Over the years, panic has been known to spread in dressing-rooms within minutes. But it was proved in Galle on Thursday that, somehow, confidence doesn’t have that same infectious trait.

As Virender Sehwag missed the rare cricketing feat of scoring a century before lunch by a mere nine runs with the first session ending at 151-0, it seemed India had taken a U-turn after losing the first Test by an innings. The two Ms — Muralitharan and Mendis — weren’t able to turn the ball enough to get a W. Nor was the rub of the green in Lanka’s favour as an inconclusive replay negated skipper Mahela Jayawardene’s review against Sehwag.

But when play resumed under overcast conditions after a three-hour break because of rain, India were suddenly under the weather. By the time the fishermen on the sea-bank near the stadium removed their nets, it was easy to guess that their catch for the day would pale in comparison to that of the Lankan bowlers. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly failed to reach double figures soon after Gautam Gambhir was out for 56.

India’s 214-4 on the first day is an improvement from the first Test, but with Sehwag scoring more than half those runs — 128 not out — it’s the case of a couple of individual highs masking a collective low. If Sehwag and Gambhir had started to demystify the Sri Lankan bowling attack, four quick wickets in fading light meant the halo around Mendis was reinstalled and Chaminda Vaas, the seamer who was a mere spectator in the first Test and close to being rested at Galle, was back in focus.

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