Sri Lanka vs India Live Updates – The second attempt on their next job but not without some encouraging signs for India on the last day. The tenth-wicket pair and Pragyan Ojha and Ishant Sharma, repeated the feat with more ease and kept the Sri Lankan bowlers at bay for 27.1 overs before the Indian bowlers, who have been dominated this series, took three wickets, auguring well for the final Test at the P Sara Stadium.
The start to the Sri Lankan second innings, however, gave little indication that India’s bowlers would do better. The seamers often dropped short and Tharanga Paranavitana promptly slashed both Abhimanyu Mithun and Ishant Sharma for boundaries through point. He also cashed in when the ball was pitched up, driving Ishant confidently down the ground. Mithun got a bit of movement with the new ball and beat Paranavitana on a couple of occasions, but it was a short delivery that earned him a breakthrough as Tillakaratne Dilshan mistimed a pull to midwicket.
Though the run-flow remained steady, the spinners targeted the footmarks to unsettle the batsmen. They found grip as well as some extra bounce, prompting MS Dhoni to attack with more close-in fielders. Harbhajan Singh bowled fuller than he had in the first innings and occasionally got sharp turn against the left-handers when coming round the wicket. Paranavitana, who had scored a century in each of his two innings before this, edged one straight to slip.
Harbhajan, who had three slips at one stage, almost put an end to Mahela Jayawardene’s prolific run by inducing a top-edged sweep but was denied by Mithun’s misjudgement in the deep. The turn eventually did Jayawardene in, as he was hit on the pads by Virender Sehwag, though replays suggested the ball would have missed leg stump. Sri Lanka saw through some testing overs by Ojha before Kumar Sangakkara and Dhoni decided to end the game 70 minutes before the scheduled close of play.
Day 5 Highlights
* Drinks: India – 699/9 in 219.0 overs (I Sharma 24, PP Ojha 14)
* India: 700 runs in 220.5 overs (1339 balls), Extras 32
* Innings Break: India – 707/10 in 225.2 overs (PP Ojha 18)
* Sri Lanka 2nd innings
* Lunch: Sri Lanka – 19/0 in 2.0 overs (NT Paranavitana 5, TM Dilshan 5)
* Sri Lanka: 50 runs in 7.5 overs (52 balls), Extras 12
* 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 52 balls (NT Paranavitana 24, TM Dilshan 14, Ex 12)
* Drinks: Sri Lanka – 68/1 in 15.0 overs (NT Paranavitana 32, KC Sangakkara 10)
* Tea: Sri Lanka – 98/3 in 32.0 overs (KC Sangakkara 30, TT Samaraweera 0)
* Sri Lanka: 100 runs in 32.2 overs (200 balls), Extras 19
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