Thursday 29th March, 2012 Herath’s big day against world’s number one

REX CLEMENTINE reporting from Galle ri Lankans’ hopes that Lasith Mahela a genius – Graeme Swann Malinga will fill the void created by Sthe retirement of Muttiah REX CLEMENTINE reporting from Galle Muralitharan from Tests may have been spinner Graeme very pleasing,” Swann added. smashed by shady player agents, but Swann called Sri Lankan The off-spinner, who claimed today, on the fourth day of the first Test Mahela six in ’s sec- against England, the fans could celebrate Jayawardene a ‘genius’ after ond innings, was confident that a new hero if left-arm spinner Rangana his brilliant 180 in the first England were capable of win- Herath can bowl their team to a victory innings enabled the hosts to ning the opening Test. “What against world’s number one ranked team call the shots in the opening we need is a little bit good old here at the Galle International Stadium. Test between the countries fashioned batting with your After England were set a stiff target of here at the Galle head down. The way KP 340 runs, they lost the openers with 48 International Stadium. (Pietersen) and Trotty batted runs on the board, but an unbroken 63 Swann failed to take a out till the end is exactly what run stand between and as Sri Lanka com- Graeme Swann we need to do tomorrow. They took their total to 111 for piled 318 in their first kept their heads down and kept two. England require a further 229 runs innings. In a game where there have out the good balls and scored off the with eight wickets in hand to pull off been only two half-centuries, loose ones and they made batting look what would be a memorable victory. Jayawardene’s 180 showed his expertise as serene as it is going to get on that The tourists are chasing a record tar- in these conditions. During his knock, pitch. I would say we are just get and if they get there, they would be Jayawardene completed 2000 runs at favourites. History is there to be rewrit- breaking a record that had stood for 84 this venue and he is the only cricketer ten.” years. England’s best chase to win a Test to have scored over 2000 runs at two England’s target could have been Rangana Herath took the two wickets to fall in England’s second innings to back up Match is when they scored 332 for seven grounds. much less than the eventual 340. With his six wickets in the first innings. Here he appeals against Alastiar Cook on day three against Australia at the MCG with “People who actually play them- Sri Lanka’s lead on 292, their innings Herbert Sutcliffe making a century. selves in and get their head down are looked to be over when of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium. (AFP) Sri Lanka had a chance of dismissing very hard to shift on that pitch. If we took a return catch off Prasanna Pietersen when the total was on 81, but take one almost a genius 180 out of this Jayawardene, but the was SCOREBOARD dropped a catch at leg game we would have probably won by ruled an illegal one after television off Randiv’s . He was unbeat- now. But Mahela in the first innings replays showed that Broad had over- en on 29 at stumps with Trott on 40. proved that with the right technique stepped. Sri Lanka’s last pair then went Sri Lanka 1st Innings 318 all out 2-33-1 (nb 4) (w 1), Swann 30-5-82-6, Herath, who took six wickets in the and temperament it’s pretty easy to bat onto add a record 47 runs for the last England 1st Innings 193 all out Panesar 24-6-59-2, Patel 9-4-9-0. first innings bowling with admirable con- on it as well,” Swann told journalists wicket. Sri Lanka 2nd Innings (Overnight 84/5) England 2nd Innings trol, took the two wickets to fall in the sec- yesterday. “The first day was frustrating when A. Strauss ct Dilshan b Herath 27 ond innings and was eyeing a first ever “The strangest thing for me was the Mahela was milking us around, but L. Thirimanne b Swann 06 A. Cook ct P. Jayawardene b Herath 14 match bag of ten wickets. His career best period where Mahela was just toying that 40 minutes after the Broad no ball came last year when he took nine for 128 T. Dilshan b Broad 00 J. Trortt 40 with our bowlers. I felt like an 11-year- was hurting. You are looking at chasing K. Sangakkara ct Strauss b Swann 14 K. Pietersen not out 29 runs when Sri Lanka beat South Africa. old born at one stage. He was getting 285 or 290 and you are confident. But Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka’s tail- the ones and twos and farming the when it’s 340, it’s more of a 50 – 50 M. Jayawardene ct Anderson b Swann 05 Extras: (lb 1) 01 enders piled up the misery on England strike and we just didn’t know what to game. Those 40 runs were very hot and T. Samaraweera st Prior b Swann 36 Total: for two wickets 111 fielders in the scorching heat here in do for a while. To bamboozle him with bothering for all the fielders,” Swann D. Chandimal ct Pitersen b Panesar 31 Overs: 40 Galle as they batted for more than one my the second time round was added. S. Randiv lbw b Swann 18 Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-48. and half sessions pushing the lead to 340. Sri Lanka’s batting had slumped to 84 P. Jayawardene not out 61 To bat: I. Bell, M. Prior, S. Patel, S. Broad, R. Herath b Swann 07 G. Swann, J. Anderson and M. Panesar. for five in the second innings and with the morning session and a further 47 runs ished the innings with six for 80 in 30 the lead just over 200 runs, the match was for the last wicket with Suranga Lakmal. overs. C. Welagedara ct Strauss b Panesar 13 Bowling: Welagedara 5-2-16-0, Lakmal 3- still hanging in the balance as England The pair established a new record for the Stuart Broad took a return catch off S. Lakmal run out (Pietersen) 13 1-9-0, Herath 15-3-52-2, Dilshan 9-1-14-0, boasted of a formidable batting line up. last wicket in Galle breaking the record Jayawardene with Sri Lanka’s total on 167 Extras: (b 1, lb 4, nb 4, w 1) 10 Randiv 8-1-19-0. But remarkable application led by wicket- held by and for nine, but the umpires checked the no Total: all out 214 Toss: SL keeper batsman Prasanna Jayawardene , also against ball and television replays showed that he Overs: 84.3 Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pak) and R. Tucker helped Sri Lanka to take their second England in 2003. had overstepped. Jayawardene then Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-8, 3-14, 4-41, 5-72, (Aus) innings total beyond 200. Graeme Swann bowled unchanged in rubbed salt into Broad’s wounds by 6-114, 7-115, 8-127, 9-167. Third Umpire: B. Oxenford (Aus) Jayawardene added 40 runs with all but the last five minutes in the morn- pulling him for a six to complete his half Chanaka Welagedara for the ninth wicket ing session sending down as many as 15 century. Bowling: Anderson 10.3-2-26-0, Broad 11- : J. Srinath (Ind) after Sri Lanka had lost three wickets in overs and picking up two wickets. He fin- Teammates salute ’s Patience contribution to Indian cricket

