Story Team India's International Diary - Lankans completely dominate day

[shantanu_rooney]

Malinga returns as Mendis dropped

Lasith Malinga returns to test cricket after two-years​

Sri Lankan national selectors today have announced their 14-man squad for the first test against India, with Lasith Malinga included in the squad while mysterious spinners Ajantha Mendis misses out.

Lasith Malinga played his last Test against England at Galle in 2007 before a knee injury laid him low and forced him out of cricket for nine months. Malinga made his return to cricket with an impressive IPL season two where he finished as the most economical bowlers. Since then his appearances for his country has been only in limited-over internationals and in Twenty20 Internationals. The other members of the fast-bowling department are Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekara and Dammika Prasad.

Offspinner Muttaih Muralitharan who has squashed rumours that he is going retire from test cricket after the India series is included in the squad along with left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and young off-spinner Suraj Randiv. Mendis, who became an instant star with 26 wickets in three Tests against India when they visited in 2008, misses out due to his current poor form.

Ajantha Mendis, will feature for the Sri Lanka A team to take on India in a three day practice match ahead of the test series. Thilan Samaraweera will lead the side which includes the likes of Prasanna Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal.

Test Squad:
Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Muttiah Muralitharan, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Dilhara Fernando, Dammika Prasad, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lahiru Thirimanne.

Sri Lanka A squad:
Thilan Samaraweera (capt), Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thilina Kandamby, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Ashan Priyanjana, Kaushal Silva, Chanaka Welegedara, Dilhara Fernando, Sachitra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Chanaka Welegedara, Dinesh Chandimal​

 

[nitish99]

Some excellent updates mates. Sad that Yuvi is not in the squad. I feel the end of his international career is very near. Hopefully the likes of Ishant Sharma, Dinda, and Sreesanth rise to the occasion and help India win the series in Sri Lanka.

KIU mate, you are doing good. Hoping this story continues for a long time.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Thirimanne gives India misery

Thirimanne goes over top during his 117​

Sri Lanka 5 for 345 (Thirimanne 117, Chandimal 78, Kandamby 50 ; Mishra 2/56) v India XI

Lahiru Thirimanne collected back-to-back centuries as Sri Lanka A dominated the opening day of the tour game against India at the Galle and added to their problems ahead of the first Test. While Thirimanne heaped further pressure on Upul Tharanga for the opening spot in the Sri Lankan team with his second hundred in four days, the tourists also felt the heat in another below-par performance as Sri Lanka posted 5 for 345.

Thilina Kandamby and Dinesh Chandimal, who is pushing Angelo Mathews and Thilan Samaraweera for the No. 5 spot at Galle on July 18, joined Thirimanne in a convincing set of performances. Having scored 142 for the Sri Lanka Cricket XI on Friday, Thirimanne reached 117 before he was dismissed by Amit Mishra, who was the only multiple wicket-taker with 2 for 56.

Thirimanne reached his fifty from 79 balls and his century from 141 deliveries in an innings of 12 fours and two sixes, including a hooked effort off Ishant Sharma. Mishra, who has been in the Indian side regularly since the retirement of Anil Kumble, gave India a much-needed boost when he removed both Thirimanne and Chandimal (78) in a seven-over spell before tea, but they were his only successes.

In the final session Pragyan Ojha collected Kandamby for 50 and Sharma removed Thilan Samaraweera, with Sehwag making up for his earlier miss of Chandimal on 24 by collecting the two catches. Sreesanth improved on a wayward opening to dismiss Upul Tharanga for 26 when the batsman shouldered arms. However, he went for more than five runs an over and India will be hoping he finds form before the first Test.

Ashok Dinda caused moments of trouble for the Chandimal and Thirimanne, but India's lack of penetration meant that unless they follow-on the batsmen will probably have only one innings to fine tune before the first test against Sri Lanka.

Lineups:-
Sri Lanka A: Tharanga, Thirimanne, Chandimal, Kandamby, Samaraweera*, Jayawardene†, Silva, Senanayak, Fernando, Welegedara, Mendis.
India: Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Dhoni*†, Mishra, Dinda, Sreesanth, Sharma, Ojha.​

 

[Meet]

Practice match to be draw.
PS-Which sim you will use for test?

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Practice match to be draw.
PS-Which sim you will use for test?

I have not decided on it. I may use Cricsim as I am using it for this practice match or else I may shift to ICC 2010.

 

[Meet]

ICC 2010 would be much better.:happy

 

[shantanu_rooney]

India show improvement thanks to Tendulkar

Tendulkar sets for a run​

India XI 4 for 276 (Tendulkar 90*, Dravid 69, Gambhir 50) trail Sri Lanka 9 for 375 dec (Thirimanne 117, Chandimal 78, Kandamby 50) by 99 runs

Three half-centuries to key batsmen provided India with a good day, but there were concerns over Virender Sehwag after he failed against Sri Lanka A at the Galle. While Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni gained valuable batting time, Sehwag fell for 8 when he played on to Dilhara Fernando and the side was in more trouble at 3 for 105 when Chanaka Welegedara struck twice in three balls before tea.

India recovered from the damage and a strong partnership of 100 between Tendulkar and Dhoni took them to 4 for 276 at stumps. The pair will have another chance to acclimatise on the third and final day, with Dhoni beginning on 48 and Tendulkar resuming on 90.

