First blood, thanks to second string

When Greg Chappell came down to the field at stumps today, where his side were doing their 8220;warming-down8221;' stretching, he didn't h...

When Greg Chappell came down to the field at stumps today, where his side were doing their 8220;warming-down8221;8217; stretching, he didn8217;t head for the stars.

Instead he shook hands with Harbhajan Singh 8212; who took the wicket of Samaraweera, the last to fall today 8212; and gave a thumbs up to Ajit Agarkar, who8217;d broken a threatening partnership by dismissing Kumara Sangakkara.

If India have this Test match all but wrapped up going into the last day 8212; they need five wickets, Sri Lanka need to bat three sessions or score another 313 runs 8212; it8217;s because of their second line of attack, whether batting or bowling, today. And that was the difference between the two sides.

Sri Lanka8217;s thoughts tonight will centre around a bowling attack that offers no danger beyond Muttiah Murlaitharan and Chaminda Vaas. And on a batting line-up that lacks the punch and power of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni later in the order.

Witness the performance of Agarkar, whose role so far in the game had been questionable. Indeed, he seemed to have realised that when the Lankans came in to bat. With Pathan not quite getting the rhythm right, Agarkar decided to bend his back.

And how. Clocking in the range of 140 kmph, he produced one dream ball, a skidder that moved away after tantalisingly pitching on the good length spot near the off stump. Sangakkara fished and was caught behind. That8217;s the kind of support Vaas would have expected from Dilhara Fernando. Later in the day, with Kumble tiring, Harbhajan did his bit to ensure that the last rites of this match will be performed early tomorrow.

Much before this, of course, was the effort of India8217;s late-order batsmen. After Ganguly had seen off the early threat, the stage was set for India8217;s Nos 6 and 7. And while Yuvraj8217;s 77 might give the selectors a headache, MS Dhoni8217;s 51 off 51 would have vindicated their stand. He was expected to score quick runs when a declaration was on cards and did just that.

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The contempt that Dhoni showed to the Lankan bowlers will have an impact that goes beyond the present Test. The fact that Dhoni played for a while in the blue of the ODI team showed the intent he had in mind but he showed much respect to the whites he was wearing. The two sixes he hit were in the V and, after his dismissal to Murali in the first innings, he was overall more cautious today.

India will not look ahead to Ahmedabad right now; Chappell is nothing if not feet-on-ground and he will ensure they focus on picking up five wickets tomorrow. But when they do, they will realise the current difference between them and Sri Lanka; India have a problem of plenty, the tourists have plenty of problems.

SCOREBOARD

	nbsp;	INDIA 1st innings: 290 SRI LANKA 1st innings: 230 INDIA 2nd innings Overnight: 237-5 Gambhir lbw Vaas 3 Irfan c Sangakkara b Fernando 93 Laxman c Sangakkara b Vaas 11 Tendulkar lbw Bandara 16 Dravid run out 53 Ganguly b Muralitharan 39 Yuvraj Singh not out 77 MS Dhoni not out 51 Extras b9, lb16, nb7: 32 Total for 6 wkts decl: 375 Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-42, 3-86, 4-178, 5-190, 6-271 Bowling: C Vaas 21-4-65-2, M Muralitharan 38-5-118-1, D Fernando 22-5-75-1, M Bandara 20-2-74-1, T Dilshan 4-0-18-0 SRI LANKA 2nd innings Target: 436 Gunawardene lbw Pathan 9 Atapattu c038;b Kumble 67 Sangakkara c Dhoni b Agarkar 33 Jayawardene not out 9 Bandara lbw Kumble 0 Samarweera c Dravid b Singh 0 Extras lb1, nb4: 5 Total for 5 wkts: 123 Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-109, 3-119, 4-119, 5-123 Bowling: I Pathan 9-1-30-1, A Agarkar 10-3-31-1, A Kumble 18-4-34-2, Harbhajn Singh 13.3-4-27-1	nbsp;

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More