By N.Ananthanarayanan
KANPUR, India, Nov 27 - Off spinner Harbhajan Singh
took two wickets to leave India on the verge of inflicting a
heavy defeat on Sri Lanka in the second test on Friday.
Forced to follow on after a first-innings collapse, Sri Lanka
were 206 for eight at lunch on the fourth day and although the
visitors rattled up 149 runs in the morning, they were still 207
adrift of India's huge first innings total of 642.
Middle-order batsman Thilan Samaraweera was unbeaten on 54 at
the interval alongside tail-ender Ajantha Mendis (5), with India
looking set to wrap up an innings victory after the interval.
Fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth's six-wicket heroics on
the third day had helped dismiss Sri Lanka for 229 in the first
innings and hand India a 413-run lead.
Harbhajan (3-70) led the bowling on the fourth morning after
Sri Lanka resumed on their overnight 57-4.
Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan struck in the second over by
forcing all-rounder Angelo Mathews to miscue an attempted pull to
Rahul Dravid at gully for 15, after he had blasted three fours in
a row in the over.
Prasanna Jayawardene added 61 runs for the sixth wicket with
Samaraweera in a show of resistance until Harbhajan sneaked
through his defences to bowl him for 29.
The spinner also trapped Rangana Herath leg before for 13 and
Muttiah Muralitharan, who played a cameo worth 29 runs, fell to
left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha next to make it 191-8.
Sri Lanka's flurry of runs helped them avoid their biggest
two innings defeats that had come against South Africa.
The first test in Ahmedabad ended in a draw. The third and
final test will start in Mumbai on Dec. 2.
(Editing by John O'Brien; To query or comment on this story
email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
((anantha.narayanan@thomsonreuters.com; +91 98103 02336; Reuters
Messaging: anantha.narayanan.reuters.com@reuters.net; For the
Reuters sports blog Left Field: http://blogs.reuters.com.sport/)
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