Cricket: Sri Lanka put back on track by Ranatunga

India 366

Sri Lanka 200-4

AFTER an early batting slump, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka's captain and most capped Test player, kept them on the trail of India's first innings 366 on the second day of the second Test in Colombo yesterday.

India on 300 for 4 overnight lost their last six wickets in 23 overs. Chandika Hathurusinghe made the initial breakthrough for Sri Lanka. In the fifth over of the morning he got rid of Vinod Kambli who looked set to continue from where he left off on the first day. Kambli added only six to his overnight score of 119 before trying to glide the ball through to third man. He succeeded only in putting up a catch to Roshan Mahanama at slip.

Sri Lanka lost their first four wickets for 96. However, by the close of play, they had recovered to 200 for 4. Ranatunga hit an undefeated 82 and Hashan Tillakaratne 23, the pair adding 104 runs for the fifth wicket.

The bowling of Sri Lanka's Jayananda Warnaweera, who took 3 for 76 in the first innings here, has been criticised by several Test nations and has now attracted India's attention. Their management engaged a press photographer to film Warnaweera's delivery in the first Test to try to determine whether the action for his off-cutters is legal. They expect to take delivery of the prints soon.