Sehwag falls seven short of third triple hundred

Swashbuckling India opener Virender Sehwag fell short of compiling his third triple hundred even as India extended their first innings lead to 143 against Sri Lanka at lunch on day three of the third Test on Friday.

Sehwag, who resumed the day at 284 in a team total of 443 for one last evening, checked a drive off Muttiah Muralitharan at the last moment and was caught and bowled by the wily off-spinner for 293.

It was a big disappointment for the Delhi dasher and the crowd gathered at the Brabourne stadium as Sehwag was gradually moving towards becoming the first batsman in the history of the game to score three triple centuries.

Batting legends Don Bradman of Australia and Brian Lara of the West Indies are the only other players to have scored two triple centuries in Test history.

Sehwag did not add any boundary to his last evening tally of 40 fours and seven sixes and faced 254 balls and shared a 237 runs for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid in 264 balls.

The Lankans also got rid off Dravid (74) before Sachin Tendulkar and V V S Laxman carried the hosts to lunch without further damage.

At the break, Tendulkar was on 48 with six fours and Laxman on 22 in a team total of 536 for three.

Murali who had wilted under the brutal assault by Sehwag on Thursday finally had his revenge and his first wicket of the match in his 22nd over after the home team added only 15 runs to their overnight score.

Sehwag, who bludgeoned the Lanka bowlers on Thursday, was cautious on Fridayand took his runs in singles and twos. He added nine runs before Muralitharan, bowling round the wicket, turned the ball a bit as Sehwag attempted to loft it initially before changing his mind.

The double-mindedness resulted in the ball taking the thick inside edge and popping back to the bowler who juggled with the catch before completing it to the delight of his teammates who were looking absolutely drained and stunned following Sehwag's severe caning yesterday.

An over earlier Dravid, unbeaten 62 last evening, survived a very confident caught behind the wicket appeal while attempting to cut left-arm spinner Rangana Herath. But Dravid, who lofted Herath for a six two balls later, chased a ball angled across by Welegedara and was caught behind by Prasanna Jayawardene.

The in-form middle-order stalwart struck five fours and a six in his 147-ball essay.

Tendulkar, playing in a Test in Mumbai for the first time since being booed off the field at the nearby Wankhede Stadium three years ago against England, was given a rousing reception and started confidently by paddle-sweeping, on-driving and pulling the two Lanka spinners for fours.

The batting maestro scored at a brisk pace without taking undue risks and looked well entrenched for a big score at the end of the first session in the company of Laxman who too appeared totally at ease.