Das, Ramesh and Ganguly come good

By S. Dinakar

COLOMBO, AUG. 9. John Wright's visage sported a broad grin. The Indians were 99 without loss at the lunch break and the coach was particularly pleased with the manner openers Shiv Sundar Das and Sadagopan Ramesh had shaped during the opening session of the second day at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium, here, on Thursday.

``They looked quite good, didn't they,'' Wright noted and he was right. Indeed the 135-run stand between Das (72, 121b, 12x4) and Ramesh (63, 104b, 11x4), who overcame initial moments of uncertainty, to find the right answers against an useful Board eleven pace attack, was a definite positive from the day's play from an Indian perspective. Sourav Ganguly's strokeful unbeaten 74 (112b, 8x4, 3x6) was welcome too, with the Indian skipper launching into the off-spin of Thilan Samaraweera in the final session.

On the flip side was the failure of Test hopefuls Mohammed Kaif, Dinesh Mongia, and Hemang Badani to back their cases with adequate runs on the board.

In the end, it was a mixed kind of day really, with India, replying to Board XI's 326, finishing at 281 for five before bad light stopped play ten overs early. Giving Ganguly company at close was wicket-keeper batsman Sameer Dighe, on 25.

A `crack' near the short of good length area from the press box end was also causing concern in the Indian camp, with Dinusha Fernando striking Dighe in the shoulder with a nasty delivery during the post-tea session. It was the same `spot' that delayed the start of play by 45 minutes, the wicket requiring repair work.

Solid platform by openers

However, when play commenced, Das and Ramesh proceeded to provide a solid platform to the Indian innings. The pitch had a bit of moisture early on and left-arm pacemen Ruchira Perera, next only to Dilhara Fernando in terms of pace among the young Lankans, made the ball hum around at a lively speed, switching his line intelligently to the right-left combination, concentrating on or just outside the off-stump.

Both Das and Ramesh were beaten in `the corridor of uncertainty', with the former edging Perera dangerously close to Van Dort at second slip. But once they overcame the first half- hour, the duo produced some lovely strokes.

In other words, they fought hard, put a price on their wicket, and reaped the reward. Importantly, the openers did not allow the `spot' to work on their minds.

The compact Das, particularly impressive when he rose on his toes and presented a dead bat after Perera made the ball climb, gradually got on top of the bowling, square-cutting and flicking the paceman for boundaries.

At the other end, Ramesh clipped Dinusha Fernando delightfully off his toes when the youngster got his line wrong. The southpaw may have been a touch lucky when he slashed support seamer Suresh Perera wide off the slips, but almost immediately unleashed an imperious cover-drive off the same bowler, bringing up the fifty in 75 minutes.

The Tamil Nadu left-hander continued to take a heavy toll of Suresh Perera, off-driving, steering, and whipping the paceman for boundaries.

This was a phase when Ramesh appeared particularly impressive, and as Wright revealed that the southpaw has worked on certain aspects of his batting following the Zimbabwean tour where he missed the second Test at Harare with a back injury. ``I thought his feet were moving better, he had a good idea about his off- stump, and his shot selection was good,'' noted the Indian coach.

When skipper Thilan Samaraweera introduced himself into the attack, Das was ready, making room to cut the off- spinner past the ropes. And the little Orissa batsman pulled the first delivery after lunch, this time left-arm spinner Sajeeva Weerakoon being the bowler. The 100-run-mark was crossed in just 121 minutes, and soon both the batsmen had reached their respective half-centuries as well.

Ramesh square-cut Ruchira Perera to the fence, but soon drove too early at Dinusha Fernando, and Chamara Silva made no mistake, holding the miscued drive at mid-off. The opening partnership of 135 had come in just 34.2 overs.

Not much later, Das, after sweeping Weerakoon to the fence, went down on his knees to strike the left-arm spinner over mid-wicket, missed the line and was soon walking back. Never-the- less, considering that `the start' had been a problem area for India in recent months, Das and Ramesh had begun the tour on the right note.

Mohammed Kaif, coming in at No. 3, appeared tentative, took half an hour to get off the mark, and nicked an away going delivery from Fernando, to 'keeper Kumara Sangakkara. Dinusha, hitting the deck hard, bowled a much better second spell of 6-1- 18-2.

Dinesh Mongia too couldn't make much of an impression, attempting to glance Ruchira Perera, the edge being taken down the leg-side by Sangakkara.

And Hemang Badani also had a forgettable day, miscuing a pull off Suresh Perera, for another Perera, Ruchira, to hold the catch at mid-on. With V.V.S. Laxman out of the tour, and with so much uncertainty about Sachin Tendulkar's fitness, it was important for at least two of the three, among Kaif, Mongia, and Badani, to have a worthwhile stint in the middle. That did not happen.

It was Ganguly who made the most of the opportunity after surviving a torrid spell from Ruchira Perera, who went round the wicket, and targeted the Indian's captain's rib-cage.

The Bengal southpaw, however, opened out against the off-spin of Samaraweera, jumping out to the Board XI captain and smashing him twice long on for huge sixes, besides thumping the bowler through mid-wicket. And when left-arm spinner Weerakoon tossed the ball up, Ganguly lofted him for a straight six - both Weerakoon and Samaraweera disappointed, lacking the bite off the pitch to trouble the Indians.

Dighe, held his end up, cracked a rasping square-cut off Dinusha, and had added 78 runs for the sixth wicket when the umpires called off play.

The scores:

Board XI - first innings: 326

India - 1st innings: Shiv Sundar Das b Sajeeva Weerakoon 72; Sadagopan Ramesh c Chamara Silva b Dinusha Fernando 63; Mohammed Kaif c Sangakkara b Dinusha Fernando 6; Dinesh Mongia c Sangakkara b Ruchira Perera 11; Sourav Ganguly (not out) 74; Hemang Badani c Ruchira Perera b Suresh Perera 12; Sameer Dighe (not out) 25; Extras (b-6, lb-1, nb-11) 18; Total (for five wkts. in 80 overs) 281.

Fall of wickets: 1-135, 2-142, 3-153, 4- 172, 5-203.

Board XI bowling: Ruchira Perera 17-6-35-1, Dinusha Fernando 16-2-68-2; Suresh Perera 12-2-42-1, Thilan Samaraweera 17-4-69-0, Sajeeva Weerakoon 18-3-60-1

Indian opener Shiv Sundar Das essays a forcing shot off Board XI's

Sajeeva Weerakoon, during his half- century knock, on the second

day of the tour match in Colombo on Thursday. - Photo: N. Balaji

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