The third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka starts this morning at 9:30 AM IST at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. India cannot lose this 3-Test Series having drawn the first one at Ahmedabad and then clinching an innings win at Kanpur.
The pressure is very much on the Sri Lankans with the bowlers getting plenty of humiliation having taken for three consecutive big totals by the Indians. The batsmen are now feeling the heat as well having failed to counter India’s 600-plus total on a good batting track at Kanpur. Sri Lanka have dropped Ajantha Mendis after getting clobbered in the second Test and he just couldn’t hold onto any consistent lengths. The visitors are likely to bring in swing bowler Nuwan Kulasekara in place of him. ( )
For Sri Lanka, the aging Muttiah Muralidaran will continue to be a big worry. The off spinner for once has been really struggling to bowl six good balls in an over. Like never before, Murali has been dropping the ball too short which has been failing him in sustaining any sort of pressure on the batsmen. The Lankans were delighted when left arm swing bowler Chanaka Welegedara shook the Indian top order on the first day morning of the Ahmedabad Test taking three wickets. But since that Test, the Indian batsmen have done their homework against him and know quite well which way the ball is swinging.
India will remain upbeat despite losing Gautam Gambhir in this Test. Gambhir’s replacement – Murali Vijay is a class of his own and should be able to deal with any kind of bowler. The hosts are surely going to retain the same XI except for Vijay in for Gambhir. India will be looking to do everything to prevent Sri Lanka from tasting their first ever test win in their country. India’s problem has been Zaheer Khan as the left armer had struggled with his rhythm. Zaheer has been bogged down by plenty of no-balls in the last test.
The pitch at the Brabourne Stadium is expected to be a sportive one. It will not be a cakewalk for the batsmen. There could be some nice carry and pace on this track to help both the pacers and spinners. Swing is expected to be the key factor in this Test Match because of the venue being very close to the sea. Evening time could see plenty of action for the pacers. Sri Lanka have Nuwan Kulasekara to take full advantage of the humid conditions while India have a better bowler in Sreesanth who has that brisk pace to complement his seam and swing bowling.
along with Ball by Ball Commentary of this 3rd Test at Mumbai can be followed at .
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Pakistan’s chances of winning the 3-Test Series have enhanced with New Zealand’s main strike bowler Shane Bond ruled out of the remaining two Tests. Bond has suffered a tear in his abdominal muscle during the Dunedin Test. The fast bowler was responsible inflicting a 32-run defeat to the Pakistanis in the first Test at Dunedin having taken eight wickets. Bond has managed to play just the 18 Tests although he had made his Debut way back in 2001.
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India piled up 642 in their first innings of the second Test at Kanpur and has Sri Lanka battling hard at 66 for 1 at Stumps on Day 2. The visitors had lost Tillakaratne Dilshan in the very first ball of their innings when he played a flick shot too early off Zaheer Khan to get caught off a leading edge. Paranavitana (30) and Sangakkara (30) have gone past some nervous moments against pace and spin to see the day through for Lanka who had to bat for 24 overs before stumps.
Overnight batsman Rahul Dravid went onto score 144 (from 226 balls with 15 fours and a six) before getting run out at the non-striker’s end for no fault of his. His overnight partner Sachin Tendulkar was the first to depart on the second day after failing in an attemt to loft Ajantha Mendis over mid off. It was in the same over that Tendulkar had taken the bowler for a straight six over his head. Sachin fell having scored 40 from 91 balls. VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh helped themselves to score 60s to put on a century stand for the fifth wicket.
India was charging towards the 700-run mark but were bowled out for less than 650 itself with left arm spinner Rangana Herath producing some late magic. Herath produced a couple of sensational deliveries that came back with the arm instead of turning away from the right hander. Skipper MS Dhoni and Harbhajan were the victims of those deliveries as they got bowled through the bat pad gap. Herath wrapped up the Indian innings with a five-wicket haul.
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Rain and then bad light ensured that just the 36 overs were possible in the second day’s play of the Dunedin Test. New Zealand dominated that period of play to stretch their first innings total from 276 for 6 to 404 for 8.
Skipper Daniel Vettori had a heart breaking moment towards the fag end of the day’s play when he nicked his cut shot to the keeper on a score of 99! Vettori struck 14 fours and got his runs in just 133 runs.