BY DEBA PRASAD DHAR the ‘selfless’ tribe also includes crick- will be eters who may not have had great As Rahul Dravid’s colleagues careers but played with the intention of spoke glowingly of what he meant to winning. them, the man himself seemed unmoved. He had special words for his longtime And then, finally, it was his turn to India colleague, . “I’ll miss the key speak. He started with an honest confes- your intensity and desire. What I will sion that was quite un-like Dravid. “I’d not miss, though, is your vegetarian made a pact with myself that I won’t cry meals without mushroom, onion and in any of the functions on my retire- garlic,” said Dravid who had taken 55 – Prasanna ment. It’s been tested to the limit today,” catches off the leg-spinner’s bowling. he said. To Laxman he thanked, not just for Wicketkeeper batsman Prasanna He admitted that his “farewell to Kolkata 2001, but all the moments at slip Jayawardene celebrated his return to cricket” had started to sink in gradually. when the two discussed “why architects It’s been three weeks since he called it by scoring his fourth half- and contractors weren’t doing well”. quits. It’s given him the space to reflect century that helped Sri Lanka to set The best tribute probably came from why he fell in love with the sport. “I was MS Dhoni who lauded his skills with the England a stiff target of 340 runs in the like any other fan, obsessed…” he said at gloves. “Even a regular ’keeper would first Test here at the Galle International a felicitation function organised by the have struggled to take the catches,” the Stadium. Indian cricket board in Mumbai. Indian captain said, recalling his initial Jayawardene was made to bat at Sri Lankan batsman Prasanna Jayawardene plays a shot as England’s wicket- What did playing for India mean to days in the national team. number eight as Sri Lanka opted for the keeper looks on during the third day of the first Test match between him? As a 16-year-old, he would stay Dhoni revealed he was so much in awe England and Sri Lanka in Galle, Wednesday, March 28, 2012. (AP) glued to the radio, listening to the night watchman the previous day and of Dravid that he would be reluctant to exploits of and chat. “But I never called him Dravid two 40 plus partnerships for the ninth well, hang in there and take wickets,” Gundappa Viswanath. He wanted to be bhai or sir, I would always call him and tenth wickets gave Sri Lanka the “I believe that we have the he added. like them, Dravid reminisced. Jam,” Dhoni confessed. edge as he batted with patience. Jayawardene’s last Test was in the Cricket, he said in gratitude, gave him Dravid, Dhoni said, was quite unlike “I believe that we have the psycho- psychological advantage as UAE against when he made a the chance to travel and experience great this-generation cricketer, willing to logical advantage as we scored more match saving hundred and he was side- venues that he had only heard of as a 16- channel his aggression differently even year-old. than 300 runs. The main thing is to lined after that as he was forced to when provoked. we scored more than 300 His career, he believes, is a culmina- remain patient and do our basics right,” undergo surgery. “I had what you call a His former captain tion of the efforts of many people. reminisced the first time he shared the Jayawardene, who plays his 44th Test sportsman’s hernia and I had to under- runs. The main thing is to When it was time to thank them all, dressing room with Dravid. He relived a said. go surgery in England. After that I had he didn’t start with his colleagues. First, tour of England during their U-15 days, “We have a good chance of winning remain patient and do our to rest for six weeks and I missed the he singled out groundsmen, scorers and under coach Kailash Gattani, when it because they have to score a further 200 South Africa tour,” he elaborated. umpires for particular mention — the was obvious enough that Dravid was runs and they have to chase 320. We basics right,” (RC) “people who do selfless jobs”. For him, marked for great deeds. have to bowl in the right areas, field

Thursday 29th March, 2012