Sri Lanka in India

[Adarsh]

Bhajji strikes! Two wickets in 2 balls. Srilanka 73/3 and only Sangakkara left who can make an impact in the innings. India will look to bowl out Sri Lanka for about 250-300 and get a good lead. Then they can slog out 2/3 sessions and give Sri Lanka a target of about 400 to win.

 

[cricket doctor]

Bhajji strikes! Two wickets in 2 balls. Srilanka 73/3 and only Sangakkara left who can make an impact in the innings. India will look to bowl out Sri Lanka for about 250-300 and get a good lead. Then they can slog out 2/3 sessions and give Sri Lanka a target of about 400 to win.

and SRL will end up no way near close to that target.

 

[Adarsh]

105-5!! This is Bhajji's Day.

 

[kodos]

Beautiful ball bowled around the legs of Sangakarra. Good idea to come around the wicket.

How come the grounds seem so empty?? From what I see the upper stand of the stadiums is practically empty

 

[Adarsh]

Test cricket is never that popular in India. Mind you, the grounds are quite big and the attendance would still be about 20,000, I guess.

 

[Dhoni]

Excellent batting by Laxman and Pathan. Once again he missed his 100 but who cares!
SRL are in deep trouble right now. Sri Lanka 123/5 (38.4 ov) Harbhajan on fire!!!

 

[kodos]

Test cricket is never that popular in India. Mind you, the grounds are quite big and the attendance would still be about 20,000, I guess.

Yep thats true because of the impact of one day cricket but still in previous test matches i have seen grounds at least 3/4 full

 

[SaiSrini]

Wow! Oh Bhajju! He has finally spun his web over the Lankans with a terrific spell!

131-5 with Dilshan and Mubarak! Tomorrow morning, I sense either Kumble or Pathan striking and India taking it on from there! A lead of 150 would be extremely tough for the Sri Lankans to even think of a draw!

I want India to have no less a lead than 150! If they dont get it, I would be disappointed! Terrific performance from the whole team so far except for Kaif and Yuvraj's batting

 

[m_vaughan]

I would be a little more careful still, as if you remember India were also 100 something for five, and went on to score 398.

 

[aditya123]

Beautiful ball bowled around the legs of Sangakarra. Good idea to come around the wicket.

How come the grounds seem so empty?? From what I see the upper stand of the stadiums is practically empty

we had full crowds on all 5 days of the Delhi test ! Iam surprised that the crowd is so small in this test considering the way India are playing .

All redits to VVS and Irfan first for getting the match back in India`s favour and then Bhajji for consolidating the position .
I would not mind Irfan saying that he is a bowler who can bat a bit an score 80+ each innings .
Also, we must now start relizing that Irfan will have a few failures with the bat and allow him a few of those . We must not rush for things to happen and start comparing him with Freddie and Kallis .
Let him remain Irfan .
VVS has this habit of delivering under immense pressure .
Great to see India scoring nearly 400 after being 99/5 at one stage .
We have seen Australia doing it for years with Steve Waugh being the crisis man and building partnerships with the tail .

 

[SaiSrini]

I would be a little more careful still, as if you remember India were also 100 something for five, and went on to score 398.

Well, I agree too! Thats what I am worried of!

But if you dislodge Mubarak and/or Dilshan, I think rest becomes easier for the Indians (of course, its not any easy if the tail enders show character on the given day!).

I just want India to take a lead of 150 or above! Sehwag seems a very attacking captain! He repeatedly was keeping the fielders crowded round the bat in an attempt to pick wickets! Seems to be trying to even overdo Dravid who occasionally spreads the field out. With the cushion of a total like 398, thats justified though by Sehwag! The situation demands to attack relentlessly!

we had full crowds on all 5 days of the Delhi test ! Iam surprised that the crowd is so small in this test considering the way India are playing .

All redits to VVS and Irfan first for getting the match back in India`s favour and then Bhajji for consolidating the position .
I would not mind Irfan saying that he is a bowler who can bat a bit an score 80+ each innings .
Also, we must now start relizing that Irfan will have a few failures with the bat and allow him a few of those . We must not rush for things to happen and start comparing him with Freddie and Kallis .
Let him remain Irfan .
VVS has this habit of delivering under immense pressure .
Great to see India scoring nearly 400 after being 99/5 at one stage .
We have seen Australia doing it for years with Steve Waugh being the crisis man and building partnerships with the tail .

VVS Laxman has always been a man who can be categorised in the "could have been" category! He could have done a lot more than what he has done! But better late than never! After that 281, he set the expectations too high and fell for it with some very vert average performances. Thankfully, all that seems sorted out now and he is back in very good form! Hope it continues!

Yeah, I to agree on the crowds! Delhi had almost full houses on all 5 days of the test match more so because of it being the capital city of India! But considering Ahmedabad, its a smaller centre here and the crowds are comparitively less here but it has been lesser than expected for this test match! Hopefully, it fills up for the next three days! Let me remind you that Ahmedabad is not among the main centres for cricket in the country! The main centres are Bangalore, Kolkatta, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi

 

[m_vaughan]

Well, I agree too! Thats what I am worried of!

VVS Laxman has always been a man who can be categorised in the "could have been" category! He could have done a lot more than what he has done! But better late than never! After that 281, he set the expectations too high and fell for it with some very vert average performances. Thankfully, all that seems sorted out now and he is back in very good form! Hope it continues!

Well for me he scores a match winning knock just in time to hold on to his place in the team. But then he has saved India quite a few times after that magical 281 at Kolkata

 

[aditya123]

I would be a little more careful still, as if you remember India were also 100 something for five, and went on to score 398.

Don`t worry about that . India had batsmen of calibre of VVS Laxman in there and supported by 2 of our stars of this season which enabled us to reach 398 . Sri Lanka are in a very different frame of mind ATM . They`ve been smashed 6-1 in the ODIs, crushed in the Delhi test by 188 runs and now they will be feeling very down having let India score 398.
Dilshan and Mubarak are definitely talented but it will take something speceial from them to play an in form Bhajji, Kumble and Irfan out .

 

[SaiSrini]

Don`t worry about that . India had batsmen of calibre of VVS Laxman in there and supported by 2 of our stars of this season which enabled us to reach 398 . Sri Lanka are in a very different frame of mind ATM . They`ve been smashed 6-1 in the ODIs, crushed in the Delhi test by 188 runs and now they will be feeling very down having let India score 398.
Dilshan and Mubarak are definitely talented but it will take something speceial from them to play an in form Bhajji, Kumble and Irfan out .

I hope what you say is right! I too have the same feeling! Kumble, Bhajji and Pathan are of a different class altogether than Murali, Malinga and Maharoof put together! When Kumble strikes, Bhajji dons the supporting act. Here Bhajji strikes and Kumble dons the supporting act. Deadly combination!

Irfan gets great movement in this ground! If the start is on schedule tomorrow, he should open the bowling with Harbhajan!

 

[sohum]

^ And then doing it again on a crumbling pitch in the fourth innings.