India win by seven wickets to lead Series 2-1
Shirajiv Sirimane in India
A fine all round performance saw India beat Sri Lanka comfortably by
7 wickets to go two up in the five match ODI series at the Barbati
Cricket stadium at Cuttack here last night. Replying to Sri Lanka's
modest score of 239 all out India reached the target in the 43rd over
losing only three wickets clearly underling their supremacy.
The little master Sachin Tendulkar was the tormentor, notching up a
fine unbeaten 96 and guiding his team to victory.
After a cautious start by offering the first maiden of the match to
Welegedara, India lost the first wicket when Dilshan held on to a beauty
at midwicket to dismiss
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Sachine Tendulkar 96 not out. AFP |
Sehwag. He made 44 off 28 balls with nine hits
to the ropes.
Tendulkar then had the proceedings under his belt and together with
Gambhir added 67 runs offering no success to the visitors. Randiv had
the second success when he had G. Gambhir caught and bowled for 32.
Sachin playing a somewhat a subdued innings and playing in his 439th
match scored his 93rd 50 in 51 balls.
With the pitch assisting the bowlers run making was difficult.
However Sachin slowly but surely piled up the runs with the assistance
of Yuvraj.
The tourists had the second Indian wicket when Yuvraj offered a nick
to Sangakkara to give Welegedara his second wicket.
However this was too late as the Indians never let the grip off and
Tendulkar with Karthik (36) took the Indian team home to a two one lead
in the series.
Welegedara made a good impact taking two wickets for 35 of 8 overs
while Mendis was expensive going wicket less and giving away 67 runs in
9 overs.
Earlier in the day Indian team came out strongly and bundled out the
Sri Lankan team to their lowest score in the series in only the 42nd
over.
Ravindra Jadeja made inroads to the Sri Lankan batting taking the
wicket of Upul Tharanga and three more wickets recording his best ever
bowling performance while Nehra and Sharma shared four wickets.
Electing to bat first Dilshan and Taranga continued their aggressive
style scoring 50 in just 22 balls tearing Ishant Sharma and Zaheer
Khan's bowling to all parts of the ground.
Indian wicket keeper Karthik standing in for Indian skipper Dhoni,
who is serving his first match suspension (out of two) for slow over
rate missed one of the easiest run outs when Dilshan attempted a
needless run. Karthik, who had the ball in his hand, had all the time to
run to the stumps and take the off bail but he decided to throw and
missed the stumps. Dilshan who had given up then walked back to the
stumps.
Indian wicket keeper finally breathed a sigh of relief when he had
Dilshan caught off running back catch of a miscued pull off Nehra.
Dilshan made 41 facing 18 balls. He also had 10 boundaries.
Skipper Sangakkara continued the onslaught bringing the 100 in the
11th over and 150 in the 19th over.
Soon after Sehwag had the price wicket of Sangakkara, stumped, on the
second attempt when the batsman came down the track. Skipper made a well
complied 46 facing 41 balls and it included three boundaries and a six.
Minor collapse was to follow when Upul Tharanga was clean bowled by
Jadeja for 81 ball 73 which included six fours and one huge six.
Jayawardene looking for his first 50 in the series after staying in the
crease for two overs scored 2.
Kandamby and Kapugedera then tried to bring about a decent
partnership and the pair added 31 runs for the fifth wicket.
The partnership was broken when Kapugedera played on to a Jadeja
delivery and Kandamby followed him the next over bowled by Sharma.
Suraj Randir playing his second international lasted only one ball
bowled by Sharma while Kulasekara falling LBW to Jadeja for 10.
Tail enders Malinga and Mendis and Welegedara could not do much and
the team folded out in 42.2 overs.
Cuttack, Monday
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga b Jadeja 73
T. Dilshan c Karthik b Nehra 41
K. Sangakkara st Karthik b Sehwag 46
M. Jayawardene c Raina b Harbhajan 2
T. Kandamby b Sharma 22
C. Kapugedera b Jadeja 15
N. Kulasekara lbw b Jadeja 10
S. Randiv c Karthik b Sharma 0
L. Malinga b Nehra 13
A. Mendis b Jadeja 6
C. Welegedara not out 2
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-6) 9
TOTAL(for all out; 44.2 overs) 239
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-65 (Dilshan), 2-165 (Sangakkara), 3-169 (Tharanga), 4-173 (Jayawardene),
5-204 (Kapugedera), 6-210 (Kandamby), 7-210 (Randiv), 8-218 (Kulasekara), 9-236 (Mendis), 10-239 (Malinga).
BOWLING: Zaheer 7-0-49-0 (w4), Sharma 7-0-63-2, Nehra 6.2-0-32-2 (w1), Harbhajan 9-0-29-1(w1),
Sehwag 4-0-26-1, Jadeja 10-0-32-4, Yuvraj 1-0-5-0.
INDIA
V. Sehwag c Dilshan b Welegedara 44
S. Tendulkar not out 96
G. Gambhir c and b Randiv 32
Yuvraj Singh c Sangakkara b Welegedara 23
D. Karthik not out 36
EXTRAS (lb5, w6) 11
TOTAL (for three wickets; 42.4 overs) 242
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-55 (Sehwag), 2-127 (Gambhir), 3-169 (Yuvraj).
BOWLING: Welegedara 8-1-35-2 (w1), Kulasekara 8-0-47-0, Malinga 9.4-1-55-0 (w1), Mendis 9-0-67-0 (w4), Randiv 8-1-33-1. |
