Rahul Dravid, Rahul Dravid Hits, India Recovers Through Dravid and Yuvraj
84 days ago
Rahul Dravid, Rahul Dravid Hits, India Recovers Through Dravid and Yuvraj -
Rahul Dravid provided the experience and resilience India desperately needed after Chanaka Welegedara's triple early strikes Monday to lead a recovery from 32 to four to 221-5 by tea on the opening day of the first test against Sri Lanka.
Dravid was closing in on his 27th test century with unbeaten 98, while captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting on 29.
They had put on 64 runs for the sixth wicket stand led by Dravid, who has hit 14 boundaries and a six in a composed 156-ball innings that also included a crucial 125-run partnership with Yuvraj Singh (68) for the fifth wicket.
Yuvraj was the only wicket to fall in the afternoon session after Welegedara caused major concerns for the hosts with his opening burst of three wickets, including Sachin Tendulkar for four, after India skipper Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat.
The 28-year-old swing bowler clean bowled Gautam Gambhir with the total at 14 and then had two priceless wickets in the sixth over.
He had Virender Sehwag (16) lbw with a ball that pitched on middle stump and then bowled Tendulkar (4) between bat and pad.
Tendulkar, celebrating 20th anniversary in test cricket, lasted only three deliveries.
Dhamika Prasad had VVS Laxman bowled without scoring in the seventh over to have India reeling at 32 for four.
That brought Yuvraj and Dravid together and both batsmen attacked Sri Lankan bowlers instead of opting a cautious approach.
The gamble paid off as they struck some delightful boundaries on both sides of the wicket in a powerful partnership and kept the scoring rate well over four runs an over.
Muttiah Muralitharan finally broke the threatening stand when he lured Yuvraj with a slow flighted delivery and offered a tame catch to Tillakaratne Dilshan in the covers.
Yuvraj hit 13 boundaries in his 93-ball innings before his concentration lapse.
Welegedara, playing only his second test match and first in almost two years, was the pick of Sri Lankan bowlers with 3-43.
India left out paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and will rely on Zaheer Khan to lead the attack on his comeback from injury.
Sri Lanka left spinner Ajantha Mendis out of its starting XI.
Rahul Dravid provided the experience and resilience India desperately needed after Chanaka Welegedara's triple early strikes Monday to lead a recovery from 32 to four to 221-5 by tea on the opening day of the first test against Sri Lanka.
Dravid was closing in on his 27th test century with unbeaten 98, while captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was batting on 29.
They had put on 64 runs for the sixth wicket stand led by Dravid, who has hit 14 boundaries and a six in a composed 156-ball innings that also included a crucial 125-run partnership with Yuvraj Singh (68) for the fifth wicket.
Yuvraj was the only wicket to fall in the afternoon session after Welegedara caused major concerns for the hosts with his opening burst of three wickets, including Sachin Tendulkar for four, after India skipper Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat.
The 28-year-old swing bowler clean bowled Gautam Gambhir with the total at 14 and then had two priceless wickets in the sixth over.
He had Virender Sehwag (16) lbw with a ball that pitched on middle stump and then bowled Tendulkar (4) between bat and pad.
Tendulkar, celebrating 20th anniversary in test cricket, lasted only three deliveries.
Dhamika Prasad had VVS Laxman bowled without scoring in the seventh over to have India reeling at 32 for four.
That brought Yuvraj and Dravid together and both batsmen attacked Sri Lankan bowlers instead of opting a cautious approach.
The gamble paid off as they struck some delightful boundaries on both sides of the wicket in a powerful partnership and kept the scoring rate well over four runs an over.
Muttiah Muralitharan finally broke the threatening stand when he lured Yuvraj with a slow flighted delivery and offered a tame catch to Tillakaratne Dilshan in the covers.
Yuvraj hit 13 boundaries in his 93-ball innings before his concentration lapse.
Welegedara, playing only his second test match and first in almost two years, was the pick of Sri Lankan bowlers with 3-43.
India left out paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and will rely on Zaheer Khan to lead the attack on his comeback from injury.
Sri Lanka left spinner Ajantha Mendis out of its starting XI.