Mendis, who has taken 23 wickets in five innings since debut, dismissed Gambhir leg-before.

The opener, who said he has rarely felt better about his game, had words of praise for Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, who raised 51 for the 10th wicket.

“They got us slightly back in the game. Especially after picking up one wicket late in the day, they have really got us back in the game.”

Dammika Prasad, who had provided Sri Lanka the breakthrough on Friday before finishing with three wickets on debut, said he was thrilled with Tendulkar’s wicket.

“One of my favourite players is Sachin. It was a big moment for me to take that wicket. I am really happy.”

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