The Hindu : Sport : Lanka clinches a truncated contest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

Lanka clinches a truncated contest

S. Dinakar

Dilshan sizzles in opener’s role; Rohit Sharma continues to impress

— PHOTO: AFP

GRABBING THE CHANCE: Tillakaratne Dilshan relished the challenge of opening the innings and guided Sri Lanka home in the company of skipper Mahela Jayawardene.

Canberra: It was a bizarre day at the Manuka Oval. Rain lopped off 50 overs from the match yet both teams batted under bright sunshine.

Like changing weather, cricket’s a lot about changing fortunes. Brushed aside by Australia at the SCG, the sun shone on Sri Lanka in front of a vibrant gathering of its supporters here on Tuesday. Mahela Jayawardene’s men clinched a truncated contest by eight wickets.

Leading from the front

Jayawardene led well and played a crucial role in the decisive phase of the chase. Sanath Jayasuriya fired at the start and Tillakaratne Dilshan scattered the field. Sri Lanka is back in the CB ODI tri-series.

It promises to be a tight race to the final. India has eight points from four matches, Australia, seven from three and Sri Lanka, six from three.

Morning rain restricted the Indian innings to 29 overs. The evolving Rohit Sharma innovated for an unbeaten 64-ball 70. India finished at a competitive 195 for five.

Skipper Jayawardene had made the right call by electing to field. Duckworth and Lewis calculations after another downpour set Sri Lanka a revised target of 154 in 21. It was advantage Sri Lanka since it is hard to be dismissed in 21 overs.

The Lankans then made a tactical switch that worked like magic. Promoted to the opening slot, Dilshan sizzled. His unbeaten 59-ball 62 settled the contest. Up against a speedy new ball combination of Ishant Sharma and S. Sreesanth, the Sri Lankans opted for a right-left pair at the top of the order. Successful batting is a lot about working in combinations.

A natural out-swing bowler, Sreesanth struggled against Jayasuriya. The powerful left-hander flicked the paceman over the mid-wicket ropes, crashed him through covers and sliced the bowler over the point boundary. Indeed, the third over of the innings witnessed a momentum shift. Psychologically, these blows dented India; Jayasuriya’s efforts cannot be judged on numbers alone.

Ishant ended the Jayasuriya blitz (27, 13b, 2x4, 2x6) when the batsmen edged one down the leg-side. Ishant’s pace, movement and bounce tested the batsmen even if the pitch had settled down after morning life.

Kumar Sangakkara began with promise but perished early. He gave Harbhajan Singh the charge and the mishit was pouched gleefully.

Dilshan, though, stayed till the finish. He is a quick-thinking, quick-footed batsman with strokes on both sides of the wicket. He is impulsive but not without ability. He took to his new role like fish to water.

Jayawardene rotated the strike — his unbeaten 36 included just one boundary — while Dilshan found the ropes. He cut and cover drove Irfan Pathan to the fence, top-edged Sreesanth for the maximum. Dilshan was guarded against the impressive Harbhajan but stepped down to pick runs off Virender Sehwag. The Lankan running between the wickets forced mistakes from the Indian fielders. The islanders were home with 12 balls to spare.

Earlier, Rohit played some delicate strokes; the delectable flicks and glides, the majestic drives and the wristy hits. He played late, harnessed the pace of the ball. He also imparted pace on the ball, sweeping an off-colour Muttiah Muralitharan for a six. Skipper Dhoni promoted himself to No. 5 and proved a roadblock to the bowlers. There were a few typically forceful blows during his 68-run partnership in just 46 balls with Rohit. He also allowed and encouraged his young partner to bloom.

Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir batted fluently. Tendulkar was held at third man off paceman Farvez Maharoof and Gambhir was run out at the non-striker’s end when Lasith Malinga, acrobatically, flicked the ball on to the stumps. The Lankan fielding was sharp. It made a difference.

SCOREBOARD

India: V. Sehwag c Muralitharan b Kulasekara 14, S. Tendulkar c Kulasekara b Maharoof 32, G. Gambhir (run out) 35, Rohit Sharma (not out) 70, M.S. Dhoni (run out) 31, Yuvraj c Muralitharan b Malinga 6, R. Uthappa (not out) 0; Extras (lb-1, w-6) 7; Total (for five wkts. in 29 overs) 195.

Fall of wickets: 1-45 (Sehwag), 2-49 (Tendulkar), 3-113 (Gambhir), 4-181 (Dhoni), 5-192 (Yuvraj)

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 6-1-39-0, Malinga 6-0-45-1, Maharoof 6-0-33-1, Kulasekara 6-0-41-1, Muralitharan 5-0-36-0.

Sri Lanka: T. Dilshan (not out) 62, S. Jayasuriya c Dhoni b Ishant 27, K. Sangakkara c Ishant b Harbhajan 10, M. Jayawardene (not out) 36; Extras (lb-6, w-10, nb-3) 19; Total (for two wkts. in 19 overs) 154.

Fall of wickets: 1-45 (Jayasuriya), 2-69 (Sangakkara).

India bowling: Sreesanth 3-0-48-0, Ishant 4-0-26-1, Pathan 4-0-30-0, Harbhajan 4-0-15-1, Tendulkar 2-0-15-0, Sehwag 2-0-14-0.

(Sri Lanka set 154 from 21 overs to win under D/L method)

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport