Samaraweera steers Sri Lanka to 425

Pa
Wednesday 04 August 2010 11:03 BST
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(AFP/Getty Images)

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India cleaned up the Sri Lanka tail in quick time to dismiss the hosts for 425 midway through the second session on day two of the third Test in Colombo, with Thilan Samaraweera remaining unbeaten on 137.

Ishant Sharma claimed the wickets of Ajantha Mendis and Chanaka Welegedara to wrap up the innings after Virender Sehwag and Amit Mishra had seen off Suraj Randiv and Lasith Malinga.

Pragyan Ojha finished with four wickets while Sharma claimed three, but a magnificent unbeaten century by Samaraweera ensured Sri Lanka, who lead the three-match series 1-0, reached a healthy first-innings total.

Sri Lanka earlier made a quiet start after resuming on 293 for four, with Sharma and Ojha keeping the overnight pair Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews in check for the first half of the morning session.

Ojha got the breakthrough, trapping Mathews (45) lbw to end an 89-run fifth-wicket partnership.

But, at the other end, Samaraweera continued building another fine innings and inched towards his hundred.

Prasanna Jayawardene was ruled lbw for nine while trying to sweep an Ojha delivery after a subdued 41-ball innings.

Samaraweera reached his 12th century just before lunch amid high drama as he nearly ran himself out in his bid to steal a single while on 99. A direct throw from square-leg dislodged the stumps at the non-striker's end, but the run-out appeal was turned down by the third umpire - much to the relief of the middle-order batsman.

India came back strongly after lunch, snaring Randiv and Malinga in quick succession. Randiv perished for eight while attempting to slog-sweep Sehwag, with the top-edge lobbing into the hands of Rahul Dravid at first slip.

Malinga (four), who survived a confident lbw appeal in the first ball he faced from Mishra, was then brilliantly caught off his own bowling three balls later by the spinner to leave Sri Lanka on 386 for eight.

Samaraweera switched gear after taking Sri Lanka past the 400-run mark in the company of Ajantha Mendis, hitting a six and a boundary off the last two balls of an Ojha over.

But Mendis perished for three in Sharma's next over, caught at gully by Suresh Raina when he tried to cut a short-pitched delivery, and Welegedara's demise three balls later - caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Sharma for four - signalled the end of the Sri Lanka innings.

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