First Test: Dravid, Yuvraj do the repair act for India (Lunch Report - Day 1)
By IANSMonday, November 16, 2009
AHMEDABAD - Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh resurrected India’s first innings after their first four wickets were lost in quick time, three of these to fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara, on the opening day of the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka here Monday.
At lunch, India were 105 for four with Rahul Dravid on 45 and Yuvraj Singh on 35 after Welegedara’s destructive spell reduced India to 32 for four at the Sardar Patel Stadium in the Motera neighbourhood of Ahmedabad.
Sri Lanka’s new ball bowlers Welegedara and Dhamika Prasad (1/34) bowled a disciplined line and length and forced the Indian batsmen to commit mistakes.
Both Welegedara and Prasad found their second deliveries smashed to the boundary by Virender Sehwag (16). But Welegedara soon provided the breakthrough as Gautam Gambhir (1) played on, dragging an outswinger onto the stumps.
Welegedara was on fire as he went on to pick up Sehwag and Tendulkar (1) in three deliveries to put India on the backfoot. Prasad chipped in crashing through the defence of V.V.S. Laxman and India lost four wickets in 30 deliveries.
Dravid and Yuvraj then played carefully and added 73 run for the fifth wicket. Both were watchful but didn’t hesitate to send the bad ball to the boundary.
Yuvraj was in fine touch and hit Prasad for two fours in the 10th over to set the tone of the partnership. He smashed Muttiah Muralithran for a boundary in the famous spinner’s first over while Dravid lifted left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for a huge six down the line.
