Either side of being flayed by Virender Sehwag and bowling too many no-balls, Chanaka Welegedara stemmed the Indian batting tide by picking up three wickets to leave the game tantalisingly poised midway through the first innings at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. Sehwag had romped to 47 from 30 balls before playing too early at one bowled with fingers rolled across the seam from round the wicket, but after his exit, India built steadily on a surface where the ball didn't always come on to the bat.
Sehwag had announced his intentions from the outset, off-driving Welegedara for four, but there was an early setback for the Indians as he sneaked a yorker underneath Gautam Gambhir's bat and on to the base of leg stump. But with Sehwag taking Suranga Lakmal for three fours in an over, and Virat Kohli playing a lovely straight drive, the 50 of the innings came in just the seventh over.
The game changed, though, in the space of two eventful overs from Welegedara. Sehwag had scythed two off-side fours and been caught behind off a no-ball by the time Kohli tried too cute a deflection to a ball pitched outside off stump. Having conceded 18 in that over, Welegedara came back in the next to have Sehwag caught at mid-off by Lahiru Thirimanne.
India had taken 76 from the first Powerplay, but only 13 came from the bowling one as the bowlers kept a leash on the new batsmen. Both Yuvraj and Dhoni clipped boundaries through point, but with Suraj Randiv getting pretty sharp turn, and Thilina Kandamby filling in with part-time spin, the runs were no longer coming at Sehwag pace.
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