India collapse on day three

It is a measure of the Indian cricket fan -- and even reporters can, away from their computers, have feelings pro and con -- that as I watch another abject batting collapse, the thought uppermost in mind is, ah yes, remember how we collapsed in similar fashion against Australia at the Wankhede, collapsed again till the halfway stage at Calcutta, and then pulled off that stunning upset?

It's a nice thought to take to bed tonight, to ward off nightmares with. But chasing chimeras can only get you so far -- in this instance, it gets you a good night's sleep, perhaps. But then, tomorrow comes -- and with it the realisation that for all its vaunted talent, this team continues to set world records in under-performing.

The wicket did have its share of devils, sure -- but it did not justify the batting collapse we witnessed this evening, and which was due to rank bad batting, made worse by a complete abdication of responsibility. Put simply, none of the Indians with the exception of Dravid could even be bothered to stay out there -- and when that happens, then a question inevitably comes to mind: why, then, are they in this team?

Surely, the team that wins the first division title in Madras, or Bangalore, or Bombay, or Delhi, or Calcutta, couldn't do much worse?

And to think that this morning, it all started so very differently...

Word from behind the scenes was that coach John Wright had a few somethings to say to the Indian bowlers after play yesterday.

Whatever he said -- and however he said it -- appeared, on the third morning, to have had some effect. Venkatesh Prasad, opening with Harbhajan Singh, seemed more concerned about bowling a fuller length than shielding his shoulder.

The tall seamer hit a consistent good length, and allowed the seam and the pitch to do the rest of his work for him. And results were immediately obvious.

The length was just right to bring the batsmen onto the front foot -- the importance of which, on tracks as dubious as this one, needs no elaboration. 28 of the 32 boundaries plus the one six the Lankans hit on day two had come off back foot shots -- this morning, when the Lankans were invited to come forward and try to drive, batting immediately looked a lot more difficult.

Russell Arnold (20 off 65), for one, struggled to figure out which way the ball was going off the seam. And with Lanka on 275/4, the left hander misread the ball once too often, shaping to cut the one going away. The ball, instead, held its line and bounced, meeting the shot higher than ideal and Ramesh, at gully, did very well to hold the hard chance coming straight at his face.

Hashan Tillekeratne (11 off 34), returning to the Lankan side after two and a half years, was in less than prime touch. Javagal Srinath, with the second new ball, got him in front with an inswinger on full length, with Tillekeratne attempting to play around his pads and missing (Lanka 202/5).

Srinath, like Prasad, was a different bowler this morning from the one who, with a lacklustre display, gave the game away to the Lankans on day two. His consistently full length and pronounced swing proved difficult for Suresh Pereira (1 off 14 balls) to negotiate and, like Tillekeratne before him, the right handed all rounder was trapped in front attempting to play around his pads (296/6 Lanka).

Chaminda Vaas, unlike the other batsmen this morning, opted for aggression and, for a while, the Indians played into his hands by attempting to bounce the left-handed tailender out. Just ahead of lunch, however, Zahir produced an awayswinger on full length. Vaas (13 off 28) had a full-blooded drive at it, the ball flew off the outer edge and Ramesh, at gully, flung himself headlong to pull off a blinder (Lanka 316/7).

The morning session saw 66 runs scored for the loss of four wickets. The crucial statistic, though, was that Lanka went in to lunch on the third morning 143 runs ahead of India.

India's bid, during the middle session of play, was to restrict the damage by bowling the Lankans out, and Zahir Khan with a well-disguised slower ball soon after lunch took out Dilhara Fernando (3 off 14), the tall paceman driving too early and straight to Srinath at mid off (Lanka 340/8).

In the next over, Srinath angled one across Ruchira Perera. The tailender, yet to score at that stage, tamely touched it through to wicket-keeper Samir Dighe to reduce Lanka to 342/9.

At that point, the focus was on Kumara Sangakaara. The left-handed keeper-batsman, who had debuted in the 2000-2001 home series against South Africa, hit the headlines in the reciprocal away series. On a seaming Kingsmead (Durban) wicket in December 2000, Sangakaara made a fighting 74 to help Jayawardene rescue Lanka from the perilous position of 2/2 in what was finally a drawn game. And then went even better, producing a fighting 98 at Supersport Park in what, for Sri Lanka, was a lost cause.

His crease characteristics are a composed demeanour, a very straight bat, and an ability to stay focussed for long periods. All those traits were on view in this innings, where he came in at the fall of Atapattu and held one end secure while the rest of the batting revolved around him. Equally, what was noticeable was that unlike Jayasuriya, Sangakaara's wagonwheel was nicely balanced, 52 of his runs coming on the on side to 53 on the off.

