There was no respite for the beleaguered Indian attack at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground here on Monday. Once again, the Sri Lankan batsmen dominated.
Centuries from skipper Kumar Sangakkara (130 batting, 225b, 15x4) and opener Tharanga Paranavitana (100, 221b, 10x4, 1x6) propelled Sri Lanka to an imposing 312 for two on the first day of the second Test in the Micromax series.
The conditions were ideal for batting and Sri Lanka progressed to a position of strength. The Indian bowlers did not help their cause either with some ill-directed bowling in the first two sessions where runs flowed. It was baffling why India retained the same bowling combination.
Spinners Harbhajan Singh — he continues to struggle — and Pragyan Ojha did peg back the run-rate in the final session. However, the Sri Lankans seemed intent on shutting shop to consolidate on the gains. The lack of an arm ball hampered left-armer Ojha.
India claimed the second new ball at the fag end of the day but Sangakkara and Mahela Jayaardene (13 batting) ensured Sri Lanka would lose no more wickets. Mahela has an ominous record at this venue.
HOLDING CENTRE-STAGE
Sangakkara held centre-stage for most part. The feature of the left-hander's batting is the manner in which he uses the depth of the crease. He went back, created room with subtle footwork, cut and pulled with precision.
Sankakkara is a flamboyant customer yet his dash and flair stems from sound basics. He is an organised, hard-running batsman who relishes the sniff of a duel.
The 32-year-old Sangakkara's waltz down-the-track for a straight hit off Harbhajan showcased the controlled aggression in his batting.
Like most great batsmen, he picks the length quickly. His back-lift is measured and Sangakkara is all poise and balance as he meets the ball.
And he picks gaps with the ease of a natural. Sangakkara's 23rd Test hundred, his second of the series, oozed class. He continues to construct monuments.
The 28-year-old opener Paranavitana too notched up a century in successive Tests. The left-hander was solid without being defensive and scored with deft footwork. Paranavitana leaned into his front-footed covers drives off Ishant and Mithun, flicked with panache.
SPECTACULAR SIX
He sashayed down for a spectacular six over mid-wicket off Harbhajan. Paranavitana also revealed the ability to play the ball late — a cut of Ishant at the last moment screamed for attention.
His innings ended when he played on to Ishant attempting a punch square of the wicket. It had been a fine innings from a blossoming opener.
Once again, the left-handed combination of Paranavitana and Sangakkara tormented the Indian attack. The duo put on 174 attractive runs for the second wicket.
Earlier, Sri Lanka, predictably, elected to bat. Murali Vijay and debutant Suresh Raina came in for Gautam Gambhir (niggle on right knee) and Yuvraj Singh (down with fever).
Pacemen Dilhara Fernando and Dammika Prasad replaced the injured Lasith Malinga and Chanaka Welegedara in the Sri Lankan attack. Off-spinner Suraj Randiv and Ajantha Mendis took the place of left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and the retired icon, Muttiah Muralitharan.
Sri Lanka seized the initiative when play got underway. There was not much assistance — in the air or off the seam — but the Indian pacemen, Ishant Sharma in particular, often bowled too short with the new ball.
THE ONLY CHANCE
Abhimanyu Mithun did trouble Paranavitana — he edged one perilously close to a diving Dhoni — with his natural incoming deliveries that moved away from the left-hander. However, Mithun's length suffered subsequently.
This Indian pace attack needs to strike with the new ball. Both Ishant and Mithun have been unable to reverse the kookaburra ball, with its smaller seam, in the sub-continental conditions. As the ball gets older, the two suffer.
Ishant should have made the batsmen play around the off-stump, bowled a fuller length. Instead his back-of-a-length deliveries were fodder for Dilshan.
RUTHLESS DILSHAN
The quick-thinking opener ruthlessly dismissed Ishant for four successive boundaries — an off-drive, a flick, a whip and a cut — in the fourth over.
Psychologically, Dilshan pushes the opposition from an attacking mind-set to a more defensive one. The captain is forced to plug holes on the field and it is a different ball game altogether. The value of Dilshan is immense.
His whiplash drives scorched the turf. Dilshan's hectic 42-ball 54 ended when he jumped out to a flighted delivery from Ojha, failed to keep his drive down, and was held at short cover. The opening pair — a right-left combination — had raced to 99 in only 18.1 overs. A crucial platform had been laid.
Scorecard: Sri Lanka (First innings): N. Paranavitana b Ishant 100 (221b, 10x4, 1x6), T. Dilshan c Laxman b Ojha 54 (42b, 10x4), K. Sangakkara (batting) 130 (225b, 15x4), M. Jayawardene (batting) 13 (56b, 2x4), Extras (b-4, lb-6, w-1, nb-4) 15, Total (for two wkts in 90 overs) 312.
Fall of wickets: 1-99 (Dilshan), 2-273 (Paranavitana).
India bowling: Mithun 17-4-75-0, Ishant 15-4-66-1, Ojha 23-5-59-1, Harbhajan 22-3-61-0, Sehwag 9-0-26-0, Raina 4-0-15-0.
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