da bet nacional： West Indian morale was given a much-needed boost at a sun splashed SinhaleseSports Club on Thursday, as Brian Lara made full use of a flat pitch toscore his second century of the series
Charlie Austin29-Nov-2001West Indian morale was given a much-needed boost at a sun splashed SinhaleseSports Club on Thursday, as Brian Lara made full use of a flat pitch toscore his second century of the series.West Indies, two-nil down in the two match series and facing the humiliationof a series whitewash, dominated proceedings, finishing the first day of thefinal Test on 327 for three thanks to Lara’s brilliant unbeaten 178, his17th Test century.The 32-year-old left-hander rescued the innings after the early loss of bothopeners in a steamy first hour in a record 194-run partnership with Guyananright-hander Ramnaresh Sarwan (69).He then added 116 for the fourth wicket in the evening at nearly arun-a-ball with captain Carl Hooper (52*) as the Sri Lankan fielding becameincreasingly ragged.Lara’s innings followed scores of 178, 40, 74 and 45 in the first two Testsand brings his series tally to 514. Not bad for a player still sufferingfrom a long-standing hamstring injury, who had long since been accused oflosing his appetite for international cricket.Like the first two Tests, he was controlled and disciplined throughout,eschewing the frivolous flamboyance of old in favour of a selectivelyaggressive approach that had produced 20 fours and one six straight six bystumps.Crucially, he kept Muttiah Muralitharan at bay and took most of the strikeagainst the master off-spinner, who whirred away all day without success.Reading Muralitharan’s wrist and picking the straighter-ball he hardlyplayed a sweep all day and was able to drive confidently straight down theground.After tea, he became the 6th West Indian batsmen to score 7000 Test runs, amilestone he was mindful of and acknowledged with a wave to the dressingroom. With his enthusiasm for the game apparently revitalised and histechnique in good order, he has Vivian Richards’s all-time Caribbean recordof 8540 runs in his sights.It wasn’t all plain sailing for the Trinidadian though. He was dropped byKumar Sangakkara when on 85, as he flashed at an off-break from part-timebowler Russel Arnold, and then had a mighty tussle with Chaminda Vaas, whoonce again swung the old ball wickedly. On 99 he looked lucky to havesurvived an lbw appeal from Vaas.His greatest misjudgment was when he ran out Sarwan, who had battled so hardfor his 69 and was looking for his maiden Test century. Lara, anxious topinch the strike against Muralitharan in the next over, pushed into theoff-side and called for a quick run, but Sarwan was caught short after alazer-like throw from Mahela Jayawardene patrolling in the covers.The fall of Sarwan was followed by an increase in the tempo. As if trying toexercise his guilt, he pummeled Muralitharan’s next two deliveries over topand raced towards his 150.Hooper too played positively, more so than he had been in previous inningson tour, when he felt himself to be playing too watchfully. He cruised to aserene fifty off just 62 balls and was 52 not out at the close.Both Hooper and Lara stressed afterwards that the job was far from complete.At the end of the first day in Galle the West Indies had been in thesimilarly good position of 316 for three and then 423 for four beforecollapsing to 448 and losing the Test match.Earlier in the day, West Indies had won the toss and elected to bat first ona plum pitch, but were reduced to 17 for two as Vaas swung the new ballextravagantly in the opening overs.Left-handed Chris Gayle tried to withdraw his bat from a perfectly pitchedoutswinger at the last moment, but failed to do so and was well caught bySangakkara diving one-handed to his left.Daren Ganga and Sarwan battled on for the next six overs, but eventuallyVaas successfully honed an inswinger onto Ganga’s pads and the 22-year-oldright-hander was trapped lbw.West Indies made one change to the side that lost in Kandy, including fastbowler Marlon Black in place of Colin Stuart, whilst Sri Lanka named anunchanged side.