Ganguly, Dravid lift India to victory in second Test
Ganguly, Dravid lift India to victory in second Test
KANDY, Sri Lanka (AFP): Sourav Ganguly struck timely form with
an unbeaten 98 as India overwhelmed Sri Lanka by seven wickets in
the second Test here on Saturday to square the three-match
series.
The embattled Indian captain crossed 50 for the first time in
14 innings and Rahul Dravid made 75 to steer the injury-hit
tourists past the victory target of 264 just before tea on the
fourth day.
Ganguly narrowly missed his eighth Test century when Mohammad
Kaif flicked Chaminda Vaas to fine-leg for the winning boundary.
The rivals now travel to Colombo where the third and decisive
Test starts at the Sinhalese sports club (SSC) ground on
Wednesday.
Sri Lanka won the first Test at Galle by 10 wickets last week.
It was a remarkable win by India, who were without five top
players nursing injuries: master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, star
number three Venkatsai Laxman, bowling spearheads Javagal Srinath
and Anil Kumble and rising left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra.
As Indian celebrated, the jinx of Kandy returned to haunt the
Sri Lankans, who succumbed to their third consecutive defeat at
the Asgiriya stadium.
In 12 Tests at his hill resort, Sri Lanka have lost seven,
drawn three and won just two.
While Ganguly provided the finishing touches, Dravid was the
focal point of India's match-winning display.
The Indian vice-captain added 61 runs for the second wicket
with opener Sadagopan Ramesh and 91 for the third with Ganguly to
quash Sri Lanka's hopes.
In London, Shane Warne took two early wickets to take his
tally to 399 test victims as England, replying to Australia's 641
for four declared, fought back to reach 158 for three at lunch on
the third day of the final test.
Steve Waugh shrugged off the pain as he and his twin Mark
completed centuries on the second day of the fifth and final
Ashes test to help Australia declare their first innings on 641
for four on Friday.
On Saturday, England captain Nasser Hussain led the recovery
with an increasingly fluent innings, reaching 49 not out at the
interval after adding 54 with Mark Ramprakash, who was on 12.
Warne, opening the bowling and reeling off an unbroken spell
of 13 overs, removed Marcus Trescothick with the fifth ball of
the day and Mark Butcher in his seventh over, moving to the brink
of becoming only the sixth bowler in test history to take 400
wickets.
Hussain flicked his first ball to the mid-wicket boundary to
complete an eventful opening over that produced nine runs.
Trescothick made 55 off 57 balls, including 11 fours.