Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Dilshan ton gives Sri Lanka hope

Third Test, Mumbai, day one (close):
Sri Lanka 366-8 v India
Match scorecard


Tillakaratne Dilshan
India lead the series 1-0 after an emphatic second Test win

An exquisite 109 from Tillakaratne Dilshan helped Sri Lanka reach 366-8 at the end the opening day of the third and final Test against India in Mumbai.

On a lively pitch, Dilshan and Angelo Mathews (86 not out) ensured the match, which the tourists must win to level the series, remains evenly poised.

Sri Lanka raced to 93-1 in 19.5 overs, but were pegged back as India got three middle-order wickets in the afternoon.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the pick of the bowlers with 4-107.

Dilshan's century, his second of the series, was the fillip the tourists needed following their comprehensive innings and 144-run defeat in the second Test.

Sri Lanka have not won a Test on Indian soil since 1982, but their showing on the first day - scoring the most runs in a day for a visiting team - suggests they could come close to achieving a historic victory at the Brabourne stadium.

Dilshan and fellow opener Tharanga Paranavitana (53) withstood some tricky spells from Harbhajan and Sree Santh to keep up a healthy run-rate, reaching 117-1 by lunch.

Paranavitana's quick-fire innings, which included seven boundaries, came to an end when he edged Harbhajan's looping off-spinner to first slip.

Sri Lanka ended the morning session in the ascendancy but, on a pitch which had plenty of swing, bounce and turn, India's bowlers responded in the afternoon session.

Kumar Sangakkara (18), Mahela Jayawardene (29) and Thilan Samaraweera (1) were all dismissed after lunch as Sri Lanka slipped from 128-1 to 188-4.

Dilshan was the one constant at the crease as he went on to score his 11th Test century, reaching 1,000 runs for the year in the process.

However, his innings came to an end when umpire Nigel Llong controversially gave him out lbw to Harbhajan when replays indicated there was neither bat nor glove involved.

Mathews and Prasanna Jayawardene revived the innings with a 67-run stand for the sixth wicket.

But Jayawardene tried to hit Pragyan Ojha over the top only to find Harbhajan at mid-on, while Zaheer removed Nuwan Kulasekara (12) in the final session and Harbhajan dismissed Rangana Herath for one.

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