SA Footy

MS Dohni has requested a break due to fatigue from cricket and so the Indian ODI captain will sit out the test series vs Sri Lanka. Dohni has played 14 tests. 56 ODI's and 8 Int T20 games, as well as 16 games as captain of the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL in less than 20 months. Indian coach Gary Kirsten has also expressed concern about the packed schedules and how it was important for key players like Dhoni to take a break.
Dinesh Karthik is likely to take over the keeping duties ahead of Parthiv Patel.

India have included uncapped players Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha in the 16-member squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka. Yuvraj Singh has been left out, while Gautam Gambhir wins the opener's slot ahead of Wasim Jaffer. Zaheer Khan also returns to the team after injury niggles ruled him out of international action so far this year. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni opting out, the selectors have named two wicketkeepers in Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel.

Test Squad - Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Anil Kumble (capt), Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha.

Sri Lanka Board XI vs India
3 day Tour-match
Day 3

SRI LANKA BOARD XI 224
SHT Kandamby 84
LPC Silva 68
A Kumble 3/30
Z Khan 2/35
Harhajan Singh 2/52
INDIANS 8d/196
SR Tendulkar 69
KD Karthik 58*
KTGD Prasad 3/30
SRI LANKA BOARD XI 6/242
LPC Silva 57*
Harbhajan Singh 2/53

Sri Lanka Board XI vs India
3 day Tour-match
Match Drawn

SRI LANKA BOARD XI 224
SHT Kandamby 84
LPC Silva 68
A Kumble 3/30
Z Khan 2/35
Harhajan Singh 2/52
INDIANS 8d/196
SR Tendulkar 69
KD Karthik 58*
KTGD Prasad 3/30
SRI LANKA BOARD XI 6d/272
LPC Silva 59*
Harbhajan Singh 2/53
INDIANS 2/129
G Gambhir 60*

Sri Lanka have been dealt another injury blow with Dilhara Fernando being unable to take the field on the second and third days of the practice match due to knee pain.
Sri Lanka are already without Lasith Malinga (knee) and Farveez Maharoof (side strain), and now will struggle to find a suitable partner for Chaminda Vaas.

Sri Lanka have named a 14 man squad for the first test

Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chamara Kapugedera

Sri Lanka vs India
First Test
Day 2 - Session 3

SRI LANKA 3/349
DPMD Jayawardene 130*
BSM Warnapura 115
TT Samaraweera 65*

India gone into the game with only four bowlers (Ganguly first change), then lose the toss, rain has saved them (only 22 overs on the first day)

Dilshan makes history. He is given out caught behind, but calls for a review and the decision is overturned.
This is the second review of the game after an LBW decision from the bowling of Harbijan was reviewed and the not out decision upheld.

Sri Lanka vs India
First Test
Stumps Day 2

SRI LANKA 4/422
DPMD Jayawardene 136
BSM Warnapura 115
TT Samaraweera 111*

Sri Lanka
First Test
Stumps - Day 3

SRI LANKA 6d/600
DPMD Jaywardene 136
TT Samaraweera 127
TM Dilshan 125*
BSM Warnapura 115
I Sharma 2/124
INDIA 6/159
SR Tendulkar 27
M Muralitharan 4/38

Sri Lanka took 5/85 in the last session of only 21.5 overs

Its the same names for India, Sewag, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid. The golden boys are failing, they are ageing, bringing in Gambier is a start but still there are young batsmen in waiting.

Sri Lanka 6/600 (Dec)

India 223 and 138.

Kumble: After getting 600 runs it was always tough for us to eke out a draw. Great spell by the two spinners. The review system is still a experiment[; it has be to reviewed at the end of the series. It's too early. Ajantha Mendis is a tremendous find for Sri Lanka. Great Debut. And you can't take Murali out of the picture.

Talk about getting smashed. I think they need the 3 seamers and one spiner.

Sri Lanka vs India
First Test
Sri Lanka won by an innings and 239 runs

SRI LANKA 6d/600
DPMD Jaywardene 136
TT Samaraweera 127
TM Dilshan 125*
BSM Warnapura 115
INDIA 223
VVS Laxman 56
M Muralitharan 5/84
BAW Mendis 4/72
INDIA 138
M Muralitharan 6/26
BAW Mendis 4/60

Man of the Match - M Muralitharan

Sri Lanka lead the 3 match series 1-0

Few points from the game

- Only 22 overs played on day one, yet the game was over on day four
- Sri Lankan victory was their third biggest win in Test cricket, and largest against a team other than Zimbabwe
- 8/132 by Mendis is the best bowling performance on debut by a Sri Lankan
- The defeat is the third heaviest ever by India in Test cricket (only one of the nine worst to occur in the last thirty years, while only one other has occured since the 1950s)
- Vaas bowled only 10 overs (0 for 50)
- By dismissing Tendulkar in both innings, Muralitharan has over taken McGrath and Gillespie as the players who claimed his wicket the most in Test cricket

Plenty of controversy with the review system that has been brought into this series, brought to a head by the dismissal of Virender Sehwag, given out lbw, after intitially being adjudged not out.

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/slvind/ ... 62580.html

It seems india have really fallen off the pace at the moment. I thought they were going to be the next big thing in test cricket and were going to crush Sri Lanka under there might???

stan wrote:It seems india have really fallen off the pace at the moment. I thought they were going to be the next big thing in test cricket and were going to crush Sri Lanka under there might???

Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga has come out and criticised the Indian batsmen for playing in Twenty20 mode and lacking any focus.

brod wrote:

stan wrote:It seems india have really fallen off the pace at the moment. I thought they were going to be the next big thing in test cricket and were going to crush Sri Lanka under there might???

Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga has come out and criticised the Indian batsmen for playing in Twenty20 mode and lacking any focus.

Really how could any team struggle with the man who would be king in LAXMAN - MASTER OF THE FLAT PITCH!

The Sri Lankans have brough right arm fast bowler, Cammika Prasad into their squad for the second test. They are worried about the two opening bowlers from the first test who averaged only 125kmph, with Vaas dropping as low as 100kmph.

Sri Lanka squad: Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekera, Chamara Silva, Thilan Thushara, Chamara Kapugedera, Dammika Prasad.

brod wrote:The Sri Lankans have brough right arm fast bowler, Cammika Prasad into their squad for the second test. They are worried about the two opening bowlers from the first test who averaged only 125kmph, with Vaas dropping as low as 100kmph.

Sri Lanka squad: Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekera, Chamara Silva, Thilan Thushara, Chamara Kapugedera, Dammika Prasad.

not sure why the would be bothered about the pace of teh openers they only bowl a few overs then let murali and mendis loose