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For those who may not have been following this test so far, the match is evenly poised at this point in time, with India collapsing to 329 on the morning of the second day, after a blistering start by Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the opening session of the match. Sehwag played a remarkable innings, achieving the rare feat of carrying his bat in a test match, scoring 201* off just 231 balls. Only two other Indian batsmen reached double figures, highlighting just how good an innings this was.

Ajantha Mendis led the way for Sri Lanka with 6/117, and he is likely to be even more destructive in the second innings as the pitch breaks up. At the moment, we're slightly miffed to have opted against taking Mendis to be man of the match for the second match in a row! In reply, Sri Lanka have managed 215/5, with fifties from Warnapura and Sangakkarra.

It is tough to call a winner at this stage, but considering that Sri Lanka will have to bat last on this pitch, arguaby the best value lies with India at prices of around 3.0. A lead of 250 should suffice for India, but given how prone they have been to batting collapses so far on tour, we are still reluctant to back them with any confidence. Instead, we will opt for a draw lay.

At 3.0, the draw price is being held up by poor weather prospects, but we are confident that with three days left, there is plenty of time left to achieve a result in the match - even with the loss of a session or two. So far, 15 wickets have fallen in 143 overs and the run rates of both sides have been well above par. Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble had the ball spitting out of the rough on day two, and so we would not be surprised to see wickets fall in clusters over the next three days.

NJ's Bet:

Lay The Draw - 4pts liability @ 3.0 (Betfair)