Mumbai, December 05: Tillakaratne Dilshan succumbed to another dubious decision but Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara (22) and opener Tharanga Paranavitana (42) managed to keep the Indian bowlers at bay to reach 84 for one at lunch on the penuultimate day of the third and final Test at the Brabourne stadium here today.
Sri Lanka need to bat out two days to save the Test and are still 249 runs shy of making India bat a second time with nine second innings wickets in hand.
At the break, Sangakkara and Paranavitana were at the crease after Harbhajan trapped opener Dilshan leg before for 16 when the umpire ruled in favour of the bowler with the batsman not offering any shot to the off-spinner.
The ball pitched way outside the off-stump and was well on its way to miss the leg-stump but umpire Darryl Harper did not take much time in raising his finger.
However, Paranavitana and Sangakkara batted the rest of the session and added 55 runs for the unbroken second wicket stand.
Resuming the day at 11 for no loss with a mountain to climb, Dilshan got a lucky boundary in the first over itself when he tried to pull Zaheer Khan but managed to get a top edge which went to the fine leg boundary. Harbhajan, however was getting turn and bounce this morning and more than once had Paranavitana in trouble outside the off-stump.
An uncharacteristic Dilshan chose to pad up to deliveries from Harbhajan which were turning too much for him to get a leg before decision and the his same choice of play brought his demise.
But from thereon, Sangakkara and Paranavitana did not try to be too aggressive and neither to defensive as they played cautiously to score 55 runs in the 22 overs that they spent at the crease in the morning session.
—Agencies