Kandy Test, day 3, lunch
Friday, August 24, 2001 This was an excellent session for India and it will keep their spirits high as this Test match heads for a close finish. Zaheer Khan was sensational this morning and I think he should get a videotape of the spell he bowled. This is exactly how he should be looking to bowl against top class international batsmen. He pitched it up but also kept the batsmen guessing by using the quick bouncer sparingly. He was bowling at genuine pace and the batsmen were hesitant about coming on to the front foot, knowing that the ball could rear up at them any moment. Venkatesh Prasad was the perfect foil for Zaheer. For the first time this series, he bowled the line that I think suits him more than any other. He pitched it a foot outside off stump and also bowled some superb leg cutters. Usually, he has the tendency to be a middle stump bowler. When he errs, the batsmen can cart him away on the leg side. The outside off stump line gives him much more room for experimentation. In a situation like Indian found themselves in this morning, he is also a good defensive bowler, allowing someone like Zaheer to attack relentlessly at the other end. The wickets came along at the right time for Sourav Ganguly this morning and he didn't have to do too much. But the post lunch session will be vital and he must be wary of over bowling Zaheer Khan. He must use him in short bursts so that the intimidation factor stays high.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to Dileep Premachandran.

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