Sri Lankans are natural stroke makers and live by that practice:

What comes naturally

by A.C. De Silva

Test cricket: If 1,096 runs for 17 wickets is entertaining then the Kanpur Test was a sizling attraction. But every one who knows the game knows this is far from the truth.

Two great anti-climaxes had already come by the second day of the first Test in the India-Sri Lanka series.

The first was the deceptive appearance of the green strip prepared for the Test. The green top was in keeping with India's design of placing faith in its seamers.

Whether that faith is really justified or not, the thing that was apparent was fast tracks are as rare as hen's teeth in India.

Highest ever

The second anti-climax that came in the form of winter rain and washed out an the entire day's play, could not be helped from that point, it was only a matter of which team had more batting muscle. Obviously, India had the greater power of durable batsmanship.

This was stressed in Indian's highest ever Test score till then. It was patently obvious that the Lankans had come to Kanpur to play out a grinding draw in the series.

The test will only be remembered for the mammoth total India made and the three centurions who brought that tally about - Sunil Gavaskar (176), Mohammed Azharuddin (199) who did a Gaveskar, and Kapil Dev (163).

The efforts placed in the pale the majestic batting of Roy Dias (50). and Arjuna Ranatunga (52). To be fair, one would rate their efforts as good as Kapil Dev's for the sheer power of being able to take apart the bowling.

The only difference was that the Lankans are natural stroke makers and they live by that practice and hence tended to throw it away when looking in total command in the middle. Being far more experienced Test players, the Indian batsmen latched onto good thing when they saw one.

There were to be two other major innings for Sri Lanka. They were by Sidath Wettimuny (79) and the converted opener Ravi Ratnayake (93). Since both had to play at the start of the Test, their contributions had to come in a slow and defensive manner. Wettemuny sparked after a shaky start while Ratnayake made up for some early lapses, but picked up and started to play elegantly.

India's star bowler Kapil Dev took time to settle down and once he worked himself to bowl positively, there way a different took about himself and bowl positively. It was his long effort on the third day that brought about the dramatic rise in the strike rate.

A touch of class by Azharuddin

India's Azharuddin had run into from only late in each of the three subsequent series he played. In fact, in the last Tests at Kandy, Sydney and Edgbaston.

But Kandy, Sydney and Edglaston. But it was hot as if he was being kept in the side only on the basis of those late scoring efforts.

These reasons to believe he has class and that commodity has to be pampered just a shade to allow to be blown to high performance. And when a young man bats for 500 minutes at a crucial point in his career, it is certain he has it in him to assume a more steady and central role in the team's batting affairs.

This near 700 total by India was a kind of cricketing answer thrown up by India to compensate for the rough experience in Sri Lanka in 1986 - this eventual progress to an all time high Test score. Of course, the Sri Lankans will entertain doubts about the umpiring The lankan bowlers, particular Ravi Ratnayake, who bowled so intelligently and so industriously in the role of a workhorse seamer, had reason to feel discontented over a couple or appeals refused when two Indian batsman were in their 90's.

India-Sri Lanka clash in centre field  >>

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka 1st Innings
S. Wettimuny lbw b Chetan Sharma 		79
Ravi Ratnayake Lbw b Kapil Dev			93
Aravinda de Silva Arun 				26
A. Gurusinha b Kapil Dev			19
R.L Dias C. Azharuddin b Arun 			50
D. Mendis Lbw b Chetan Sharma			01
A. Rantunga Lbw b Maninder Singh 		52
G. de Alwis b Maninder Singh			13
A. de Mel c Arun b Shastri 			25
Asoka de Silva lbw b Arun			21
G. Labroy not out 				05
Extras : (b-1, lb -10, Nb 19, W-6)  		36
Total : 				       420

Fall of Wickets: 1-59, 2-217, 3-217, 4-286, 5-292
		 6-355, 7-355, 8-389, 9-354
Bowling (India) : Kapil Dev 30-11-81-2
		  B. Arun 27-7-76-3
		  Chatan Sharma 31-4-122-2
		  Maminder Singh 32-1-89-2
		  R.J. Shastin 17-6-37-1
		  K. SrikKanth 1-0-4-0

India 1st Innings
S.M. Gavaskar c Wettimuny b Labrooy	       176
K Srikkanth c De Alwis b Ratnayake		18
Raman Lamba run out 				24
D.B. Vengsarkar c Gurusinghe b de Mel		57
M.D. Azharuddin lbw b Ratnayake		       199
R J. Shastri Lbw b Ratnayake			06 
Kapil Dev lbw b Ratnayake		       163 
B.  Arun not out				02
Extras :(b-1, lb, nb-18, w-1) 			31
Total  (for seven wkts) 		       676

Fall of Wickets: 1-50,2-100, 3-217, 4-380, 5-399, 6-671, 7-676.
Bowling: (Sri Lanka): A de Mel 31-4-119-1
		      G. Labrooy 35-4-164-1
		      Ravi Ratnayake 37.1-2-132-4
		      Asoka de Silva 40-7-133-0
		      A. Ranatunga 15-4-58-0
		      A Gurusinha 7-0-42-0
		      S. Wettimuny 2-0-16-0

Man of the match: Sunil Gavaskar (India)