Mysterious Muralitharan puts India in a spin

Pre-match gossip had centered on India's growing confidence against Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan after their triumph in Kandy, but such idle talk looked foolish in the extreme after the beguiling off-spinner wreaked havoc on the first day of the decisive final Test in Colombo.

When the Sri Lankan players tucked into their rice and curry at the luncheon interval they looked to be facing the prospect of a mammoth first innings score by India. Sourav Ganguly had batted first having won the toss and the Indian openers had stridden confidently to 91 without loss.

Four hours later though Muralitharan had turned the match on its head after a mesmerising spell of offensive spin bowling, in which he grabbed eight wickets for 87, his second best bowling figures after the nine for 65 he took at the Oval in 1998 and the 26th time that he had taken five wickets in an innings.

India collapsed from 97 without loss to 234 all out on a pitch that was as dry as the up country reservoirs and distinctly lacking in any of the "pace and bounce" promised by the curator. Nevertheless, the pitch was essentially a good batting track and not the minefield that Muralitharan's figures suggest.

Sri Lankan coach, relieved and elated in equal measure, was fulsome in his praise of Muralitharan: "The pitch didn't hold any demons, which makes his performance today even more incredible. The way he kept his control and concentration for nearly five hours was amazing. He beat the batsmen in the air and off the pitch ­ he is an out and out champion."

Sri Lanka then played out the remaining six overs without losing a wicket and seem to have established a stranglehold on this game. With the series standing at 1-1 they now have an excellent opportunity to end a barren spell of 16 months without a Test series victory.

Sri Lanka, though, would be wise to be wary. They have squandered advantageous positions with alarming frequency in recent times and there remains plenty of work to be done tomorrow, especially with India having correctly read the nature of this pitch and included Bombay leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule in place of fast bowler Harvinder Singh.

Muralitharan, displaying astonishing enthusiasm and stamina, bowled unchanged from the time he was tossed the ball in the 14th over of the innings. At that time Shiv Sunder Das and Sadogoppan Ramesh were galloping along at nearly four runs an over.

Das had been particularly aggressive. He has been troubled by Chaminda Vaas' inswinger throughout the series but, on this occasion, the Sri Lankan seamers failed to move the ball through the air and Das flourished. He was strong off the back foot and carved ten boundaries in his 59, which was his sixth Test half-century.

Muralitharan did not meet with immediate success. In fact, he bowled 10 overs before he had taken a wicket and Das greeted his arrival by dancing down the wicket and driving him to the fence before playing a thumping sweep in front of square.

Fifteen minutes after the luncheon interval, however, Das tried one audacious stroke too many and he was bowled as he attempted a spine wrenching swipe to the leg side boundary.

Rahul Dravid and Ramesh added just 18 more runs before Ramesh, who had struggled against Muralitharan, was sharply caught by Mahela Jayawardene at first slip after a three-hour 46, the fourth time he has been dismissed in the forties in his five innings in the series so far.

Ganguly was then controversially dismissed as he tried to use his feet. Beaten in the flight he padded the ball away at the last moment. Muralitharan reeled around hysterically and, to widespread surprise, South African umpire David Orchard raised his finger. India had lost three wickets in 26 balls.

Ganguly was shocked, but this is because batsmen have become used to padding Muralitharan away with impunity, much to chagrin of the Sri Lankan team who feel their master bowler has been getting a raw deal. This time, though, Sri Lanka have an umpire who frowns on pad play and that could have an important impact on this game.

Chaminda Vaas struck one final blow before tea, as Mohammad Kaif, who had earlier confirmed his reputed class with two sumptuous cover drives, jabbed down on a delivery from Vaas and was caught behind for 14. It was Vaas's 150th Test wicket in his 51st game, but India still went into tea relatively well placed on 155 for four.

Hemang Badani responded after the interval with a flurry of square drives and India quickly added 37 runs before key batsmen Dravid was caught at leg slip. Dravid had been tied down by Muralitharan, who had shifted his line of attack onto the right-hander's leg stump after Kandy, and batted for 129 minutes for his 36.

The dismissal sparked a collapse. India lost five wickets for just 21 runs: Sameer Dighe was trapped leg before for a second ball duck as he tried to pad the ball away; Badani was smartly taken in the gully for 38, his highest Test score; Harbhajan Singh was trapped leg before by Vaas for two; and Zaheer Khan was caught at slip off Muralitharan's second ball.

Venkatesh Prasad and Bahutule hinted at a frustrating last wicket stand, but Bahutule was eventually stumped after the pair had added 21 runs to round off an astonishing day's cricket that had been dominated by a remarkable bowler.