Indian openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag struck sparkling centuries as India amassed 417-2 to take a firm grip of the second Test against Sri Lanka yesterday.
Gambhir top-scored with 167 while Sehwag hit an aggressive 131, the duo adding a blistering 233 together after skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss on a good pitch.
India recorded their highest total in a day’s play, surpassing their previous best of 386 against South Africa in Chennai last year.
PHOTO: AFP
At stumps, Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 85 with Sachin Tendulkar 20 not out.
Gambhir, 28, put in another good performance to follow an innings of 114 in the first Test in Ahmedabad.
He also added 137 runs for the second wicket with Dravid, who underlined his form after scoring 177 in the first Test.
Off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan provided some relief by removing both openers.
Sri Lanka let slip their only real chance in the morning when Mahela Jayawardene dropped Sehwag in the slips off Chanaka Welegedara.
Sehwag edged the left-arm paceman but Jayawardene’s view was blocked as wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene dived across.
After a slow start, Sehwag was soon into his stride, racing to 70 at lunch before completing his 16th hundred after the interval.
The Delhi batsman took 27 deliveries to reach double figures but then reached his hundred off just 97 deliveries, playing shots all around the wicket and hammering Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis for a flurry of boundaries.
Sehwag hit two sixes off Mendis, drafted in for injured paceman Dhammika Prasad, until he was caught at short cover.
Gambhir, on 59 at lunch, also scored freely at the other end as India piled on 176 runs in the afternoon session.
Dravid played fluently from the start and hit classy drives through mid on and midwicket and signed off the day by driving Herath past extra cover for his eighth four.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care