Is The Second Test Heading For A Draw?

Well there was a lot of hues and cry in the first test match between India and Sri Lanka played at Ahmedabad that eventually ended in a draw. After team India posted a mammoth 426 runs on the board with some awesome batting display from the blades of Rahul Dravid and the captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, all was thought to be in for team India only to be deceived later when an even better show by the touring nation Sri Lanka aided with Mahela Jayawardane's individual contribution of 275 in addition to 154 from another Jayawardane and a decent 110 from the opener Tilekeratne Dilshan not only surpassed India's total of 426 but also recorded Sri Lanka's highest team total against India in India.

And eventually, there was just three innings which ought to have been four in a decent test match. And what more can be done when the pitches are designed in such a manner that can only entertain the crowd when their favourite batsman hits boundries and sixes? India were able to record more than 400 runs in both the innings. There was hardly any thrill in such a match where the result is right in front of our eyes and betting on one particular team would mean disastrous. Such should never be the fate of any crickt match atleast as fas as a test match is considered.

And if the first day of the second test is considered, things are no different. Team India lost just 2 wickets and put up a mammoth total of yet another 400+ with the day's play ending at 417/2 with two Indian batsmen-Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag completing centuries and Dravid batting on 85 along with Sachin Tendulkar. And there is Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh yet to come. One can imagine the fate of the second test as well with such a kind of batting display.

Either there should be more bowlers in the side or else, the pitch has to be prepared in favor of the bowlers so that there can not only be a result at the end of the fifth day or even before that, but also that the batsmen earn their runs rather than the same being gifted for no effort. A ray of hope lies in the fact that Sri Lanka's Tilekeratne Dilshan was out for a duck may raise the hopes of the match yielding a result. This if and only if the Indian bowlers work hard and on the other hand the Sri Lankan batsmen make a fool out of themselves. Lets wait and watch!!!