Fernando's early removal of Sehwag came after a series of short balls. Sehwag, who looked completely out of form in the Asia Cup, narrowly missed being removed by Welegedara's first ball today. While Sehwag struggled, his opening partner Gautam Gambhir posted a confident 50 before he was caught and bowled by Welegedara, who thrust out his left hand to collect a sharp take, and he quickly picked up VVS Laxman for a second-ball duck. Dravid was welcomed by a Fernando delivery at his throat, but showed his composure in an innings of 69 and then Tendulkar began to blaze. Tendulkar struck ten fours and two sixes in his 111-ball stay while Dhoni was also aggressive in an entertaining stand.

The tourists' hopes of getting a full match suffered an early blow when rain washed out most of the first session, but an extra hour was made up over the rest of the day. Sri Lanka, who resumed at 5 for 345, faced only 4.1 overs before lunch, but it was long enough for Sreesanth to remove Kaushal Silva lbw for 29. After the break Sreesanth also took care of Prasanna Jayawardene (45) to complete a return of 3 for 95, although he delivered numerous balls down the legside. Ishant Sharma finished with 2 for 55 after picking up Welegedara before Thilan Samaraweera's declaration.

Lineups:-
Sri Lanka A: Tharanga, Thirimanne, Chandimal, Kandamby, Samaraweera*, Jayawardene†, Silva, Senanayake, Fernando, Welegedara, Mendis.
India: Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Dhoni*†, Mishra, Dinda, Sreesanth, Sharma, Ojha.​

 

[AkshayS]

aah great, that was good to see Tendulkar in runs, probably he would get his century, great.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Sharma and Kandamby shine on the final day

Tendulkar raises his hundred​

Sri Lanka A 9 for 375 dec and 6 for 214 (Kandamby 78, Chandimal 65) drew with India XI 369 (Tendulkar 132, Dravid 69, Dhoni 62, Gambhir 50)
Scorecard

Ishant Sharma produced an important spell ahead of the first Test while Thilina Kandamby made a final push for Sri Lankan selection in the drawn tour game in Galle. On a day that was little more than glorified practice, Kandamby reached his second half-century of the game, Sharma was on a hat-trick in the final session and Sri Lanka A were 6 for 214 when play ended 30 minutes early.

While Sharma will line up in Galle in three days time, Kandamby is battling with Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews for the No. 5 spot, but it is hard to know what Sri Lanka captain and coach will decide on the eve of the test match. Kandamby was reprieved by a missed stumping from Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the over after tea and he was dismissed for 78 when bowled by Amit Mishra.

Dinesh Chandimal retired after the second session on 65 to give his team-mates a bat in a match. The move backfired as Sharma quickly ran through Thilan Samaraweera (2) and Prassana Jayawardene (0) in consecutive balls and he also picked up Kaushal Silva for 12. Sharma finished with 3 for 50 while Ashok Dinda and Amit Mishra were the other successful bowlers after Lahiru Thirimanne began the innings by running himself out in the first over for 4.

India were all out for 379 shortly before lunch as Sachin Tendulkar capped an ideal preparation with a fine 132. Resuming on 90, Tendulkar raised his century from 157 balls and struck 19 fours and two sixes, but he could not earn India a first-innings advantage and they finished six runs behind.

MS Dhoni also collected a half-century before he fell to Chanaka Welegedara for 62. Welegedara is also hitting form at the right time and finished with 3 for 60 while Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis and Senanayake added two victims each as India lost their final six wickets for 67 runs. Senanayake removed Tendulkar when he stepped down the pitch and hit to mid-on, Mendis bowled Mishra and Fernando knocked over Dinda.

Lineups:-
Sri Lanka A: Tharanga, Thirimanne, Chandimal, Kandamby, Samaraweera*, Jayawardene†, Silva, Senanayake, Fernando, Welegedara, Mendis.
India: Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Dhoni*†, Mishra, Dinda, Sreesanth, Sharma, Ojha.​

 

[Meet]

Can you share the card?

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Can you share the card?

The PSD of the scorecard is already uploaded by Chewie.

 

[Meet]

^I meant scorecard.
What did you think?

 

[shantanu_rooney]

^I meant scorecard.
What did you think?

I have already posted the Scoreboard, see below the first line.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Sharma happy to find his rhythm back

Ishant Sharma picked five wickets in the game​

Ishant Sharma helped to lift India's spirits on the final day of their three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka A at Galle, taking three second-innings wickets to restrict Sri Lanka A to 214 for 6 at the close.

It was an encouraging performance from Sharma, who is set to share the new ball along with Sreesanth in first test at Galle International Stadium, and his match figures of 5 for 105 were the best on either side.

"It was a slow wicket but I was able to swing the ball in the first innings and then reverse swing it in the second innings so there was always a bit of something there for the bowlers," Sharma said after the game. "The team is happy with this match."

Sharma had been struggling for rhythm at the start of the match, but found that as he switched to the other end. "That end was pretty tricky in the first innings, the wind was blowing in my face," he said, "The other end is a bit more even and without the wind it was a lot easier."

Overall, it was a satisfactory performance from India, who have put their injuries to key bowlers behind. Sachin Tendulkar's 132 was the stand-out performance, but half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, plus decent spells for all the bowlers meant that India would begin their first test against Sri Lanka, in good spirits.​

 

[Meet]

Well done,Sharma.Give us a win