inexplicable display

Some things are quite inexplicable. Sri Lanka's baffling show in post-lunch session of day 4 of Ahmedabad test is one such instance.

Here is one team trying to win its first ever test in India. A team expected to even gamble a little to secure its first ever win. And what it does? Goes on to display an extremely insipid & slow batting display. A display which makes people even think if they really want to win the test!

It was understandable that Sri Lanka will not declare and possibly allow Mahela to get to triple century. That is sub-continental mentality. 20 runs off just 17 balls post-lunch (including the one that dismissed Mahela) showed that very intent.

But once Mahela was gone, the rest of the overs were played as if it were Sri Lanka, and not India, who were battling for a draw.

The next 54 balls that Sri Lanka played, surprisingly produced just 32 runs. There were a staggering 30 dot balls and as many as 18 singles. Only 6 scoring shots fetched two or more runs and just 2 our of 9 overs post-Mahela resulted in more than 3 runs per over.

Even if SL's plan was to occupy the crease in the hope that pitch will deteriorate, little more urgency would have done no harm. This kind of show, at times, does slightly blunt the psychological edge that a team is enjoying. This kind of relaxed approach may have soothed the Indian nerves too. At least, in the session between lunch and tea if one goes by the batting display of Sehwag-Gambhir combo.