यहाँ तक कि स्टीवन (Even Stevens)

After Sri Lanka pulled up about a hundred short of where they might have expected to be, India have evened this Test up again thanks to the manic stroke play of Virenda Sehwag and the smooth attack of the baby faced bowler killer, Schin Tendulkar.

Earlier, Samaraweera had raised his 12th Test century and with Angelo Matthews looking to make that big score his career needed, the pair got to drinks in good shape at 4-330. Unfortunately, it proved another promise broken by Matthews who was lbw to Ohja immediately after drinks. Prasanna Jawawardene swept once too often to a straight one from Ohja and was also trapped in front after surviving a confident shout the previous over. Sharma, Mishra and Sehwag cleaned up the tail while Samaraweera accelerated his scoring. His unbeaten century was as perfect a display of footwork and timing as you are likely to see at this level. Ohja deservedly finished with four wickets and was the pick of the attack, bowling with a lot more confidence on the second day.

Sehwag started the Indian innings the way he often does in any form of cricket, with a shower of boundaries. He smashed five in the first six overs, being particular harsh on Welegedara, smashing fours past point and square leg in the air and a short ball outside off was flat batted past mid on. The Sri Lankan ploy of frustrating Sehwag outside off stump came spectacularly unstuck as he drilled balls outside off stump to the boundary through any vacant gap he chose at the moment. Malinga sorted him out for a while, making him look uncomfortable against the short ball at the body but such a delivery from a slinger make most batsmen prone to discomfort. Murali Vijay left him at 49 when his mistimed drive at Malinga and was caught at extra cover. Rahul Dravid, a man who has played himself back into form with four centuries and five 50's from his previous 17 innings over eighteen months, was out in similar fashion to the 2nd Test, playing across the line to Matthews, after appearing to misjudge the pace of the ball and having it skid into his pads.

Enter Tendulkar. After pushing a couple of singles, he lifted a full ball from Mendis on the line of off stump over mid on for four which was unnervingly sweet in the timing. Never the less, he spent the next hour getting the pace of the pitch, setting his innings up before finishing the longish Mendis spell by cracking a short ball outside off stump to the backward point boundary. He welcomed Malinga back to the bowling crease with a beautiful leg glance to the boundary and then had a stroke of luck when he cut a ball just out of the reach of first slip. Malinga tested him with a series of clever yorkers bowled at various speeds in the midst of an excellent spell where he also sorted out Sehwag.

The Master, as he so often is, was up to the task. Sri Lanka must break though this partnership in the first half hour tomorrow if victory is to be a possibility.