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Samaraweera and Mendis lead rearguard action

COLOMBO - Thilan Samaraweera and Ajantha Mendis staged a great rearguard action with an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 100 to keep Sri Lanka’s second innings afloat on the fourth day of the third test against India on Friday.

Sri Lanka went to tea at 225-8 and enjoyed an overall lead of 214 runs with four sessions of play left in the test.

Samaraweera and Mendis batted throughout the afternoon session to frustrate the Indian bowling and remained not out on 78 and 45 respectively.

It was a career best score in tests for Mendis, who had stuck it out for 114 balls hitting one six and four fours.

India had dominated the morning, ripping through Sri Lanka’s batting order as Sri Lanka, who resumed on 45 for two, lost six wickets for 62 runs and limped to the lunch interval on 143-8.

The day began badly for the hosts with the dismissal of nightwatchman Suraj Randiv for six when he was trapped leg before wicket by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in the fifth over.

Ojha made further inroads when he had Mahela Jayawardene (5) caught and captured the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara (28) when the Sri Lanka captain pulled a short ball straight to Suresh Raina at square leg.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra sent back Angelo Mathews (5) and Prasanna Jayawardene (0) off successive deliveries.

Lasith Malinga stalled India’s progress by helping Thilan Samaraweera add 38 for the eighth wicket before Virender Sehwag snared him leg before wicket for 15.

All eight Sri Lankan wickets have been captured by the Indian spinners with part-timer Sehwag and Ojha sharing six and Mishra taking the other two.

Sri Lanka lead the series 1-0.