Date-stamped : 27 Jan94 - 18:31 Sri Lanka v India, Test 2, Bangalore, 26-31 Jan 94 ====> Day 1, 26 Jan 94 India's batsmen laid seige to a listless Sri Lankan attack and had charged to 339-3 by the close of play on the opening day. Skipper Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and although opener Manoj Prabhakar went cheaply Navjot Sidhu and Vinod Kambli took control. They put on 148 before Kambli fell to Muthiah Mural- itharan as he tried for a third six and was caught at long off by Pramodya Wickremasinghe. Sidhu was then agonisingly lbw on 99 but Sachin Tendulkar took up the challenge and was unbeaten on 90. Contributed by goo-chie (jdw5@*.ukc.ac.uk) ====> Day 1, MORE The SL attack seems to be just Muthiah Mauralitharan at one end and a gamut of bolwers on the other end. Case in point, at the end of 80 overs, of which MM could have bowled 40, he had bowled 32. He bowled non-stop from one end from Lunch to almost close of play except for a brief break. THat was when Ranatunga took the new ball and realised the misadventure :o) But one should appre- ciated MM. Though he was hit, he never gave up flighting the ball and never stopped attacking. Pity he does not have a good support. Chauhan should learn a thing or two from this guy. Prabhakar got out early. I dont see him doing well. IMO, we can have someone who is technically correct to open. Sanjay Manjrekar should open and this series with no great-shakes attack will al- low him get used to that spot. Sidhu played a very different innings. Whenever he used his feet to get out of the crease to MM, he looked good (and he scored runs off it). Otherwise he was looking too cramped and was tied down. He looked plumb taking off for a run. SLans ap- pealed strongly and the ump agreed. Sidhu halfway thro the run was disappointed and seem to point his bat to the ump. Kambli as usual, came in settled, started his crisp strokes right from the word go. His straight six followed by another four off MM was neatly timed. He raced past Sidhu, but between Lunch and tea seemed to have got bogged down. He holed out to deep mid-off. He seemed utterly mad of with himself, stood his ground at the non-strikers for a while, unbelieving and started his slow trek back. Tendulkar was awesome. He took a few overs to settle (though his opening score was a boundary), in which he took a few singles and twos here and there and then opened out. Between 4.00PM and 4.30PM he raced from 50 to 90s. His strokes were all around and one that stood out was that effortless square drive of Wick- ramasinghe. Come to think of it, how about that hook ? Then that short arm pull...that cover drive off Anurasiri... that rousing cut off W'singhe...It was great. General opinion among our group was all of us got Rs.80/- (cost of entry) worth of cricket... He put the earlier innings of Kambli and Sidhu in shade... Azhar played like one knows him - wristy self. Just when the SLans thought it was all over and Azhar has closed shutters in the last over of the day, he hits an on-drive for a four. SL'ans, despite a tough day at field, fielded very well. There were a few diving stops and it was good to see them not losing heart. Contributed by gautham (gautham@wipro.wipsys.soft.net) ====> Day 2, 27 Jan 94 ====> Day 5, 30 Jan 94 Indian hero Kapil Dev equalled Richard Hadlee's world record of 431 Test wickets as Sri Lanka crashed to defeat. Kapil was engulfed by supporters and carried off by teammates in celebra- tion as his record equalling wicket clinched victory. Sri Lanka forced to follow on were all out for 215 as India won by an in- nings and 95 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 series lead. Kapil, in tears afterwards, said: "I will continue playing as long as the selectors pick me." Contributed by goo-chie (jdw5@*.ukc.ac.uk) ====> Day 5, MORE Kapil Dev has indicated that after getting the world record he will retire from Test Cricket. He will however continue to play in One Dayers. "My decision should allow Srinath an entry into the test side - because even I was once a young fast bowler and i know the frus- tration it causes to be out of the side". (Thanks: Sunday Mid-day, 30 Jan 94) Contributed by Vishal (vmisra@*ecs.umass.edu) ====> Day 5, MORE "SECOND BEST MOMENT IN LIFE" BANGALORE-Kapil Dev Nikhanj, 35, said his equaling Richard Hadlee's world record tally of 431 Test wickets was the second most fulfilling moment of his life. Looking back on his long 16-year career, during which he has played 129 Test matches, Ka- pil said it was only the second most happy occasion. "This is the second time in my life when I feel I have done something, achieved something," he said. "The first occasion was when I got 400 Test wickets." (from misc.news.southasia) ====> Day 5, MORE Kapil equals World Test-Wicket Record Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev equalled Richard Hadlee's world record of 431 test wickets as India crushed Sri Lanka today - and then burst into tears. Thousands of spectators at Chinnaswamy stadium leapt to their feet and roared with delight when a delivery from Kapil reared sharply, found the edge of Don Anurasiri's bat and caught by captain Azharuddin at slip. The spectators, who had come mainly in the hope of seeing Kapil clinch the record, rushed on to the ground with the fall of the wicket, which also gave India victory. It was 35-year old Kapil's second of the day and his fifth of the match. Teammates quickly extricated Kapil from the throng of spectators and carried him off the field shoulder high. Back in the pavillion, Kapil rushed to his wife, Romi, and hugged her, as India's greatest cricketers of past years milled round to congratulate him. With one test remaining in the 3 test series against Sri Lanka, starting on 8 Feb in Ahmedabad, Kapil will have a great chance to move ahead of Hadlee. Kapil said afterwards that it was difficult bowling on Indian pitches, but added that retirement was still not a serious consideration. "I will continue playing as long as teh selectors pick me and I am physically able to deliver the goods," he said. Kapil has played in 129 tests since making his debut at the age of 19 against Pakistan in the 78 series. Hadlee, who took his wickets in 86 tests, became the highest wicket-taker in the same Bangalore stadium in 88 when overtook Ian Botham's record of 373. The crowd did not have long ito wait today for Kapil's record. In his fifth over, he dismissed Anurasiri to have Sri Lanka all out for 215, giving India victory by an innings and 95 runs. Sensi- tive to the growing criticism of his form, Kapil listed as his greatest achievement the fact that he had represented India for so long despite what he called "difficult conditions". He was apparently referring to home wickets tailored for spinners and the fickleness of fans who made him a national hero when he led India to a famous victory over the West Indies at Lord's in the 83 World Cup. Still India's most easily recognised sportsman, the idioling of the soft-spoken all rounder has not prevented many cricket observers calling for his retirement in recent years. But Kapil's performance in this test silenced critics both of his bowling and batting. Contributed by S.Pavithran (pavitra@*monash.edu) ====> Day 5, Summary Azhar, given the Man of the Match award in a moving gesture calls Kapil to the podium and hands it over to him Kapil is chaired by Sidhu and Azhar on the way back to pavilion. Kapil gives an emotional interview afterwards. He did not talk about retirement and said that he would continue play until he is called upon to do so and the country requires him. (I certainly did not hear about his retiring, making way for Srinath.) Kapil requests his wife to be in Bangalore on the third day of the match. PM, President and other top shots congratulate Kapil. Kapil's advice to youngsters - "Whatever you do, do it with single-minded purpose and determination. When you are studying do not think of playing and when you are playing, forget your stu- dies..." Contributed by gautham (gautham@wipro.wipsys.soft.net)