India vs Srilanka 3rd Test Day 1 result

• Sri Lanka: 50 runs in 9.2 overs (58 balls), Extras 3
• 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 58 balls (NT Paranavitana 32, TM Dilshan 17, Ex 3)
• Drinks: Sri Lanka - 65/0 in 12.0 overs (NT Paranavitana 41, TM Dilshan 21)
• NT Paranavitana: 50 off 69 balls (7 x 4)
• Sri Lanka: 100 runs in 22.5 overs (139 balls), Extras 3
• TM Dilshan: 50 off 57 balls (7 x 4, 1 x 6)
• Lunch: Sri Lanka - 117/1 in 27.0 overs (TM Dilshan 51, KC Sangakkara 10)
• Sri Lanka: 150 runs in 36.5 overs (223 balls), Extras 3
• 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 68 balls (TM Dilshan 23, DPMD Jayawardene 27, Ex 0)
• Drinks: Sri Lanka - 179/2 in 44.0 overs (TM Dilshan 77, DPMD Jayawardene 28)
• Sri Lanka: 200 runs in 52.3 overs (318 balls), Extras 5
• Tea: Sri Lanka - 213/4 in 56.0 overs (TM Dilshan 99, AD Mathews 8)
• TM Dilshan: 100 off 139 balls (10 x 4, 2 x 6)
• 5th Wicket: 50 runs in 66 balls (TM Dilshan 21, AD Mathews 28, Ex 2)
• Sri Lanka: 250 runs in 61.6 overs (375 balls), Extras 5
• AD Mathews: 50 off 60 balls (9 x 4)
• Drinks: Sri Lanka - 292/5 in 70.0 overs (AD Mathews 56, HAPW Jayawardene 17)
• Sri Lanka: 300 runs in 73.2 overs (445 balls), Extras 9
• 6th Wicket: 50 runs in 71 balls (AD Mathews 15, HAPW Jayawardene 31, Ex 4)
• New Ball Taken: Sri Lanka 329/6 after 80.1 overs (AD Mathews 67, KMDN Kulasekara 0)
• Sri Lanka: 350 runs in 82.2 overs (500 balls), Extras 14
• End Of Day: Sri Lanka - 366/8 in 89.0 overs (AD Mathews 86, M Muralitharan 0

India vs Srilanka 3rd Test Gambhir doesn't play

India will be without the services of opening batsman Gautam Gambhir, who will be attending his sister's wedding, for the third Test against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. Gambhir has been in prime form in this series with centuries in each of the two Tests.

Gambhir's spot is likely to be taken by M Vijay, the Tamil Nadu opener. Vijay made his debut against Australia in Nagpur last year, when Gambhir was banned for a Test for an altercation with Shane Watson. The rest of the squad, which was initially picked for the first two Tests, has been retained with no additional replacements. The final Test of the series begins at the Brabourne Stadium on December 2.

India squad for third Test: MS Dhoni (capt), Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, Virender Sehwag, Amit Mishra, Yuvraj Singh, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, S Badrinath.

Tendulkar and Gambhir saved Indian team

Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, and a dead Ahmedabad pitch (21 wickets and seven centuries in five days) put paid to Sri Lanka's dream of a first Test win in India. Gambhir played out 110 deliveries for 40 runs, and Tendulkar 211 for 100 runs; both of them looked entirely at home in the role of saving a Test, not letting dot balls affect their minds.

By the time the final session of the match arrived, the only question left unanswered was whether Tendulkar would get to his 88th international century. Kumar Sangakkara didn't seem pleased with being kept on the field in the mandatory overs while Tendulkar moved towards the ton. The bowlers started bowling way outside off stump, and Tendulkar retorted in his own inimitable manner. He walked across to a delivery so wide it would have been called in an ODI, and flicked it to the square-leg boundary to get into the 90s. He had to work similarly hard for the rest of the runs too. As soon as he got there, the captains agreed to call off the match with six overs still to go.

Sri Lanka started the day 144 ahead, and needed eight Indian wickets to force a result, but met a docile pitch and determined batting. The only break in concentration came in the second session when Gambhir stepped out to launch Rangana Herath out of the ground, and ended up losing his wicket. That was not before he had reached his seventh century: four of them, including his last three, have come in the second innings, two of them in match-saving scenarios. He now averages 59.55 in the second innings, against 54.22 overall.

