IND v SL classics: When Sourav Ganguly steered India home in Kandy

NEW DELHI: Ahead of India’s three-Test series with Sri Lanka starting July 26 in Galle, we are recapping some match-winning performances by Indian cricketers in the Emerald Isle. Today, a look back at India’s victory in the second Test of the 2001 tour.
The setting
Kandy’s Asgiriya Stadium, where India had drawn Test matches in 1985 and 1993. In the series opener in Galle, where Sri Lanka had won by 10 wickets inside four days after bowling India out for 187 and 180.Victory was necessary to stay alive. The surface was greener than it had been in Galle, which set tongues wagging.
The toss
Ganguly won the toss and put Sri Lanka in to bat.
Day one
A run out got rid of Sanath Jayasuriya for 3, and then Ganguly struck with the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara for 13. Moments later, Zaheer Khan bowled Marvan Atapattu. Mahela Jayawardene resisted valiantly with a fine century and found assistance from Hashan Tillakaratne, Suresh Perera and Chaminda Vaas, but at stumps Sri Lanka were 274/9.
Day two
Jayawardene fell early, after which Vaas hit the ball and put on 29 for the last wicket. India’s response to Sri Lanka’s 274 was shaky with Vaas removing Sadagoppan Ramesh and Rahul Dravid in his first spell. India struggled for momentum and if not for Harbhajan Singh’s 32-ball 44, would have fared worse than the eventual 232 they managed. By stumps, Sri Lanka were 52/1 with a lead of 94.
Day three
A resounding day for Ganguly’s team, led by Zaheer’s 4/76 and Venkatesh Prasad’s 5/72. Sri Lanka lost Sangakkara with a single run added to their overnight total and India kept hitting them. Having lost four wickets in 33 balls to slump to 157/9, Sri Lanka were indebted to Muttiah Muralitharan who delayed a collapse with an enterprising 67 off 65 balls. A second-innings total of 221 set India a target of 264, and at the close they were 55/1. Murali was getting turn, and with the crowd backing Sri Lanka it was anyone’s game.
Day four
A vital partnership between Rahul Dravid (75) and Ganguly was worth 91, and how the experience pair played out Murali’s threat pushed Sri Lanka back. Ganguly, who had not scored a fifty in 13 innings, was given three lives but marched on to a match-winning unbeaten 98.