Sehwag, Vijay decimate Lanka bowling with double century stand

The 31-year-old Delhi dasher, who completed 6,000 Test runs in the morning session in his 72nd Test, clobbered the visiting bowlers in his typical fashion to race to his hundred off only 101 balls.

He is the third fastest out of eight Indians to reach the milestone in his 123rd innings.

Vijay, playing his only second Test after making his debut in November, 2008 against Australia at Nagpur, played the perfect foil to his senior and more aggressive partner while also playing some magnificent drives before departing for 87 with 40 minutes left for tea.
Vijay, who was let off when on 67, struck 10 fours and a six off Muttiah Muralitharan in his 121-ball knock, tried to sweep a Rangana Herath delivery, missed it and was caught plumb in front.

After his dismissal on 221 in the 40th over, India raced to 260 for one at the tea break with Sehwag unbeaten on 151, off only 131 balls and inclusive of five sixes and 19 fours.

Rahul Dravid (17 in 20 balls with three fours), also looking good for a big score, was the other unbeaten batsman.

The home team are now 133 runs behind the Lankan first innings total of 393 on a wicket that seemed to have eased out considerably.

Sehwag was in menacing form as a flurry of fours and sixes flew from his bat. He drove and cut powerfully, played against the spin too at times with disdain, and also used the reverse sweep on one occasion to simply demoralise the visiting attack.

The two openers gave a rollicking start to the innings to race away to 92 without loss in 18 overs at lunch and then stepped up the tempo in the second session with Sehwag going into over-drive while Vijay looked elegant.

As many as 168 runs were scored in the second session in only 27 overs as all the Lankan bowlers were subjected to harsh treatment by Sehwag who singled out Rangana Herath, the left arm spinner who took a five-wicket haul in the second Test at Kanpur, for special punishment.

Sehwag, who notched up his third triple-figure knock against the Lankans today, lofted Herath for four of his five sixes. Sehwag's century, which he reached with a paddle sweep off Muralitharan, was studded with 13 fours and two sixes.

In the morning, India quickly polished off the last two Sri Lanka wickets for the addition of just 27 runs in 22 balls and in less than half an hour after the visitors resumed at 366 for eight.

Sri Lanka added 13 runs before losing Angelo Mathews who was run out on 99, his highest Test score, when going for a second run with Muralitharan.

Mathews, who batted beautifully last evening and rallied the visitors from a difficult 188 for four with Tillakaratne Dilshan, was beaten narrowly by a superb throw from the deep square leg by Sachin Tendulkar to India wicketkeeper and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Third umpire Shavir Tarapore, after viewing the replays repeatedly, declared Mathews out to leave Lanka at 379 for nine.

It was heartbreak for the 22-year-old Mathews to have joined the short list of cricketers from his country caught one short of 100, which would have been his maiden one. The others were Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold, a TV commentator in this series.
Mathews' struck 15 fours, including two this morning, while facing 132 balls.

Last man Chanaka Welegedara struck two fours before he was trapped leg before by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who came in to bowl replacing Harbhajan Singh.
Ojha finished with 3 for 101, playing a good supporting role to Harbhajan who claimed 4 for 112.

Sehwag and Vijay, in the playing eleven because of the absence of in-form batsman Gautam Gambhir, negotiated the initial overs from the Sri Lanka medium pacers without raising too many alarms.

Sehwag then went berserk after the break and as many as 80 runs in 14 overs were scored in the first hour after lunch. Vijay played second fiddle while also uncorking some good shots before getting out to a poor shot.

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