India close on crushing win over Sri Lanka
By N.Ananthanarayanan
KANPUR, India, Nov 27 - Off spinner Harbhajan Singh took two wickets to leave India on the verge of inflicting a heavy defeat on Sri Lanka in the second test on Friday.
Forced to follow on after a first-innings collapse, Sri Lanka were 206 for eight at lunch on the fourth day and although the visitors rattled up 149 runs in the morning, they were still 207 adrift of India's huge first innings total of 642.
Middle-order batsman Thilan Samaraweera was unbeaten on 54 at the interval alongside tail-ender Ajantha Mendis (5), with India looking set to wrap up an innings victory after the interval.
Fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth's six-wicket heroics on the third day had helped dismiss Sri Lanka for 229 in the first innings and hand India a 413-run lead.
Harbhajan (3-70) led the bowling on the fourth morning after Sri Lanka resumed on their overnight 57-4.
Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan struck in the second over by forcing all-rounder Angelo Mathews to miscue an attempted pull to Rahul Dravid at gully for 15, after he had blasted three fours in a row in the over.
Prasanna Jayawardene added 61 runs for the sixth wicket with Samaraweera in a show of resistance until Harbhajan sneaked through his defences to bowl him for 29.
The spinner also trapped Rangana Herath leg before for 13 and Muttiah Muralitharan, who played a cameo worth 29 runs, fell to left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha next to make it 191-8.
Sri Lanka's flurry of runs helped them avoid their biggest two innings defeats that had come against South Africa.
The first test in Ahmedabad ended in a draw. The third and final test will start in Mumbai on Dec. 2. (Editing by John O'Brien; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com) ((anantha.narayanan@thomsonreuters.com; +91 98103 02336; Reuters Messaging: anantha.narayanan.reuters.com@reuters.net; For the Reuters sports blog Left Field: http://blogs.reuters.com.sport/)
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