Brendon McCullum, the other overnight batsman went onto score 78 before getting cleaned up by an Umar Gul yorker. McCullum changed the match in New Zealand’s favour with a partnership of 164 with Vettori.
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New Zealand finished Day 1 of the first Test at the University Oval in Dunedin at 276 for 6. The hosts were put under pressure at the start of play and again towards the end by some superb bowling from Aamer and Asif. The Kiwis are on the road to recovery yet again through an unbroken partnership of 65 between Brendon McCullum (25) and Skipper Daniel Vettori (40 from 44 balls).
Mohammad Yousuf had won the toss and put New Zealand to bat first on a pitch that was slow and low in nature. Left arm quick Mohammad Aamer gave a dream start by yorking Tim McIntosh in the very first ball of the match. Mohammad Asif caused damge from his end by forcing Daniel Flynn to get an inside edge to the keeper. New Zealand got off to a disastrous start at 27 for 2 in the 6th over.
Pakistan failed to make most of the inroads as opener Martin Guptill got a partnership going with Ross Taylor. The Kiwis went to lunch without any further damage at 78 for 2 in 28 overs. The partnership blossomed after lunch with both Guptill and Taylor knocking off their respective half centuries.
In the 41st over, Pakistan took a chance with the referral system asking for an lbw decision when Asif had hit the pad of Taylor but the TV Umpire had noticed tha the ball had struck outside the line of the off stump. Pakistan eventually could break the 3rd wicket stand when Martin Guptill (60 from 142 balls with 10 fours and a six) miscued a pull shot off Aamer. Guptill put on 117 runs for the 3rd wicket along with Taylor. The Kiwis went to Tea at 171 for 3 with Ross Taylor closing in to his 5th test hundred.
The final session seemed to go in Pakistan’s favour as off spinner Saeed Ajmal lured Taylor into an expansive drive to have him edge a straighter one in the 63rd over. Ross Taylor was unlucky to miss out on a hundred. He scored his 94 in 174 balls with the help of 13 fours and a six. Asif returned back to clean up Fulton (29) with an indipper and New Zealand lost their 5th wicket with that. The same bowler had Grant Elliott nicking behind to have the homeside wobbling at 211 for 6.
Pakistan in a bid to wrap up the NZ first innings took the second new ball in the 81st over. In the final over of the day’s play they came very close to getting their 7th wicket when Brendon McCullum got hit on the pad by Asif and Umpire Taufel gave that out lbw. But McCullum took advantage of the review system and got his lbw decision reversed as the ball had struck him outside the line of off stump while attempting a shot. The Kiwis were revived in the end through a nice fighting partnership between McCullum and Vettori.
As predicted, Aamer and Asif were the main bowling stars for Pakistan taking a combined five wickets while Umar Gul dissapointed. Saeed Ajmal did a good hold up job by conceding just 49 runs in his 26 overs.
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The third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka starts this morning at 9:30 AM IST at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. India cannot lose this 3-Test Series having drawn the first one at Ahmedabad and then clinching an innings win at Kanpur.
Pakistan’s chances of winning the 3-Test Series have enhanced with New Zealand’s main strike bowler Shane Bond ruled out of the remaining two Tests. Bond has suffered a tear in his abdominal muscle during the Dunedin Test. The fast bowler was responsible inflicting a 32-run defeat to the Pakistanis in the first Test at Dunedin having taken eight wickets. Bond has managed to play just the 18 Tests although he had made his Debut way back in 2001.
India piled up 642 in their first innings of the second Test at Kanpur and has Sri Lanka battling hard at 66 for 1 at Stumps on Day 2. The visitors had lost Tillakaratne Dilshan in the very first ball of their innings when he played a flick shot too early off Zaheer Khan to get caught off a leading edge. Paranavitana (30) and Sangakkara (30) have gone past some nervous moments against pace and spin to see the day through for Lanka who had to bat for 24 overs before stumps.
Rain and then bad light ensured that just the 36 overs were possible in the second day’s play of the Dunedin Test. New Zealand dominated that period of play to stretch their first innings total from 276 for 6 to 404 for 8.
New Zealand finished Day 1 of the first Test at the University Oval in Dunedin at 276 for 6. The hosts were put under pressure at the start of play and again towards the end by some superb bowling from Aamer and Asif. The Kiwis are on the road to recovery yet again through an unbroken partnership of 65 between Brendon McCullum (25) and Skipper Daniel Vettori (40 from 44 balls).