Sri Lanka were not helped by the hamstring injury to Dammika Prasad, who didn't bowl in the first session, and Muttiah Muralitharan's ineffectiveness: he didn't take a wicket in 38 second-innings overs. Previously Murali had gone wicketless in the second innings of a match only six times; the most he had bowled in such scenarios was 17 overs. Their problems on the unhelpful pitch were summed up by how Amit Mishra, nightwatchman from yesterday, got to his personal best score and frustrated them for 26 deliveries on the fifth morning.

Gambhir, at the other end, was in his Napier-like mode from earlier this year, when he batted 643 minutes for 137 runs to save the Test. Even today, he was not interested in scoring, or in other words he didn't let being stuck at one end bother him much. Angelo Mathews bowled well in Prasad's absence, hitting good lengths consistently, getting some of them to stay low and getting the odd one to seam away off the rare crack on the pitch. But Gambhir took most of the strike to him, playing 30 consecutive balls from Mathews for no run in the first hour, certain in his judgement outside off, and coming forward to straighter deliveries to negate the odd shooter.

Against spinners, Gambhir preferred to stay back, or jump out of the track and get close enough to the delivery. He did pull out the big hits in the 90s, as he is used to doing because he prefers to get the 90s done with quickly. He took 61 deliveries to move from overnight 74 to 90, but then hit three boundaries in six balls to reach his century quickly. And then scored two runs in 25 deliveries. The approach in the 90s was similar to that in Napier, when he stepped out and lofted Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel for fours in consecutive overs.

Post lunch, when Gambhir played his only rash shot, he left the saunter towards safety in Tendulkar's hands. Tendulkar had started off fluently, driving Murali against the spin for two boundaries, and punching Mathews for one, and once he got comfortable in the middle he too opted to play for time. Between them Gambhir and Tendulkar played out 24 overs. The latter had reached 32 off 75 deliveries, and slowed down even more after that.

Sri Lanka tried one of the last rolls of the dice, taking the new ball and getting Prasad to bowl despite the injury. But neither Prasad nor Chanaka Welegedara could find enough from the pitch to disturb Tendulkar or VVS Laxman. For a while Tendulkar shut shop completely, scoring three runs in 26 deliveries. By that time he had reached 30,000 international runs, and it seemed torturous to make the fast bowlers keep bowling on this pitch.

The spinners came back on, the match started moving towards a slow draw again. By tea Tendulkar had crossed 50, India had erased the deficit, and Tendulkar and Laxman had played out another 24 overs. Post the interval, both Tendulkar and Laxman batted with more intent, in the knowledge that the game had been saved. Sri Lankan bowlers tried various angles of attack, but there was little left to play for, and both the batsmen duly reached personal milestones.

India vs Srilanka 1st Test

So that is that. In five days we've had 21 wickets and seven centuries. Two of them came today and those helped India save this Test. Gambhir and Tendulkar batted well to save this match. Tendulkar is applauded and back-slapped as he heads into the pavilion. He and Gambhir were superb in application today. Sri Lanka were rather flat on an unresponsive track. Hopefully the Kanpur track will be more productive.

Stay with us if you'd like for the post-match presentation.

Sangakkara: "A bit disappointed but a few surprises. The Jayawardenes, Dilshan and Samaraweera played well. We showed a lot of fight and spunk. It was a pretty flat track. We were thinking positive and needed something to go our way today but that didn't happen. But we're not too disappointed. Welegedara having to step in on the morning of the match, did fantastically. Prasad showed a lot heart to bowl at 140 plus with a hamstring. It's nice to see people put their hands up."

Dhoni: "We had to handle our nerves and that's what showed. We're proud of this achievement. The series will go close. We can bowl more disciplined lines, but apart from that the bowlers bowled their hearts out. It wasn't easy. We're not worried about the batting. We expected the track to have a bit more bounce for the spinners, but it favored the batsmen."

Mahela Jayawardene is the Man of the Match for his 275, his 27th Test century: "All the batsmen could have done that. The last time I toured India I had a few fifties; it is always a challenge coming here. I got good support on the way and all in all it was a great Test match."

So that is that, folks. Thanks for your company over the past few days. On behalf of Kanishkaa and the rest who chipped in on commentary, this is Jamie Alter signing off. The second Tests starts on Tuesday. Bye for now!