India off to a solid start

Kevin Affleck

• Last Updated: November 25. 2009 12:22AM UAE / November 24. 2009 8:22PM GMT

Not only did the pair deal in boundaries but Gambhir and Sehwag rotated the strike very nicely for a healthy run rate. Manan Vatsyayana / AFP

Different venue, same story. Just three days after the run feast in Ahmedabad, the batsmen again filled their boots, this time in Kanpur, as India enjoyed their most productive day ever with the bat in Test cricket.

Their formidable total of 417 for two on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka was the first time they had passed 400 in a day – eclipsing the 386 against South Africa last year.

The swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag set the tone once again; scoring a sizzling 131 off just 122 balls. It was vintage Sehwag. Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid joined in the run bonanza, making 167 and 85 not out respectively as India established a commanding position.

They may yet, however, pay the price for failing to address the balance of the side, with the selectors opting to persist with the balance of seven batsman and four bowlers. However, it is Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, who is faced with the biggest headache today.

With Sachin Tendulkar looking well set on 20 off 53 balls and VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni still to come, it is difficult to know what Sangakkara can say to rouse his beleaguered bowlers ahead of the second day. Given the feather-bed nature of the pitch the records in this batsman-dominated series could continue to tumble.

It could have been a different story for Sri Lanka had they not dropped Sehwag, of all people, in the very first over of the day.

Chanaka Welegedara slanted one across Sehwag and induced an edge but, not for the first time, wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene dived across Mahela Jayawardene at first slip and the chance was gone.

Prasanna made the same mistake against the same batsman in the first Test. This time, though, Sehwag made him pay a heavy price. His 16th Test century featured 18 fours and two sixes, the pick of which was the off-break from Ajantha Mendis he lofted high into the stands in the last over before lunch.

Sehwag’s pyrotechnics eventually came to an end when he slammed a delivery from Muttiah Muralitharan straight to Tillakaratne Dilshan at cover. His first-wicket stand of 233 with Gambhir was quite a platform to set.

India continued to plunder runs after Sehwag’s departure in in the second session. Gambhir reached his seventh century in his last nine Tests and was particularly dominant against the spinners, hitting Ragana Herath for three boundaries in one over.

Sri Lanka opted to field a three-pronged spin attack, recalling Mendis for the injured Dammika Prasad, but Sangakkara could really have done with winning the toss. He failed to gain a semblance of control all day and, again, Muralitharan proved expensive, disappearing for 100 runs from his 18 overs.

The mystery spinner did manage to claim the wicket of Gambhir with a brilliant one-handed caught-and-bowled effort but that was about as good as it got.

kaffleck@thenational.ae

Scorecard

India:
Gautam Gambhir c&b Muralitharan 167
Virender Sehwag c Dilshan b Muralitharan 131
Rahul Dravid batting 85
Sachin Tendulkar batting 20
Extras (b 4, lb 7, nb 3) 14
Total: (for two wickets, 90 overs) 417
Fall of wickets: 1-233, Sehwag, 2-370, Gambhir
Bowling: Chanaka Welegedara 18-3-73-0, Angelo Mathews 14-2-38-0, Rangana Herath 18-0-91-0, Ajantha Mendis 19-0-87-0, Muttiah Muralitharan 18-0-100-2, Tillekaratne Dilshan 3-0-17-0.