Sehwag Smashes Sri Lanka In Mumbai

Third Test, Mumbai, day two (close): Sri Lanka 393 v India 443-1


December 03, 2009 - Sri Lanka 393 (Dilshan 109, Mathews 99) v India 443-1 (Sehwag 284no, Vijay 87)

Virender Sehwag blazed his way to a breathtaking unbeaten double-century to put India ahead of Sri Lanka on day two of the third and final Test at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

Sehwag finished the day on 284 not out which helped India reach 443 for one in reply to Sri Lanka's 393 and put them 50 runs ahead with Murali Vijay (87) and Rahul Dravid (62 not out) both sharing double-century stands with Sehwag.

The opener has faced just 239 deliveries and hit 40 fours and seven sixes during a blistering assault on the Sri Lankan bowlers.

He showed the full range of shots, mixing belligerent, booming drives and flicks with deft reverse sweeps and late cuts, piercing the field at will, almost toying with the bowling.

His fourth double-century in Test matches soon became his fourth score of 250 more, overtaking Javed Miandad and Brian Lara (three apiece) and he is now one behind Don Bradman, his effort is the highest in a Test at the ground and the double-century, coming up in 168 balls, was the second quickest of all time.

All that came after he passed 6000 Test runs and 10500 first-class runs earlier in his innings. However, the milestones weren't all Sehwag's, as left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha returned Test-best figures of three for 101 as India made short work of the Sri Lankan innings.

They were bowled out for 393 when Angelo Mathews was run out for 99 by Sachin Tendulkar, falling agonisingly short of a maiden Test century and Ojha struck soon after to dismiss Chanaka Welagedara (8), trapped in front to leave Muttiah Muralitharan unbeaten on four.

Then the onslaught began with Sehwag first adding 221 with Vijay, who wasn't exactly crawling along by scoring his runs in 121 balls, and then an unbroken stand of 222 with Dravid, who also faced 121 balls in compiling 62.

Vijay was trapped in front by Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka's only wicket of the day and with Sehwag in imperious form, it is difficult to see how they will be able to engineer themselves into a position to claim the first Test win on India soil that they need to avoid a series defeat.

After the opening match in Ahmedabad was drawn, India won in Kanpur by an innings and 144 runs to take a 1-0 lead.

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