India clinch high-scoring humdinger
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
A most incredible match, albeit on the most dodo-dead tracks India has produced, ended with Sri Lanka nearly chasing down the second highest target in the history of one-day cricket, according to website cricinfo.
India would have fancied their chances of a series lead after they piled up their highest one-day total of 414 for 7, spearheaded by Virender Sehwag's 102-ball 146, but three dropped catches and some shoddy bowling helped Sri Lanka bolt out of the blocks and nearly give them a coronary attack.
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga's 188-run opening stand left India stunned, Kumar Sangkarra's exceptional 90 from just 40 balls deflated them, and a brief flurry of wickets after Dilshan fell for a superb 160 was followed by a fifty stand between Thilina Kandamby and Angelo Mathews.
But when it most mattered, India's bowling tidied up and choked runs for Kandamby and Mathews. A double-wicket 49th over, with Zaheer Khan bowling full to minimise scoring options and collecting the ball well twice before the batsmen got home, yielded just four runs and left the equation at 11 from six balls.
Ashish Nehra kept his cool to bowl full and straight, Sachin Tendulkar saved a boundary with a leaping catch at midwicket, and India had squeezed a most pulsating match.
Whatever Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar did in the morning was reprised in the afternoon as Tillakaratne Dilshan's magnificent hundred and Upul Tharanga's lively support inspired a riotous start to Sri Lanka's innings. Tilting at a 415-run windmill, they were right in the hunt at halfway, with Dilshan continuing to find the gaps with ease, and Tharanga departing after a stroke-filled 67.
India had the chance to strike early, but with Tharanga on 10, Virat Kohli grassed the simplest of chances at short point, and they were made to pay as Dilshan cut loose with a flurry of boundaries. He pulled and cut anything short or wide, and drove precisely down the ground when the ball was pitched too full. Just for variety, he threw in a couple of scoops as well, each evading the fielder placed at short fine leg to stop it.
He got to his half-century from just 38 balls as 81 came from the first 10 overs. The introduction of Zaheer Khan saw one imperious drive through the covers, while Ravindra Jadeja was greeted with six-four-four as 17 came from the over. Soon after, he had his hundred from 73 balls, and it was Tharanga that then took up the attack, lashing Jadeja straight down the ground for two sixes on his way to 50 from 51 balls.
India 414 for 7 (Sehwag 146, Dhoni 72, Tendulkar 69) beat Sri Lanka 411for 8 (Dilshan 160, Sangakkara 90, Tharanga 67) by three runs.
India would have fancied their chances of a series lead after they piled up their highest one-day total of 414 for 7, spearheaded by Virender Sehwag's 102-ball 146, but three dropped catches and some shoddy bowling helped Sri Lanka bolt out of the blocks and nearly give them a coronary attack.
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga's 188-run opening stand left India stunned, Kumar Sangkarra's exceptional 90 from just 40 balls deflated them, and a brief flurry of wickets after Dilshan fell for a superb 160 was followed by a fifty stand between Thilina Kandamby and Angelo Mathews.
But when it most mattered, India's bowling tidied up and choked runs for Kandamby and Mathews. A double-wicket 49th over, with Zaheer Khan bowling full to minimise scoring options and collecting the ball well twice before the batsmen got home, yielded just four runs and left the equation at 11 from six balls.
Ashish Nehra kept his cool to bowl full and straight, Sachin Tendulkar saved a boundary with a leaping catch at midwicket, and India had squeezed a most pulsating match.
Whatever Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar did in the morning was reprised in the afternoon as Tillakaratne Dilshan's magnificent hundred and Upul Tharanga's lively support inspired a riotous start to Sri Lanka's innings. Tilting at a 415-run windmill, they were right in the hunt at halfway, with Dilshan continuing to find the gaps with ease, and Tharanga departing after a stroke-filled 67.
India had the chance to strike early, but with Tharanga on 10, Virat Kohli grassed the simplest of chances at short point, and they were made to pay as Dilshan cut loose with a flurry of boundaries. He pulled and cut anything short or wide, and drove precisely down the ground when the ball was pitched too full. Just for variety, he threw in a couple of scoops as well, each evading the fielder placed at short fine leg to stop it.
He got to his half-century from just 38 balls as 81 came from the first 10 overs. The introduction of Zaheer Khan saw one imperious drive through the covers, while Ravindra Jadeja was greeted with six-four-four as 17 came from the over. Soon after, he had his hundred from 73 balls, and it was Tharanga that then took up the attack, lashing Jadeja straight down the ground for two sixes on his way to 50 from 51 balls.
India 414 for 7 (Sehwag 146, Dhoni 72, Tendulkar 69) beat Sri Lanka 411for 8 (Dilshan 160, Sangakkara 90, Tharanga 67) by three runs.