India scent victory

Colombo - Curtain comes down on Sangakkara's career as Lanka face uphill task

Kumar Sangakkara was dismissed for 18 in his last international innings to leave Sri Lanka in trouble in the second Test against India in Colombo on Sunday.
The hosts, set a tough victory target of 413, slumped to 33-2 after Sangakkara's dismissal before closing the fourth day's play at 72-2 at the P. Sara Oval.
Opener Dimuth Karunaratne was on 25 and skipper Angelo Mathews was on 23. Sri Lanka begin the final day's play on Monday needing 341 more to win with eight wickets in hand.
India, looking to level the three-match series after losing the first Test in Galle, declared their second innings at 325-8 in the post-tea session after Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with 126.
It left the hosts facing a little less that four sessions to achieve the huge target or bat out for a draw on a slow, wearing pitch that should favour India's spinners.
The highest successful fourth-innings run chase at the venue is 352-9 by the hosts against South Africa in 2006.
Sangakkara, the fifth highest run-getter in Test history, did not have to wait long to bat after Sri Lanka lost opener Kaushal Silva in the third over, tapping a full toss from Ravichandran Ashwin to the short mid-wicket fielder.
A full house of some 7,000 home fans applauded warmly as Sangakkara was welcomed to the crease by two guards of honour - one formed by young children with raised bats near the boundary and another by Indian fielders.
Sangakkara hit three boundaries but fell to Ashwin for the fourth time in as many innings in the series when he edged a catch to Murali Vijay off the 18th ball he faced.
Sangakkara finished with 12,400 runs from 134 Tests at an average of 57.40. He scored 38 centuries including a best of 319 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last year.
The Sri Lankan great follows Sachin Tendulkar of India, Ricky Ponting of Australia, Jacques Kallis of South Africa and Rahul Dravid of India in the all-time list of leading Test scorers.
Rahane anchored the Indian innings before being dismissed shortly before tea for 126, his fourth Test century that was studded with 10 boundaries.
The Mumbai batsman and Vijay (82) added 140 for the second wicket to boost the total after Lokesh Rahul had fallen off the fifth ball of the innings on Saturday evening.
Vijay hit four boundaries and two sixes, but missed his seventh Test century when he attempted to sweep off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal and was adjudged leg-before soon after the morning drinks break.
Kaushal then trapped captain Virat Kohli leg-before for 10, but Rohit Sharma (34) helped Rahane add 85 for the fourth wicket.
Kaushal removed Sharma and Rahane in successive overs as India slipped from 256-3 to 262-5.
Sharma pulled a short ball to Jehan Mubarak on the mid-wicket fence and Rahane's 243-ball vigil ended when he edged a catch to wicket-keeper Dinesh Chandimal.
Wriddhiman Saha retired hurt with a hamstring niggle after making five, but returned to bat at the fall of the seventh wicket and remained unbeaten on 13. He did not take the field, leaving Rahul to keep wicket. - AFP