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Dead heat in Colombo

Five points to India, four to Sri Lanka -- that about sums up the gains at the end of the second Test in the Asian Test Championship series, this one between India and Sri Lanka at the SSC grounds, in Colombo.

The day's play was characterised by the sort of ennui that predictability brings with it. Theorists could speculate that if India had blasted away and got some 275 plus on the board say an hour after lunch, then put the Lankans in (or alternately, if the Lankan bowlers had performed prodigies and the Indians had been bowled out cheap) the final day could still provide some interest.

That was obviously not going to happen -- and not because this pitch is as dead as some reports have made it out to be. In fact, that's quite a curious assessment -- a pitch with grass on it on the first morning, a pitch that sweated with overnight rains on days three and four, a pitch where, today, Aravinda D'Silva turned one of his part-time off spinners so sharply and so quickly that keeper Kaluwitharana was forced to call for a teeth-guard, doesn't exactly qualify as a dead pitch, does it?

Lanka's problem was it didn't have the spinners to make the push; India's, that the two spinners and the lead seamer didn't bowl with sustained venom (not to forget the fact that the batsman who made half the runs scored by the Lankan side did so with the benefit of five clear lives).

What has the pitch got to do with dropped catches by the half-dozen?

The morning's play could have been an opportunity for Laxman, with the pressure off, to play himself into some kind of form. As it turned out, the reverse was true -- his showing in this innings could well see the end of his tenure as opener.

Starting out by pushing his bat out at a ball slanting across him and being caught behind off a no ball, the right hander pushed, poked, prodded and at no time showed any sign that he was getting comfortable in the role. Not surprising, that -- by technique and temperament, he is a middle order batsman who doesn't even open with any regularity for his state side. Laxman looks a different player altogether once the spinners come on, and in fact, he handled Saqlain Mushtaq better than any other player in the Indian squad -- but given his defects around off stump, there won't be too many times when he will last long enough to see the spin bowlers warm up.

Be interesting to see what the selectors do now. Take a step back in time and bring back Sidhu? Try someone new? Promote Rahul Dravid, push Sachin up to three and Saurav to four, and bring in another middle order batsman? The last seems to be the best option now available -- Dravid has the requisite technique, and one thing India is brimming with just now is middle order batsmen.

Another point of interest was Aravinda D'Silva's captaincy (Ranatunga was off the field with a pulled hamstring). If only 54 runs were scored, by Laxman (out flicking all over a fuller length delivery and being rapped in front), Tendulkar and Ganguly off 24.3 overs in the morning session, credit goes to some very innovative field placing by Lanka's acting captain.

Aravinda's gameplan seemed to be to get his seamers to pitch within the stumps, to use the slower ball quite extensively, and to force errors from the batsmen on the front foot. To this end, the slip cordon went untenanted for the most part, but there instead, there was short cover, short midwicket, short square and, at times, a leg slip.

It was impressive captaincy, Aravinda thinking like a batsman and setting fields to prevent the Indians from making any headway. Interestingly, in the morning it was announced that with Ranatunga's hamstring not yielding to treatment, he would sit out the Test against Pakistan, and that Aravinda would lead in his place.

However, by tea-time, we were told that Aravinda had informed the selectors that he did not feel fully fit, and would like a break (he in fact went off a little while after tea, apparently in pain somewhere on the left side of his groin) -- which would mean Hashan Tillekeratne will get the honour of taking to Pakistan a team minus Aravinda and Arjuna, and also lead seamer Chaminda Vaas, who too is being rested.

Ganguly and Tendulkar both batted as though they had decided they might as well get some practise out in the middle. With the Lankan bowling not giving anything away and the fielding very tight, the 'batting practise' must have proved very beneficial.

Both batsmen also did their averages a little good, Ganguly getting to 78 and looking good for a century before Aravinda out-thought him. The part-time offspinner (given the way he flighted and turned the ball, he could afford to bowl a lot more than he does, actually) switched to a line of leg stump, turning it into the left hander with a legside cordon in place, and completely dried up the runs.

Frustrated, Ganguly finally gave him the charge, came dancing out a long way, hit over the ball and was comfortably stumped. Given how often -- and how effectively -- Ganguly comes down the track to spinners to lift them over the infield in the V, it comes as a bit of a surprise to realise that this is the first time he has been out stumped, in his career.

Azharuddin came out to keep Sachin company, but didn't last long enough to get a good hit out in the middle -- thanks, again, to Aravinda. The part time offie kept Azhar quiet with a series of deliveries that turned in very sharply and cramped the batsman for room, then tossed one invitingly up, wide outside off, Azhar went for the slashed stroke through the point region and ended up getting the nick through to slip.

India didn't have too many batting options at the start of this day -- Dravid was out with the injury he sustained yesterday, and Mongia had a bad touch of stiff neck (he was sporting one of those neck-collars preferred by victims of spondylosis, all day). Which perhaps explains why Tendulkar elected to bat in a very controlled fashion, at total variance to the way he got off the blocks in the first innings.

Kumble came in at the fall of the fourth wicket, and kept company while Tendulkar calmly stroked his way to his 19th Test century (his third at the SSC). Perhaps not one he would want to put in his top ten, but his patience needs mentioning -- had he gone out blazing and got out quick, India could have been in trouble, given the fact that two of its players were not likely to bat. In fact, coming in at the fall of the fifth wicket was none other than Venkatesh Prasad -- which should give you some idea of the relevance of Tendulkar's patient vigil at the other end.

The century came a bit after tea, and that pretty much did it as far as ending interest in the proceedings was concerned.

India has a total of 10 bonus points from two Tests. Lanka has four from this one, and needs seven from the game against Pakistan to get through to the ATC final. Six points in that game will level with India but in that case, India will go through to the final, since the rules provide that if two teams are level on points, then the first tie-break criterion is that the team with a better run rate in the first 100 overs goes through.

Which about does it for this report -- till the next leg in Lahore beginning March 8, adios.

Postscript: The Sri Lankan selectors, meeting in emergency session at the SSC an hour after tea and, in view of Aravinda's groin injury during the day's play and his own statement that he wasn't fully fit, officially made Tillekeratne captain of the team to Pakistan. Interestingly, the young Mahela Jayawardene got an enormous vote of confidence, being named vice captain of the squad.

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