Raina, Pathan deliver superb win for India
By Dilanka MANNAKKARA
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Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir raises his bat and helmet in
celebration after scoring a century during the third one day
international match between Sri Lanka and India at the R.
Premadasa Cricket Stadium which India won by five
wickets.AFP
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Poor fielding combined by some ordinary bowling and crucial dropped
catches made Sri Lanka pay while the India pair of Suresh Raina and
Irfan Pathan made hay out of the sunshine with a superb unbroken stand
of 92 runs in just 67 balls to snatch victory from jaws of defeat in the
third ODI against Sri Lanka played at R. Premadasa grounds. India also
created a record by being the first team against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka
to win chasing a score of more than 250.
Sri Lanka were on course for a certain victory after Gautam Gambhir
who made a brilliant 102 was run out when the score was on 196 and Sri
Lanka were the side with momentum. However Isuru Udana who once again
was quite poor provided some loose balls for the batsmen to capitalize
and thereafter it was all India. Raina made a brilliant 65 of 45 balls
while Udana was hammered for 43 runs in his six overs. One wonders as to
why Udana who doesn’t seem to have pace, subtle variations or any
significant movement is part of the team to bowl just 6 overs. Raina was
dropped when he was on just 19 by substitute fielder Sachithra
Senanayake.
After Virender Sehwag fell cheaply, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli
played aggressively to put on 105 for the second wicket before Kohli was
dismissed by Rangana Herath. Then Mahendra Singh Dhoni who promoted
himself up the order threatened to take the game away from Sri Lanka but
Lasith Malinga’s toe crushers were too hot to handle and he was bowled
for 31 runs. Rohit Sharma followed Dhoni the very next ball as he was
trapped in front plumb LBW for another unplayable Yorker.
Earlier in the day magnificent batting by Angelo Mathews and Jeevan
Mandis catapulted Sri Lanka from a modest score to a match winning score
as Sri Lanka who were 190 for five wickets from 40 overs, raced towards
287 for five wickets in their allotted 50 overs for the loss of five
wickets.
After three early wickets had gone down, Sri Lanka’s two best
batsmen, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, once again offered a
masterclass on how to construct an ODI innings with a 121-run stand.
Then Jeevan and Mathews put up a whirlwind unbroken stand 104 in just 12
overs after Kumar Sangakkara was dismissed for a well made 73. Mathews
proved his worth once again scoring 71 of just 57 balls with five
boundaries and a huge six in the 50 over while Jeevan Mendis who was
brought in to replace Lahiru Thirimanne made a busy 45 of 41 balls.
Jeevan and Mathews made full use of some ordinary fielding by the
Indians, stealing singles, twos and even threes at will and kept the
scoreboard ticking.
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga c Dhoni b Zaheer 08
T. Dilshan b Zaheer 04
K. Sangakkara c Kohli b Dinda 73
D. Chandimal lbw b Pathan 00
M. Jayawardene lbw b Rahul Sharma 65
A. Mathews not out 71
J. Mendis not out 45
Extras (b2, lb8, nb1, w9) 20
Total (for five wickets; 50 overs) 286
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Dilshan), 2-19 (Tharanga), 3-20 (Chandimal), 4-141 (Jayawardene), 5-182 (Sangakkara).
Bowling: Zaheer 10-0-39-2 (w3), Pathan 10-0-59-1 (nb1, w3), Dinda 10-0-76-1 (w1),
Rahul Sharma 8-0-45-1 (w1), Ashwin 10-0-50-0 (w1), Sehwag 1-0-3-0, Rohit Sharma 1-0-4-0.
INDIA
G. Gambhir run out 102
V. Sehwag c sub (S. Senanayake)b Perera 03
V. Kohli c and b Herath 38
M.S. Dhoni b Malinga 31
Rohit Sharma lbw b Malinga 00
S. Raina not out 65
Irfan Pathan not out 34
Extras (lb11, w4) 15
Total (for five wickets; 49.4 overs) 288
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Sehwag), 2-113(Kohli), 3-180 (Dhoni), 4-180 (Sharma),5-196 (Gambhir).
Bowling: Malinga 10-0-60-2, Perera 9-0-57-1, Udana 6-0-42-0 (w4), Mathews 8.4-0-49-0, Herath 9-0-36-1, Dilshan 3-0-14-0,Mendis 4-0-19-0. |
