20.7.2008
by Rex Clementine

India's top order collapsed in dramatic fashion after more than three hours was lost on the second day of the three day warm up game between them and Sri Lanka Board President's XI. The tourists were badly placed at 83 for five at tea on the second day. The game got underway only at 2pm yesterday. India resuming the day with their overnight score of four for one, lost four wickets in the afternoon session as seamer Dhammika Prasad and left-arm-spinner Rangana Herath shared the wickets. Former captain Rahul Dravid

was dropped on two as Herath put down an easy chance at square leg to deny left arm paceman Sujeeva Silva a wicket. However, that didn't cost the hosts too much as Dravid was run out on five after backing up too far. Virender Sehwag drove fast at a Dilhara Fernando delivery and the ball crashed onto the stumps after he had got a hand to it. Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar joined Sehwag and took the attack onto the opposition, but couldn't help wickets falling at the other end. Herath struck in his very first over when Sehwag was ruled leg before wicket for 27 in 43 balls including three boundaries. Sourav Ganguly added 22 runs with Tendulkar for the fourth wicket before Dhammika Prasad struck twice in the space of three balls. Ganguly mistimed a pull shot and was caught by Mahela Udawatta at square leg and two balls later V.V.S Laxman was gone without scoring. Dravid's run out wasn't the only unfortunate moment for the Indians as just before the tea break Laxman was dismissed in bizarre circumstances. Trying to defend a Prasad yorker, Laxman's bat broke off and a piece went onto crash into the stumps.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka Board XI

U. Tharanga lbw b Khan 06

M. Udawatte ct Karthik b Sharma 07

J. Mubarak lbw b Harbhajan 25

C. Kapugedara ct Karthik b Khan 01

T. Kandamby ct Karthik b Patel 84

C. Silva ct Kumble b Harbhajan 68

K. Silva lbw b Kumble 12

D. Prasad lbw b Anil Kumble 00

R. Herath run out (Sharma) 01

S. Prasanna b Kumble 05

S. Silva not out 00

Extras: (b 6, lb6, nb3) 15

Total: all out 224

Overs: 71.5

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-20, 3-22,

4-82, 5-182, 6-212, 7-212, 8-214,

9-223.

Bowling: Khan 12-2-35-2 (2nb), Sharma 11-2-36-1, Patel 12-3-49-1, Ganguly 06-1-10-0, Harbhajan 17.5-3-52-2, Kumble 13-4-30-3 (1nb).

India:

G. Gambhir ct Mubarak b F’do 04

V. Sehwag lbw b Herath 27

R. Dravid run out (Fernando) 05

S. Tendulkar not out 25

S. Ganguly ct Udawatte b Prasad 14

V.V.S. Laxman hit wicket 00

D. Karthik not out 03

Extras (4 b, 1nb) 05

Total: for five wickets 83

Overs: 19

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-27, 3-58, 4-80, 5-80.

Bowling: Fernando 6-0-20-1, Sujeeva Silva 6-0-35-0, Prasad 4-2-7-2, Herath

3-0-19-1 (1nb)

To bat: Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf

Patel.

Twelve players per side: 11 to field and 11 to bat

Umpires: Morris deyla Zylva and Kumar Dharmasena

Courtesy - The Island