COLOMBO, July 31: Ennui was all pervasive at the Sara Stadium. The third and final day's action today had academic interest and the Indians used the opportunity to gain some useful batting practice against the Sri Lanka Board XI in the run-up to the first Test Navjot Sidhu and Saurav Ganguly being the principal beneficiaries.

Though the competitive edge in the match was blunted, it was an important day from the Indian point of view to boost the sagging confidence. They faced early setback as Nayan Mongia, who is billed to open the innings in the first Test, failed for the second time in the match. Opening the innings with Sidhu, Mongia looked in good touch, square driving, cover driving and pulling the medium-pacers for boundaries before a snorter from Mario Villavarayen ended his tenure.

But the biggest disappointment from the Indian preparation point was the cheap dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar. The Indian captain seemed unfortunate as the outer edge of his bat seemed to have kissed the ground en route to the slips.

But Sidhu and Ganguly used the day profitably to come up with morale-boosting innings. Sidhu completed his fifty in 99 balls with eight fours and then danced down the wicket to hoist Ruwan Kalpage over wide long-on for a six.

At the other end, Ganguly looked more assured and accomplished. He started with a flourish with a six over long-off and a sweep for four off successive balls by Kalpage. He hit another six, off Upul Chandana, over long-off before completing his second half-century of the match with two sixes and four boundaries. He then took heavy toll of Russell, who he pulled twice and followed that up with a delicate late cut, all for fours.

Ganguly was out to a brilliant catch in the slips to end the partnership of 125 for the fourth wicket in 27.1 overs. He scored 62 (113m, 84b, 2x6, 7x4).While Sidhu was moving cautiously towards his hundred, Vinod Kambli came on and launched a blitz on the Lankan bowling. He took 16 runs in an over from Chandana, cutting him for four and then hitting him for two huge sixes over long-on.

Kambli gave a return catch to Arnold when Sidhu was five short of scoring the first century by an Indian on the tour. Sidhu finally reached his century driving Arnold for a single to mid-off to complete his hundred, at which point the match was called off after 6.5 mandatory overs with India 255 for five.

Sidhu's unbeaten 100 (282m, 191b, 2x6, 11x4) follows his 64 in the first essay to put him in a buoyant mood before the first Test.

Wednesday's night not outs, Ruwan Kalpage and Upul Chandana, continued their good work in the morning. Skipper Sachin Teudulkar commenced proceedings with a double spin attack in the form of Rajesh Chauhan and Nilesh Kulkarni.

But after three overs apiece to them, he signalled for the new ball.Kalpage was severe on Debashish Mohanty who he hammered through covers, gully and to the straight field for boundaries in the Orissa lad's first over of the day.

The Lankan Board XI skipper was well in sight of completing his half- century when he edged Mohanty onto his stumps. Kalpage (148m, 102b, 6x4) added 65 runs for the seventh wicket with Chandana. Mohanty took his second wicket in the following over when Mario Vellavareyan flirted outside the off stump to pay the penalty.

At the other end, Kuruvilla struck when he had Chandana well taken by Chauhan at second slip. Chandana followed up his five wicket haul with a neat 38 (55b, 1x6, 5x4). Kuruvilla ended the innings when be bowled last man Dilhara Fernando to share the bowling honours with his Mumbai teammate Nilesh Kulkarni.

SCOREBOARD

India (1st innings): 308Sri lanka board president's XI (1st innings; overnight 233-6): Russell Arnold c Tendulkar b Chauhan 65, Chaminda Mendis c Sidhu b Chauhan 55, Mahela Jayewardene c sub (R Singh) b Kuruvilla 28, Sanjeeva Ranatunga st Mongia b Kulkarni 5, Naveed Nawaz c sub (R Singh) b Kulkarni 6, Ruwan Kalpage b Mohanty 47, Indika Galagoda c sub (R Singh) b Kulkarni 8, Upul Chandana c Chauhan b Kuruvilla 38, Mario Villavarayen c Mongia b Mohanty 8, Jayanta Silva not out 0, Dilhara Fernando b Kuruvilla 4; Extras: (b6, lb2, w1, nb18) 27. Total (all out in 96.3 overs, 434 mins) 291Fall of wickets: 1-134, 2-139, 3-144, 4-166, 5-194, 6-205, 7-269, 8-287, 9-287, 10-291.

Bowling: Kuruvilla 15.3-3-47-3, Mohanty 14-4-52-2, Chauhan 32-8-69-2, Kulkarni 30-7-88-3, Ganguly 2-0-10-0, Tendulkar 2-0-17-0.

INDIA (2nd innings): Nayan Mongia c Galagoda b Villavarayen 15, Navjot Sidhu not out 100, Gagan Khoda c Silva b Chandana 16, Sachin Tendulkar c Arnold b Fernando 5, Saurav Ganguly c Jayawardene b Chandana 62, Vinod Kambli c&b Arnold 33, Rajesh Chauhan not out 9; Extras: (b4, lb4, nb7) 15. Total (for 5 wkts in 68.5 overs, 282 mins) 255

Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-51, 3-70, 4-195, 5-241

Bowling: Villavarayen 9-3-24-1, Fernando 8-2-25-1, Silva 2-0-13-0, Jayewardena 5-0-23-0, Chandana 23-2-78-2, Kalpage 11-3-44-0, Arnold 10.5-2-40-1.

RESULT: Match Drawn.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.