Related Links : India’s Tour of Sri Lanka 2010 : India Player Pages : Sri Lanka Player Pages : Scorecard of Sri Lanka Vs India, 3rd Test at P Sara Oval, Colombo
Sri Lanka finished the opening day’s play of the third and final Test at the P Sara Oval on 293 for 4 in 86.5 overs. Skipper Kumar Sangakkara who got a life early in his knock was the top scorer of the Lankan innings with 75 (from 114 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes). The Lankan innings also saw two more half centuries coming from Mahela Jayawardene (56 from 154 balls) and Thilan Samaraweera (65 not out from 143 balls).
The hosts had won the toss yet again and had elected to bat first on a track that had equal opportunities for both the batsmen and the bowlers. Ishant Sharma got plenty of nip and bounce off the track and his rookie partner Abhimanyu Mithun bowled his heart out but with little rewards. Mithun was very unlucky not to have Kumar Sangakkara after a thick edge from the left hander was spilled by Suresh Raina at third slip which otherwise could have been an easy catch to Laxman at second slip.
There was plenty of turn and bounce for the spinners as well but Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra weren’t lucky enough to find the edges. Ojha was rewarded though with a couple of big wickets that of Sangakkara (caught slogging to long on) and Mahela Jayawardene who was lbw after misreading a drifter.
Sri Lanka went into the match making two changes with Lasith Malinga and Chanaka Welegedara replacing Dammika Prasad and Dilhara Fernando. India got a blow ahead of the match with Harbhajan Singh ruled out with injury while Gambhir not recovering from his knee problem. Yuvraj Singh was kept out by Suresh Raina as the latter scored a century on Test Debut at the SSC ground.