India vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Match Live Cricket Score and Update

2nd Test

24, November 2009 (Rediff Sport ) : Virender Sehwag fell for a brilliant innings of 131 to help India  take control against Sri Lanka on day one of the second Test in Kanpur, on Tuesday.

Sehwag, dropped on 0 in the first over, took time to get going before smashing 131 from 122 deliveries, inclusive of 18 boundaries and two sixes, before he was taken by Tillakaratne Dilshan  at covers off Muttiah Muralitharan .

He hammered the Sri Lankan bowlers to all parts of the Green Park stadium as he added 233 runs in 41.2 overs for the opening wicket with Gautam Gambhir . The Delhi  left-hander looked on course for his second century in as many matches as he reached 98 not out from 129 deliveries (9 boundaries) as India reached 233 for one in 41.2 overs.

Earlier, India, electing to bat made a couple of changes bringing in S Sreesanth  to replace fellow pacer Ishant Sharma , while the out of form Amit Mishra  gave way to debutant left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha .

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka included an extra spinner in Ajantha Mendis , who replaced the injured pacer Dammika Prasad.

Morning session: (26 overs, 131 runs)

Sehwag (0) got a lifeline as early as the first over of the match. He tried to drive Chanaka Welegedara through the off-side but got an edge which was dropped by Mahela Jayawardene  at first slip as wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene , diving full length to his right, put him off.

Gautam Gambhir got India’s first boundary in the third over of the innings when his thick edge went between the slips and gully fielder off Welegedara.

It was turning out to be a nervy start for Sehwag as he survived a huge appeal for leg before wicket against Angelo Mathews in the sixth over as the ball him on the leg stump and was drifting further.

While Sehwag was struggling to find his footing, Gambhir seemed in good touch right from the start. He drove a wide delivery from Welegedara through the off-side for his third boundary, in the seventh over.

The ball was hitting Sehwag’s pads more than his bat and he once again survived a leg before appeal. Welegedara’s incoming delivery struck him on the pads before hitting the bat similar to his dismissal in the first innings in the first Test but this the umpire ruled in favour of the batsman in the ninth over.

But once Sehwag hit his first boundary there was no stopping him. Sehwag broke the shackles with two boundaries off Mathews in the 12th over. His first boundary came when he drove a full delivery through the covers and two deliveries crashed a short delivery through midwicket as India reached 39 for no loss after 12 overs.

Sehwag’s confidence seemed to be growing as the two pacers started to tire. He hit two straight boundaries off Mathews in his seventh over to take India to 49 for no loss after 14 overs.

Spin was introduced in the form of Rangana Herath  in the 16th over and Gambhir immediately went after him by smashing him for three boundaries. He welcomed Herath by stepping down the wicket and hitting him for a boundary through covers off his first delivery. The left-hander then despatched a short delivery through the off-side for another boundary and finished the over in style by stepping down the wicket and hitting over mid-on for the third boundary of the over.

Indian openers had changed gears quite efficiently in the last few overs as 35 runs came off the last five overs including seven boundaries to take India to 66 for no loss after 16 overs.

Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis also suffered in his first over when Sehwag slammed a full toss over midwicket for the first six of the match in the 18th over. He seemed intent on taking on Mendis as he crashed a wide delivery through the cover region for a boundary in the spinner’s next over.

Sehwag was looking in ominous touch as far as Sri Lanka were concerned. While he scored just six off the first 24 deliveries he faced, he took charge once he got going as he smashed 38 from the next deliveries, hitting five boundaries and a six.

Gambhir hit his seventh boundary when he stepped down the wicket and drove Muralitharan through the cover region in the 21st over.

Sehwag continued his assault on Mendis as he smashed back to back boundaries through midwicket and fine leg to bring up his half-century from 71 deliveries. Those two boundaries also brought up the 100-run partnership for the opening wicket in 21.2 overs and two deliveries, Gambhir completed his half-century with a double in the cover region off 70 deliveries.

Mendis had a nightmare start to his spell as he went for 28 in his first three overs with India racing to 107 for no loss after 22 overs.

It was raining boundaries and even veteran Muralitharan was not being spared as Sehwag rocked back and hit a boundary through the off-side in the 23rd over.

With the three spinners leaking 63 runs in eight overs between them, Sangakkara was forced to bring back Welegedara in the 25th over to make a breakthrough before the lunch interval.

Even though it was the last over before the lunch break, it did not matter to Sehwag as he lofted Mendis and just about managed to clear the long-on fielder for a six.

At lunch, India reached 131 for no loss in 26 overs, having scored at 5 runs per over. The two openers had gone on the attack once the spinners were introduced as 79 runs came from the last 11 overs, including 73 runs in nine overs from the three spinners.

Mendis was taken apart by Sehwag as the opener carted him for 35 from 19 deliveries, having hit three boundaries and two sixes, for figures of 42 runs from five overs.

News Source (Rediff Sport) : http://cricket.rediff.com/report/2009/nov/24/live-updates-india-sri-lanka-day-one-second-test.htm