Herath packs off India A for 172

Left-arm spinner Rangan Herath took four for 34 as Sri Lanka a bowled India A out for 172 in less than 50 overs on the opening day of the fo...

Left-arm spinner Rangan Herath took four for 34 as Sri Lanka a bowled India A out for 172 in less than 50 overs on the opening day of the four-day third cricket Test match at the Braboune Stadium here today.

But the visitors found themselves in a tight spot when they came out to bat, being reduced to 69 four four in 23 overs at stumps. India A skipper Shiv Sunder Das won the toss in th emorning and elected to bat first. However, some insipid batting performance by the hosts saw them lose their last six wickets for just five runs off 22 balls after they were coasting at 138 for three at one stage.

Herath, who was on a hat-trick twice but failed to claim the feat, bowled a superb line and length and was ably supported by right-arm medium pacers Lashita Malinga (two for 49) and Taranga Lakshita (two for 49).

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The top order batsmen were left blaming themselves for the situation their team found in. The top four — Das (39 off 60 balls), Gautam Gambhir (18 off 24 balls), Mohammed Kaif (33 off 64 balls) and Hemang Badani (47 off 65 balls) — got off to starts but failed to covert those into big scores.

Second Test century maker Rohan gavaskar (6) and Ambathi Rayudu (8) disappointed going for rash strokes too early in their innings while India A’s tail failed to wag.

For the Indians, left-arm spinner Murali Kartik bowled superbly to take three wickets conceding 48 runs while Siddharth Trivedi, who came in place of Munaf Patel, got 1/18.

BRIEF SCORES

India A (1st Innings): 172 (SS Das 39, M Kaif 33, H Badani 47; R Herath 4/34).

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Sri Lanka A (1st Innings): 134/4 (N Nawaz 46no; A Polonowita 38no;M Kartik 3/48).

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