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Sri Lanka will start the second of three tests against
India in New Delhi today with renewed confidence after
faring well in the rain-hit opening match against their
hosts, who had begun the series as strong favourites.
India came into the series on a high after last month's
6-1 one-day series thrashing of Sri Lanka, whose experienced
batsman Sanath Jayasuriya was axed due to poor form
and a shoulder injury.
Sri Lanka have yet to win a test in India in five previous
trips, but after rain washed out 3-1/2 days of play
in the first test in Chennai it was the visitors who
gained a morale boost from the draw.
Left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas captured four Indian
wickets on a dry, slow pitch to skittle the hosts for
167 all out, their lowest total against the visitors.
With champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan also
looking sharp, Sri Lanka appeared to have regrouped.
Middle-order batsman Mahela Jayawardene then stroked
a fluent 71 off just 80 balls on the final day to edge
the visitors one run ahead of India's first-innings
total with six wickets in hand, before play was called
off as a draw.
Wintry conditions should help seam bowling in Delhi,
which will also lift Sri Lanka.
Although coach Greg Chappell did not read too much into
India's poor batting in the first match, his side are
likely to be wary of Vaas and Muralitharan in the coming
tests.
The 31-year-old Vaas for once emerged from the shadows
of Muralitharan with a staggering four for 20 in Chennai.
He bowled 14 maidens in his 21-over spell and dismissed
both captain Rahul Dravid and explosive opener Virender
Sehwag.
The Sri Lankan vice-captain is two wickets away from
becoming only the second bowler from his country to
take 300 test wickets. Muralitharan is the second most
successful test bowler with 570 scalps.
Indian fans will hope Sachin Tendulkar gets a hundred
to surpass compatriot Sunil Gavaskar's world record
of 34 test centuries.
But the 32-year-old batsman, sidelined for six months
until October following elbow surgery, has looked subdued
in his last few innings and managed only a 126-ball
22 in Chennai.
India's national selectors will assess performances
closely, with the tough test tour of Pakistan starting
early next month. Two seasoned middle-order batsmen,
Saurav Ganguly and Vangipurappu Laxman, will be in focus
after scoring only five runs apiece in the first test.
Ganguly, sacked as captain in October following a prolonged
batting slump and a row with Chappell, was retained
in the test squad after much speculation about his international
future.
Another failure could push the 33-year-old left-handed
batsman and India's most successful test captain towards
exit.
The focus is also on the incomplete new galleries at
the Ferozeshah Kotla ground, although the pitch remains
an unknown quantity with no international game played
since it was relaid a few months ago.
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