Lanka take series 2-1

Play started this morning with nothing -- barring the weather -- standing between Sri Lanka and a series win.

The optimistic would have thought -- fleetingly -- of some kind of resistance, some kind of show of pride and spirit. Optimism, however, has little place in the Indian cricketing scenario -- despite the occasional, and startling, instances of fight-backs against the odds, the norm has been that if the bowling doesn't lose it for you, the batsmen will.

The batsmen did.

Chaminda Vaas, still operating with the old ball, took out Hemang Badani, the last of the recognised batsmen, before the crowd had even settled into their seats. While on that, it needs mentioning that Badani, on this tour, has been 'recognised' more for a demeanour that suggests the President has turned down his mercy petition and the hangman is getting the noose ready, than for any cricketing achievements.

Vaas clinically took him out with a delivery of full length, bending in just enough to beat the flick and take the pad. There could be, just for the sake of academics, some slight question asked whether the ball could have missed leg, but umpire Ashoka De Silva was right in figuring there really was too little in it to deny the bowler.

Samir Dighe's glovework has been atrocious throughout -- he is not your classical keeper, but more the sort who grabs at the ball, and relies more on a measure of speed and agility than on technique to do this stuff. With the bat, he has been rated a trier -- which in real terms is all hype, sans substance.

Dighe's dismissal here was perhaps the most atrocious of the innings -- the batsman pushed one to mid on, and took off. His non-striker, Harbhajan, was going nowhere, the fielder was nicely positioned to make even the thought of a run suicidal, but Dighe wasn't having any of that -- in his hurry to get to the non-striker's end, he ended up in the pavilion.

Harbhajan Singh and Zahir Khan then decided there was no point in hanging around, and took a nice long-handled grip and went for glory -- a clubbed six by the former off Murali over midwicket hitting with the turn, a slashing on drive from Zahir off Vaas that actually deposited the ball on the third man boundary, another slash through point for four more later in the same over, a Harbhajan reverse sweep off Murali for three, a lofted on drive for four off the same bowler by Zahir... and suddenly, we had Jayasuriya putting boundary riders in place for the Indian tailenders, and no slip for Harbhajan facing Murali -- despite having more than a 100 runs, plus an entire innings, at his disposal.

We also had food for thought -- if the tail was finding it this easy to bat against Murali and Vaas, what stopped the middle order from showing some spine?

Vaas finally took out Harbhajan (17 off 20 deliveries) with a bouncer the Indian offie hooked down the throat of deep square leg, placed there for the uppish hook. India 269/9, and the 9th wicket partnership had given the seniors some food for thought, adding 48 runs in just under 7 overs.

Zahir got the lead under the 100 mark with a superlative shot off Murali -- down the track, covering the drift nicely to get under the ball and deposit it with an audible thud on the roof of the stands behind long on. And celebrated an over later when Murali went round the wicket to him, again coming down the track to cover the angle and take the ball over wide long on.

The way Zahir and Harbhajan played Murali -- and the very evident indication that the offie tends to lose the plot when someone goes after him -- made a point worth noting for the senior players: to wit, that they have been given bats to play with, and that the pad is the last, not first, line of defense.

Meanwhile, later in the same over, another attempt to hit the long ball was slightly miscued, and Atapattu at long on completed the formality with a nicely judged catch off a swirler. Zahir's 45 off 40 deliveries meant that the Lankan winning margin was restricted to an innings and 77 runs -- which matches their highest winning margin ever, again an innings and 77 against Zimbabwe.

Muralitharan, despite the stick, walked off to the applause he deserved with a 10-wicket haul in the match, his 8 in the first innings breaking India's back and ensuring that Lanka were in a position to take the series.

Interestingly, though India now has a record of 24 played, 8 won, 12 drawn and three lost against Lanka, the latter now has two series wins against India -- this one, with a comprehensive 2-1 margin.

India's skipper, Saurav Ganguly, meanwhile learnt what it was to be on the losing end of a series.

The series, as played, provided a lot of points worth pondering about -- but we'll leave that for Monday.

Detailed Scorecards
Ind 1st innings
SL 1st innings
Ind 2nd innings

Also read: Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4

India vs Sri Lanka: Complete coverage