India on the backfoot, need 204 runs for victory

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Jolted by three quick wickets, India were left with the tricky task of scoring 204 runs for victory on a fifth day track after allowing Sri Lanka to stage a remarkable recovery in the third and final Test, which seemed headed for a nail-biting finish on Friday.

Chasing 257 for a win, the Indians were tottering at 53 for three at close on a thrilling fourth day’s play, which saw the hosts rely on Thilan Samaraweera (83) and tailender Ajantha Mendis (78) to salvage the situation after being at a precarious 125 for eight at one stage.

The Sri Lankans recovered brilliantly from the dramatic middle-order collapse to score 267 in the second innings and had snapped the key wickets of Virender Sehwag (0), Rahul Dravid (7) and Murali Vijay (27) to raise hopes of a 2-0 series win.

Veteran Sachin Tendulkar (11) and night watchman Ishant Sharma (2) were at the crease at stumps on an absorbing day’s play, which saw fortune fluctuating from one team to the other.

The Sri Lankans owed their total to Samareweera and Mendis who put up a resolute 118-run ninth wicket partnership to save the blushes for the team. The partnership not only frustrated the Indians, who had put themselves in command in the morning session with five quick wickets for just 24 runs, but also made their victory target a lot stiffer.

With just one day left, the Indians will have to bat out of their skin on a deteriorating P Sara Oval track on Saturday to entertain hopes of a series-equalling victory. Much will depend on Tendulkar, who has to play the sheet anchor’s role, while the other batsmen play around him.

Off spinner Suraj Randiv, who opened the bowling attack, scalped all the three wickets to give his team the upperhand. Resuming at 45 for two, the hosts lost their first wicket early in the day when Suraj Randiv, who was lucky to be dropped by wicket keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was finally dismissed the next ball being trapped lbw by Ojha.

Overnight at an individual score of 12, skipper Kumar Sangakkara began by stabbing Ojha’s outside-the-off-stump delivery for a boundary at the slip region. New batsmen Mahela Jayawardene who took 11 balls to open his account began with a boundary off Ojha at the cover point fence.