Sri Lanka tour of India, 1st Test: India v Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad, Nov 16-20, 2009

Sri Lanka tour of India, 1st Test: India v Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad, Nov 16-20, 2009

End of over 74 (2 runs) India 256/3 SR Tendulkar 22* (56b 4×4) TM Dilshan 1-0-2-0 G Gambhir 105* (213b 12×4) HMRKB Herath 20-2-64-1
And that will be lunch on day five. Not a lot of runs scored – just 66 – but that’s fine because India are aiming at saving the match. Gambhir has batted himself another session and is unbeaten on 105. Tendulkar has played patiently too. They’ve taken India to lunch at 256 for 3, behind by 78. A draw looms. Do come back and join Kanishkaa after the break. Bye for now.
73.6	Dilshan to Tendulkar, no run, slower ball, spins into the pads, watchfully played by Tendulkar
73.5	Dilshan to Gambhir, 1 run, short, wide and cut out to the sweeper at deep cover
73.4	Dilshan to Tendulkar, 1 run, spins in gently, he once more hangs on the back foot and punches the ball toward mid-on, who is deep, and urges the quick single
73.3	Dilshan to Tendulkar, no run, pitches on a length, Tendulkar pushes off the back foot to cover
73.2	Dilshan to Tendulkar, no run, flatter ball, punched back off the back foot
73.1	Dilshan to Tendulkar, no run, tossed up and defended
Here’s a change. Dilshan to bowls his offbreaks.
End of over 73 (1 run) India 254/3 SR Tendulkar 21* (51b 4×4) HMRKB Herath 20-2-64-1 G Gambhir 104* (212b 12×4) M Muralitharan 22-4-72-0
Luminda is optimistic: “If Murali’s magic works. We never know where the match will end. he can change the match with a few hours.” Yes, there only is a few hours to go:)
72.6	Herath to Tendulkar, 1 run, that one is a bit too short so he dabs it wide of backward point
Silly point comes on now …
72.5	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, good angle once more, gets some turn, Tendulkar defends with soft hands
72.4	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, pitches down leg and turns in, defended once again, a fraction later
72.3	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, gives it a tweak, the ball hangs in the air a second longer and then dips and Tendulkar pushes it back off the front foot
72.2	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, slower ball, gets some drift, Tendulkar smothers the turn
Bhushan: “everyone who are complaining about the flat deck.. its not the deck that the players need to battle against.. its the mind.. chasing a big deficit, not knowing whether the pitch will hold or not, the uneven bounce.. not knowing which ball from murali would spin which way.. you need to battle that.. similar stuff for holds for the bowlers too.”
72.1	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, speared into the stumps and Tendulkar continues dead-batting
End of over 72 (maiden) India 253/3 G Gambhir 104* (212b 12×4) M Muralitharan 22-4-72-0 SR Tendulkar 20* (45b 4×4) HMRKB Herath 19-2-63-1
71.6	Muralitharan to Gambhir, no run, more air on that one, landing in the rough outside off, left alone
71.5	Muralitharan to Gambhir, no run, flights it into middle and off, he strides forward and defends
71.4	Muralitharan to Gambhir, no run, spins away from him and he defends it off the back foot
Bhavin Majithia: “Thats what is beauty of the test match… you get bore for almost four and half day and suddenly one session change the game. I wish we would not have that magic session today.”
71.3	Muralitharan to Gambhir, no run, closer to off stump this time, making Gambhir defend it back
71.2	Muralitharan to Gambhir, no run, bit of turn again, but it is wide enough for Gambhir to again leave
71.1	Muralitharan to Gambhir, no run, tossed up wide of off stump and he goes back to shouldering arms
End of over 71 (maiden) India 253/3 SR Tendulkar 20* (45b 4×4) HMRKB Herath 19-2-63-1 G Gambhir 104* (206b 12×4) M Muralitharan 21-3-72-0
P Satish: “If there weren’t so many complaints about “dust bowls” we would not have such matches. Every nation’s wickets have a character of thor own and the BCCI has killed Indian spinning wickets by trying to pander to the whinings of others.”
70.6	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, again drifting down the stumps and he defends with a big stride
70.5	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, drifts it into leg stump and Tendulkar suffocates the turn
70.4	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, slower ball, bit of dip, pushed back to Herath with ease
70.3	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, drifts down leg stump, no shot offered, brushes his pads
70.2	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, pitches middle and off, Tendulkar gets forward and blocks
70.1	Herath to Tendulkar, no run, gently tossed up on a length and Tendulkar defends
About 11 minutes to go …