COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka preserved their 1-0 lead in the three-match series when the second test ended in a high scoring draw on Friday.
India amassed the highest total made by a visiting team when they were all out for 707 in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings of 642-4 declared. Sri Lanka were 129 for three in their second innings, a lead of 64 runs when the match was called off with 15 overs remaining.
India captured the wickets of Tillakaratne Dilshan for 14 and Tharanga Paranavitana for 34 after the openers had put on a stand of 50 and rounded off a good afternoon session when Virender Sehwag trapped Mahela Jayawardene for five.
Dilshan was caught at midwicket as he attempted a pull off Abhimanyu Mithun and miscued the shot and Paranavitana edged a catch to second slip off Harbhajan Singh.
However Sangakkara and Samaraweera deprived India of any further success despite the bowlers getting some belated turn.
India batted for a further 100 minutes on the fifth morning before Sri Lanka finally dismissed the last man after the tourists had amassed 707 runs, the highest total ever made by a visiting team.
India’s tenth-wicket pair proved just how docile the pitch was when they batted without discomfort, adding 39 runs off 164 balls before Dilhara Fernando finally ended their resistance when he had Ishant Sharma caught at gully by Kumar Sangakkara for 27.
Pragjyan Ojha was left unbeaten on 18 as India forged a 65-run lead over the hosts, who scored 642-4 declared in their first innings.
Sri Lanka lead the three-match series 1-0 after their ten-wicket win at Galle last week. The third and final test begins in Colombo on August 3.
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka first innings 642-4 dec (T. Paranavitana 100, K. Sangakkara 219, M. Jayawardene 174)
India first innings (669-9 overnight)
M. Vijay lbw b Mendis 58
V. Sehwag st P. Jayawardene b Randiv 99
R. Dravid lbw b Randiv 3
S. Tendulkar c P. Jayawardene b Dilshan 203
V.V.S. Laxman lbw b Mendis 29
S. Raina c Sangakkara b Mendis 120
M.S. Dhoni c and b Dilshan 76
H. Singh c Sangakkara b Dilshan 0
A. Mithun b Mendis 41
I. Sharma c Sangakkara b Fernando 27
P. Ojha not out 18
Extras: (b-9, lb-7, nb-13, w-4) 33
Total: (all out, 225.2 overs) 707
Fall of wickets: 1-165, 2-169 3-173 4-241 5-497 6-592, 7-592 8-643 9-668 10-707
Bowling: Prasad 22-2-101-0 (5-nb), Fernando 31.2-1-116-1 (5-nb, 3-w), Mathews 9-1-24-0 (1-w), Randiv 73-16-222-2, Mendis 63-10-172-4 (3-nb), Dilshan 27-6-56-3.
Sri Lanka second innings
T. Paranavitana c Laxman b Singh 34
T. Dilshan c Sharma b Mithun 14
K. Sangakkara not out 42
M. Jayawardene lbw b Sehwag 5
T. Samaraweera not out 10
Extras (b-8, lb-8, nb-8) 24
Total (three wickets, 45 overs) 129
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-73 3-97
Bowling: Mithun 6-1-17-1, Sharma 4-0-31-0 (6-nb), Sehwag 9-1-17-1 (1-nb), Singh 13-0-35-1, Ojha 13-6-13-0 (1-nb).
