Srilanka Vs England , Test , 2012

Unconquered Mahela Jayawardene carries SL to 289 for 8.

 Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 168 as the hosts recovered from a disastrous 15-3 by the fourth over to move to 289-8 by stumps at a Galle International Stadium packed with some 8,000 English supporters.

Mahela Jayawardene single-handedly carried Sri Lanka to a respectable 289 for 8 in the opening day’s play of the First Test at Galle. Barring Mahela’s knock, the rest of the Lankan batsmen failed to get going. Infact the second highest score for the day was just 27 from Chandimal! The 34-year-old Mahela Jayawardene, was lucky to get dropped twice by Monty Panesar in the final session. The Sri Lankan Skipper remained unbeaten on a superb 168 (from 290 balls with 20 fours and 3 sixes) by the close of play on Day 1.

Resuming the final session at 168 for 5, Sri Lanka lost Prasanna Jayawardene (23) when he was struck on the pad by a reversing inswinger from James Anderson in just the fifth ball after Tea. Next man, Suraj Randiv was run out for 12 by a direct throw from Andrew Strauss at point to the bowling end when the former was sent back by Mahela Jayawardene in an attempted single. Sri Lanka slipped to 191 for 7 in 66 overs at this stage.

 Mahela Jayawardene got great support from Rangana Herath who hung in there for 30 balls and helping his Skipper top add up 62 valuable runs for the 8^th wicket. Herath got out to Samit Patel in an attempted predetermined paddle sweep, which he missed for an lbw dismissal. By the end of play, Mahela got decent support from no.1 Chanaka Welegedera who is on 10*. Mahela Jayawardene punished the English bowlers on what seems to be a flat pitch.

 Jayawardene deserved better. With his patience, his shot selection, his concentration and his technique, he provided the perfect example for his team-mates to follow. Three times he came down the wicket to thump sixes over long-on - once off James Anderson and twice off Graeme Swann - though generally he contented himself with waiting for the poor ball and putting it away with clinical precision.

England did allow him four moments of fortune, however. When he had 64, Anderson was unable to cling on to a desperately tough chance at first slip off the bowling of Swann (Sri Lanka would have been 138 for 6 had it been taken) before, on 90, Anderson missed a much more straightforward chance off his own bowling. 

 Then came two moments of vintage Panesar. Jayawardene, on 147, pulled directly to him at backward square and Panesar parried the ball for four. Worse was to follow. Panesar dropped a much simpler chance at mid-on off Stuart Broad when the batsman had 152. It provided a reminder of why Panesar, for all his skill as a bowler, has spent so much of his career on the outskirts of the international team. 

At first it appeared Sri Lanka might be blown away as they lost three wickets in the first four overs. Lahiru Thirimanne became Anderson's 250th Test wicket in the bowler's 67th Test - he is just the sixth England bowler to reach the milestone - as he prodded at one angled across him, before Kumar Sangakkara suffered the third first-ball dismissal of his Test career after he was drawn into a loose drive. Broad then took the edge of Tillakaratne Dilshan's bat with a beauty that bounced and left him off the seam. 

 Thilan Samaraweera was run out backing up after the bowler, Anderson, managed to lay a hand on a fierce return drive from Mahela Jayawardene only to see the ball deflect on to the stumps at the bowler's end. It was, some might say, an unfortunate end to a promising innings, though Samaraweera was backing up unnecessarily far. 

Dinesh Chandimal, meanwhile, presented Samit Patel - preferred to Ravi Bopara (whose side strain would have prohibited him from bowling) or Tim Bresnan - with a maiden Test wicket as he miscued an ugly slog-sweep to cover and miscued to cover. It was the shot of a young man who had almost forgotten the art of batting for long periods of time; not surprising, perhaps, when you consider that he has not batted in first-class cricket since the first week of January.