Virender Sehwag's smashing century spurred India in the second test match Friday after Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne surged to the top of test cricket's all-time wicket-takers by dismissing Irfan Pathan for his 533rd wicket.
Warne, 35, had Pathan caught by Matthew Hayden at slips to overtake Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's mark of 532, but Sehwag took the spotlight away with a blistering 133 not out -- his seventh century in 25 tests -- to lift India to 197 for three at the tea interval.
PHOTO: AFP
Australia was bowled out for 235 in the first innings Thursday.
Keeping Sehwag company at tea was skipper Sourav Ganguly on four, after Rahul Dravid fell for 26, edging a delivery from Michael Kasprowicz on to his stumps.
Sehwag struck two boundaries in one over from Kasprowicz to race to his century, but captain Ganguly appeared shaky.
Kasprowicz was frustrated as Ganguly was first caught by Simon Katich in slips off a no ball, and when an edged shot slipped out of wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist's gloves.
Warne had to wait until 1-1/2 hours into Friday morning to claim the outright record, after drawing level with Muralitharan by dismissing opener Yuvraj Singh in the last over Thursday.
Warne's celebrations at claiming the outright record were subdued. He took a few steps forward, grabbed the ball and raised it high while accepting congratulations from other Aussie players. A minute later he was ready to bowl his next delivery to new batsman Dravid.
Warne is playing his 114th test match, while Muralitharan amassed his wickets haul in 91 tests. Former West Indian captain Courtney Walsh (519 wickets in 132 tests) is the only other bowler to have made more than 500 test match dismissals in tests.
Australia, which won last week's opening test in Bangalore by 217 runs, was looking for some quick wickets Friday, but was frustrated by the overnight pair of Sehwag and Pathan.
Resuming at 28 for one, they took India to 83 before Pathan fell after hitting Warne for a six over mid-wicket.
Pakistan versus Sri Lanka
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq cracked a powerful unbeaten half century to keep his team's perfect record intact in the triangular one-day series with a comprehensive six-wicket win over sluggish Sri Lanka in the last league match Thursday.
Inzamam overshadowed Marvan Atapattu's (111) century earlier in the day and remained unbeaten on 76 off 58 balls with eight fours and a six as Pakistan chased Sri Lanka's tall target of 293 for six with a reply of 297 for 4 in 48.5 overs.
It was Pakistan's second-most successful chase in limited-overs international play behind 300. It's best effort was in a triangular series game at Kimberly in South Africa in 1997-1998 season, also against Sri Lanka.
"Chasing close to 300 runs is not easy in one-day internationals no matter on which type of wicket you play," Inzamam told reporters.
"But in the last two hours of the game it's difficult to bowl here with dew on the ground. I have suggested to Marvan [Atapattu] if it's possible to have early start to Saturday's final," he said.
All the Pakistan top order batsmen tuned themselves up for today's day-night final, with valuable contributions coming in from openers Salman Butt (57), Yasir Hameed (48) and Shoaib Malik (56).
Butt and Hameed cashed in on dropped chances early in their innings -- all off the bowling of left-arm seamer Nuwan Zoysa -- and gave Pakistan a sound start of 99 runs.
Hameed, who had scored just 13 runs in his previous three innings, was dropped by a diving Sanath Jayasuriya before he had scored, and Chaminda Vaas could not hold a sitter in the deep when the batsman had made 13. Mahela Jayawardene then floored an easy catch in the slips when Butt was on 17.
Hameed frustrated Zoysa with a straight six and a four when the bowler changed ends before leg-spinner Upul Chandana bowled him round his legs. Butt completed his half century before Vaas returned for his second spell and had him caught behind.
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