A triangle consisting of Anil Kumble, Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni strengthened India's position in the second Test match against Sri Lanka at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in Delhi.
 
At the end of the fourth day's play, Sri Lanka were 123 for 5 with Mahela Jayawardene remaining unbeaten on 9, and their target to win the match is a hard task now for Sri Lanka.

As per PTI and NDTV, Dhoni cracked an unbeaten run-a-ball 51 with five fours and two sixes while Yuvraj Singh hit an unbeaten 77 as India declared their second innings at 375 for six.

Only thrice in the history of the game has a team successfully chased a target in excess of 400, with Brian Lara's West Indies making 418 for seven to beat Australians at St. John's in 2002-03 for the highest ever chase.

The islanders, however, launched a strong counter attack through captain Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara after the departure of opener Avishka Gunawardene, who was snared leg before wicket for nine by Irfan Pathan.

Sangakkara and Atapattu then added 79 runs for the second wicket before the former was caught behind by Dhoni off Ajit Agarkar for 33.

But Anil Kumble picked up two quick wickets in the post-tea session, first dismissing Atapattu, caught and bowled for 67 and then snaring Malinga Bandara leg before for a duck.

Harbhajan Singh then struck and the next wicket, Thilan Samaraweera was caught at slips by Rahul Dravid.

Earlier, both Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni hit half-centuries to help India reach a commanding position in the second Test.

Yuvraj overcame some tidy bowling by the visitors to remain unbeaten on 77. Dhoni, who came on the crease after Sourav Ganguly's (39) wicket fell in the morning session, remained not out on 51.

India, resuming at 237 for five, stretched their lead on the fourth day with Yuvraj and Ganguly seeing the first hour through with cautious batting.

Yuvraj struggled to read Muttiah Muralitharan and was circumspect against Dilhara Fernando's swing as well. Ganguly in the circumstances did well to counter Fernando who bowled to a packed off side field.

It was only after 81 minutes when the day's first boundary came from the bat, via a paddle sweep by Ganguly against Muralitharan. Ganguly's association with Yuvraj brought 81 runs for the sixth wicket from 204 balls.

Dhoni attacked from the outset, stepping out and lofting Muralitharan to long on fence. Yuvraj then drove the offie off the pads to midwicket to move to 49, and then completed the half-century with a cheeky single. His 50 came after 160 minutes from 123 balls with seven fours.

The 300 came in the 95th over before Dhoni collected two fours from a Malinga Bandara over which cost 17 runs including two boundaries through byes and leg byes.

The Indians turned on the heat after lunch.

Fernando misjudged a high catch of Dhoni at long on off Bandara. The Jharkhand player was on 28 then, and punished the Lankans for the error by swatting the leggie for a flat six at the same spot in the next over.

That huge hit brought the 350 up, and another one off the same bowler at widish long on gave Dhoni his first half-century in Test cricket.

Yuvraj and Dhoni added 104 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket in only 83 minutes and 116 balls.

Dravid, whose captaincy has been founded on aggression, declared 35 minutes into the second session, leaving the Lankans more than four and a half session to overhaul a target never achieved before.

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