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GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) - Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir continued their impressive form Saturday with half-centuries that pushed India into a strong position against Sri Lanka on day three of the second test.
India, which cleaned up Sri Lanka’s tail in the opening session to claim a 37-run lead on first innings, dominated with the bat in the second session to be 121-1 in its second innings at tea, for an overall lead of 158.
Sehwag followed up his unbeaten 201 in the first innings with an aggressive 50 on Saturday, combining with Gambhir (56 not out) for a 90-run opening partnership.
Sehwag was the dominant partner as usual, piercing the field with powerful cuts, drives and pulls on his way to his 14th test half-century.
He faced just 52 balls, hitting six fours and a six before being caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan at extra-cover off seamer Chaminda Vaas.
Gambhir had faced 101 balls and hit seven fours during a relatively sedate innings for his fourth test half-century and second of the match.
India earlier secured a first innings lead thanks to brilliant bowling by offspinner Harbhajan Singh, who picked up 6-102 as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 292.
Sri Lanka resumed the third day at 215-5 hoping to overhaul India’s first innings score of 329, but the host team’s last five wickets fell for 77 runs and their innings was over by lunch.
Captain Mahela Jayawardene top scored for Sri Lanka with 86, his 31st test half-century scored off 188 balls including 10 boundaries.
India’s captain Anil Kumble gave valuable support to Singh with three wickets.
Scoreboard
India 1st Innings 329 All Out
Sri Lanka 1st Innings
(Overnight 215-5)
M Vandort c Dravid b Khan 4
M Warnapura c Gambhir b Singh 66
K Sangakkara c and b Singh 68
M Jayawardene c Karthik b Kumble 86
T Samaraweera lbw b Singh 14
T Dilshan c Gambhir b Singh 0
P Jayawardene c Laxman b Singh 24
C Vaas c Singh b Kumble 1
N Kulasekara not out 5
A Mendis lbw b Kumble 0
M Muralitharan c Ganguly b Singh 0
Extras (10b, 12lb, 2nb) 24.
TOTAL: (All Out) 292.
Overs: 93.3. Batting Time: 388 minutes.
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-137, 3-144, 4-192, 5-192, 6-250, 7-255, 8-291, 9-291, 10-292.
Bowling: Khan 9-1-51-1 (2nb), Sharma 8-1-36-0, Kumble 36-7-81-3, Singh 40.3-8-102-6.
India 2nd Innings
G Gambhir not out 56
V Sehwag c Dilshan b Vaas 50
R Dravid not out 14
Extras (1lb) 1.
TOTAL: (For one wicket) 121.
Overs: 30. Batting Time: 125 minutes.
Fall of wickets: 1-90.
Still to bat: Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Dinesh Karthik, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan.
Bowling: Vaas 10-2-25-1, Kulasekara 5-0-31-0, Muralitharan 8-0-37-0, Mendis 7-0-27-0.
Umpires: Billy Doctrove, West Indies and Mark Benson, England.
TV Umpire: Gamini Silva, Sri Lanka.
Match Referee: Alan Hurst, Australia.
Series: Sri Lanka leads three-match series 1-0.
