Field day for Tommy Simsek, Dhoni flops at the toss
Plays of the Day for the opening day of the second Test at the SSC
Sidharth Monga at the SSC
26-Jul-2010
Ninety-eight ODIs later, Suresh Raina finally enters the Test arena • AFP
Raina's record stops
When Suresh Raina received his Test cap from Rahul Dravid, he stopped extending his lead on a record he won't be particularly proud of. Before the Test, he had played 98 ODIs without playing a Test, fast getting bracketed. He will be pleased at least he didn't reach a hundred there.
When Suresh Raina received his Test cap from Rahul Dravid, he stopped extending his lead on a record he won't be particularly proud of. Before the Test, he had played 98 ODIs without playing a Test, fast getting bracketed. He will be pleased at least he didn't reach a hundred there.
Dhoni's wrong calls
If you are a visiting team in Sri Lanka, the first rule is, whatever you do, don't lose the toss. Their batsmen are so good after that that they will grind you to dust. The best you can then do is, draw the match. But imagine when you come out to bat on the second evening, after five-and-a-half sessions on the field, chances are, enough damage will be done in that final hour itself. And India are in bad tossing form: this is the seventh-straight toss they have lost, and then they watched Sri Lanka pile it on.
If you are a visiting team in Sri Lanka, the first rule is, whatever you do, don't lose the toss. Their batsmen are so good after that that they will grind you to dust. The best you can then do is, draw the match. But imagine when you come out to bat on the second evening, after five-and-a-half sessions on the field, chances are, enough damage will be done in that final hour itself. And India are in bad tossing form: this is the seventh-straight toss they have lost, and then they watched Sri Lanka pile it on.
Music arrives, just in time
Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed, Tharanga Paranavitana punched, Sri Lanka's fifty came up in the 10th over, but something was missing. Not quite sure what, but something was missing. And then it arrived, did the brass band, during the 12th over of the innings. The fun was complete.
Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed, Tharanga Paranavitana punched, Sri Lanka's fifty came up in the 10th over, but something was missing. Not quite sure what, but something was missing. And then it arrived, did the brass band, during the 12th over of the innings. The fun was complete.
Run, Tommy, run
Tommy Simsek is known more for his sprinting onto the field than the creditable physiotherapy he does for the Sri Lankan national team. Just after lunch, though, Kumar Sangakkara turned him into a 12th man. He gestured for something to the dressing room, and Simsek came out running with a helmet. Turned out the captain needed an arm guard. Back ran Simsek. By the time he came charging onto the field, Sangakkara had decided he would let one ball be bowled and then receive the arm guard. Great scenes happened: Simsek kept sprinting even as Mithun ran in to bowl. The umpire noticed in time, and stopped Mithun. Chances are Simsek could have sprinted across the field even before the ball was bowled.
Tommy Simsek is known more for his sprinting onto the field than the creditable physiotherapy he does for the Sri Lankan national team. Just after lunch, though, Kumar Sangakkara turned him into a 12th man. He gestured for something to the dressing room, and Simsek came out running with a helmet. Turned out the captain needed an arm guard. Back ran Simsek. By the time he came charging onto the field, Sangakkara had decided he would let one ball be bowled and then receive the arm guard. Great scenes happened: Simsek kept sprinting even as Mithun ran in to bowl. The umpire noticed in time, and stopped Mithun. Chances are Simsek could have sprinted across the field even before the ball was bowled.
Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo