3rd Test: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe at Galle, 12-16 Jan 2002 CricInfo Live Report

3rd Test: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe at Galle, 12-16 Jan 2002
Charlie Austin

Zimbabwe 2nd innings: Day four: Evening, Day four: Match close,
Zimbabwe 1st innings: Day four: Morning,
Sri Lanka 2nd innings: Day four: Lunch, Day four: Afternoon, Day four: Tea,
Live Reports from previous days

SRI LANKA COMPLETE WHITEWASH AFTER ELECTRIC FINAL SESSION

Sri Lanka completed a series whitewash and their eighth consecutive Test win late on Tuesday evening after Zimbabwe’s second incendiary collapse of the day at Galle International Stadium.

The visitors, who had resisted so bravely in the previous three days, crumpled during an electric evening session, as they were bowled out for just 79 in 43.3 overs, to lose the game by 315 runs.

It meant, after they had lost five wickets for six runs in the morning, that 15 Zimbabwean wickets had fallen for 85 runs in the day.

Muralitharan was once again in the records, taking a further four wickets, which left him with 30 wickets in the Test series, the most by a Sri Lankan in a three-match series.

Sanath Jayasuriya played his part, grabbing four wickets with his arrow-like left-armers to finish with nine for 74 in match, his best figures in Test cricket.

Gavin Rennie (6) was unlucky as he swept Muralitharan and was adjudged to have been caught at short leg off his glove by umpire David Sheperd (38 for three).

Next, Andy Flower (3) completed a miserable series in which he has failed to pass fifty once, when tried to reverse sweep Jayasuriya and Mahela Jaywardene ran round from slip to take an easy catch (45 for four).

Two overs later and without further score, Grant Flower was trapped lbw for the second time in the day by Jayasuriya, as he padded away a straight delivery (45 for five).

Muralitharan picked up his third wicket of the innings when Heath Streak (7) glanced a catch to Jayasuriya standing at leg slip (54 for six).

Five balls later, opener Stuart Carlisle, who had fought a lone battle for 107 minutes, was adjudged lbw as he tried to sweep Jayasuriya. The left-arm spinner was bowling over the wicket, but the ball pitched on leg-stump and hit his back leg in front of off-stump (56 for seven).

Douglas Marillier (15) decided the best policy in such a hopeless situation was to attack and he swung Muralitharan gamely for six and sweep Jayasuriya profitably.

But, with just one over remaining before the scheduled close, Marillier tried one sweep too many and cued a catch straight back to Muralitharan off the toe of his bat (72 for eight).

Sri Lanka then asked and were given another half hour to complete the match. But, despite seven men crowed around the bat, Zimbabwe resisted the spinners for a further 20 minutes.

Jayasuriya decided to take himself off and bring back Chaminda Vaas. It proved an inspired move as Vaas trapped Travis Friend lbw with his first ball (79 for nine).

With just three balls remaining to the close, Henry Olonga (0) drove uppishly to be brilliantly caught by Charitha Fernando diving forward at mid off (79 all out).

JAYASURIYA-MURALITHARAN DOUBLE ACT CONTINUES IN GALLE

Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan continued their dangerous double act after tea as the pair grabbed a wicket apiece to leave Zimbabwe in deep trouble midway through the evening session.

Jayasuriya quickly dispensed with his fast bowlers, introducing himself in the fifth over on the innings. In his second over he hurried a delivery through Trevor Gripper’s defenses to win an lbw shout.

Number three batsman Craig Wishart then looked fortunate to survive an lbw shout when he padded up to Jayasuriya.

In the event, he didn’t last much longer. In Muralitharan’s second over he tried to work the ball to leg, edged onto his pad and was caught by Thilan Samaraweera at a short gully.

Zimbabwe were 30 for two, still 364 runs behind, with Stuart Carlisle left 19 not out.

SRI LANKA DECLARE AFTER ATAPATTU HUNDRED

Sri Lanka declared on 212 for two soon after Marvan Atapattu had scored his ninth Test century at Galle International Stadium on the fourth afternoon.

Zimbabwe, who have had a day to forget after fighting so hard during the first three, now need to score 395 runs to win the Test or, more realistically, need to survive a minimum of 125 overs to save the game and prevent a series whitewash.

They will face a minimum of 35 overs during the final session of the day.

Atapattu reached his hundred off just 126 balls having hit eleven boundaries. It was a classic innings, full of stylish drives.

As soon as he had reached his hundred Sanath Jayasuriya declared and the players went off for an early tea.

Kumar Sangakkara was the one casualty of the afternoon as he was caught at mid-wicket whilst trying to smash Travis Friend through the on-side. The left-hander had scored 56 off 50 balls (170 for two).

Mahela Jaywardene couldn’t resist some fun either as he reverse-pulled Grant Flower for a one bounce four on his way to 17 from 20 balls.

Sri Lanka had scored 171 runs in just 24 overs during the session.

SRI LANKA AFTERNOON RUN SPREE CONTINUES IN GALLE

Sri Lanka lost Sanath Jayasuriya soon after the tea luncheon interval but that did not slow the run rate as opener Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara continued to play aggressively.

Midway through the afternoon Sri Lanka were 142 for one, rattling along at five runs an over, which now gives them the opportunity of declaring before the tea interval having already built a 324 run lead.

Jayasuriya started flamboyantly after lunch with a leg-side clump off Henry Olonga. But Olonga then claimed his revenge, and his first wicket of the series, when Jayasuriya edged to first slip (75 for one).

Jayasuriya had scored 36 from 52 balls and hit six boundaries.

Sangakkara, his legs still sore after one and a half days squatting behind the stumps, wasted no time before launching into the Zimbabwe bowlers, lofting Gavin Rennie for a straight six.

Meanwhile, the normally limpet-like Atapattu, was cruising along easily having reached his eleventh Test fifty off 74 balls.

Atapattu was 58 not out and Sangakara 46 not out halfway through the session.

SRI LANKA'S OPENERS START POSITIVELY IN SECOND INNINGS

Sri Lanka’s openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu started aggressively in their second innings, signaling their intent to build a winning lead as soon as possible.

The pair rushed to their second fifty stand of the match in just 12 overs and Sri Lanka were 59 without loss at the luncheon interval, which already gives them a healthy lead of 241.

Both players looked to attack, especially when the slower bowlers were introduced in the seventh over of the innings. Jayasuriya scored 29 from 44 balls and Atapattu 29 from 54 deliveries.

The openers urgency suggests a declaration close to the tea interval is being sought, with a lead of approximately 330-50.

MURALITHARAN REACHES 400 IN RECORD TIME

Sri Lanka’s spin magician Muttiah Muralitharan became the youngest and quickest bowler to take Test 400 wickets on the fourth morning as Zimbabwe capitulated during a sensational 43-minute session of play.

The off-spinner reached the cherished landmark in his 72nd Test, which was eight games faster than New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee, the previous quickest.

Muralitharan was also the youngest, being two years the junior to Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, 31, who took his 400th wicket against England at the Oval last August.

He had started the day with 397 victims and took a wicket with his very first delivery, as Grant Flower was pinned to his stumps by a sharply turning off-spinner and adjudged lbw for 19.

His captain Sanath Jayasuriya then grabbed two quick wickets with his flat left-arm spin to record his best ever Test figures (five for 43).

Heath Streak (33) was too late on a clever faster ball that curved back through the right-hander’s bat and pad to clip the top of leg stump.

Next, in Jayasuriya’s following over, a nervous-looking Dion Ebrahim was caught at short-leg by Russel Arnold for a 24-ball duck as he tried to work the ball to leg for his first run.

Time looked to be running out for Muralitharan.

However, in his 59th over, he finished off the innings and claimed the record when he bowled both Travis Friend and number eleven Henry Olonga with successive deliveries.

Fireworks suddenly erupted around the ground and Muralitharan was engulfed by his teammates. Clearly ecstatic, he raised the 135-over match ball in triumph and walked off the field to a standing ovation.

He finished with five for 67, the 33nd time he has taken five wickets in an innings and now has 26 in the series with another innings to bowl.

Zimbabwe’s collapse had been dramatic. They had had high hopes last night of nearing, or even passing, Sri Lanka’s total, but they lost their last five wickets for just six runs.

Sri Lanka thus start their second innings with 182 run lead.