Sri Lanka vs India 1st Test Highlights Day 4 Ahmedabad 2009

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Watch cricket highlights: India vs Sri Lanka Day 3 of the 1st Test being played at Ahmedabad.

Scoreline: Sri Lanka 591/5 Mahela Jayawardene 204 no, Prasanna Jayawardene 84 no, Samaraweera 70

Even the listless Indian bowling and general demeanour in the field can’t take away from the class and significance (which often is one of the traits associated with a Mahela big knock). On a cursory level it might appear to be a knock that slowed up in its later half through defensive/negative tactics by India and physical exhaustion (as mentioned by Mahela postmatch). But its first 30 runs yesterday, set itself up by intimidation through use-of-feet against the spinners, resulting in a dispersed field right through today.

When Dravid was culling out his 170 odd, he was kept interested by the Lankan bowlers who looked at least keen when they turned up for a new spell. In contrast, Mahela looked almost bored at times today.

The fact that SL didn’t really push in the final session might call into doubt the possibility of a result (assuming India bat out roughly 4 sessions over the next 2 days), but given the manner in which Mahela can easily up the tempo, it’s still on. Of course, there’s the other possibility – whenever India bat, Sehwag goes nuts, knocks off the deficit, Tendulkar and the rest pile on a 200 plus target and Kumble rejoins the team and bowls the Lankans out in two sessions.