With nine wickets down, it seemed as though a first Test hundred would elude him. Muralitharan, however, curbed his tendency to swish long enough to allow Sangakaara, by way of a superbly hit straight drive off Srinath, to make that landmark. Two deliveries later, it was all over with Murali hoiking Srinath down the throat of deep midwicket, to end the Lankan innings on 362 off 107.5 overs -- leaving the home side with a very healthy lead of 175.

Ironically it was Srinath -- the prime culprit on day two -- who helped India pull back into the game, completing a five-wicket haul while Zahir with three was the other success with the ball.

India began with Shiv Sundar Das in positive mode while Sadagopan Ramesh, uncharacteristically, played well within himself. And that exaggerated caution caused the southpaw's dismissal, when Ruchira Perera made one straighten on middle and off. Ramesh walked into a defensive push, played inside the line without allowing for the movement, and was castled off stump to reduce India to 15/1.

Das and Kaif, both batting without visible discomfort, took India in to tea on 26/1.

What India needed was a solid batting performance in the final session. What it got, was a collapse.

Ruchira Perera banged one in on the slant across the right hander and Das (23 off 55), playing for the width outside off, flashed into a cut without getting on top of the ball. Suresh Perera at gully judged well to hold and India (37/2), at that point still trailing Lanka by 138, had both its openers back in the hut.

Mohammad Kaif (14 off 49) seemed well in control, till he lost concentration in Muralitharan's second spell. There really was nothing much in the ball, a floater landing back of good length around off. Kaif lunged forward, however, bat well in front of his pad and perfectly placed for the turning ball to find the edge onto pad and thence into the hands of short square leg. India 53/3, still 122 behind Lanka -- and skipper Saurav Ganguly, with a Test average this year of 13.50, to the centre to join Rahul Dravid.

But not for long. There was in fact something almost novice-like in the way Ganguly fell into a deliberately set trap. Fernando, in the first innings, had produced a vicious lifter to take out Ganguly. This time round, the field was set, with much visible fuss, to make Ganguly think he was going to get another short one. And then, having had the batsman nicely primed, Fernando produced a ball on very full length, seaming in just enough to go past Ganguly's (4 off 9) tentative bat, through the gate, and onto off stump. India 65/4.

Hemang Badani, of late, has been looking like a condemned prisoner counting down the final minutes to his execution -- and that is when he is sitting padded up in the pavilion. Out in the centre, he resembles nothing so much as a blind man trying to cross Bombay's main thoroughfare at rush hour, his bat like a white stick groping in front of him.

The TN southpaw can count himself unlucky to be given out caught behind on this occasion, given that you can't be caught off your pad -- but it needs mentioning that there was nothing in his 12-ball stay at the wicket to inspire anyone with any confidence whatsoever, unless of course you are the lucky guy bowling to him.

Muthiah Muralitharan had some fun with Dighe, tying him into knots and then tying him the other way around, before finally ending the session with a regulation delivery inducing the bat pad to Russell Arnold at silly point.

Harbhajan Singh heaved the ball around with some vim, before flat-batting one back at Murali to give the offie his fourth wicket for the innings.

Rahul Dravid meanwhile played on a different track against different bowlers. Barring one thick outer edge that bounced shy of the slips, the Indian vice captain seemed untroubled, and entirely capable of batting for eternity. More to the point, he seemed like he wanted to -- and that is not something you can say for any of his mates.

Zahir Khan showed some application, if not skill, in hanging around. At the end of the day's allocated overs, India was 120/7 in 53 overs (effectively, 120/8 since Srinath with his injured left hand was not likely to bat).

Jayasuriya promptly claimed the extra half an hour a captain is entitled to if there is a chance of forcing a result. He also decided to take the ball himself. And off the first ball of his over, a ripper of a delivery landing off and turning away from the right-handed Zahir Khan (3 off 29 balls) found the edge to Russell Arnold in slip, and India were 120/8 -- still needing 55 to avoid an innings defeat, and Venkatesh Prasad left to get them.

Bad light finally ended play with one wicket standing between Lanka and an innings defeat. Prasad, having faced what is for him a very good 20 deliveries for his three, and Dravid, whose 127 ball vigil has yielded 37 runs, walked off with the knowledge that they are still 45 shy of making Lanka bat again.

What other knowledge they took with them -- the knowledge, for instance, that rank carelessness and lack of application is responsible for the plight they are in -- is moot.

Detailed Scorecard

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First day's match report

Second day's match report