Kandamby, Jayasuriya lift Sri Lanka to 307
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Given the initial thrust by Sanath Jayasuriya and rounded off by a superb innings from Thilina Kandamby, Sri Lanka set a lacklustre India a big target. In a manner that does not bode well for India ahead of Monday's final, and harrying to and fro between the wickets like a man possessed, Jayasuriya gnawed away. After his dismissal two short of a century, Kandamby, with his third ODI fifty, steadied the innings. A fabulous display of clean, crisp hitting - not slogging - helped Sri Lanka poach 53 off the batting Powerplay, according to website cricinfo.
After Kumar Sangakkara had won the toss and batted, there was a welcome return to form for a key player. Jayasuriya, without a fifty-plus score since January, could have gone on 13 when he edged Ishant Sharma wide of slip, but was chanceless thereafter. He used the width on offer to judder boundaries and as Sri Lanka reached 34 in four overs, India had reason to fear the worst.
Tillakaratne Dilshan had been kept quiet after an initial flourish, and his attempt to flash one over the off side resulted in a thin edge. The loss of Dilshan didn't cramp Jayasuriya's style and he continued to punish even the smallest indiscretion in line and length. RP Singh was pulled and driven to the boundary thrice in the 10th over.
India's best option was to train their efforts at the other end, and MS Dhoni gave them the breakthrough by stumping Mahela Jayawardene down the leg side. Yusuf Pathan spun the ball down the pads, Jayawardene fell over attempting a flick, and as his back leg stretched back inside the crease Dhoni whipped off the bails. Sangakkara departed soon after, out lbw to a straight delivery from the impressive Harbhajan Singh, whose first six overs cost 13 as he struck a teasing line.
Jayasuriya had been slowed down due to a loss of strike. Incredibly, he spent 13 deliveries spread over 9. 1 overs in the forties. As the pop anthem of the year, the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling", blared across the thumping stadium Jayasuriya raised his half-century. The crowd cheered loudly. Those cheers turned to thunderous applause when Jayasuriya hammered Yuvraj Singh's short-pitched offerings over midwicket for consecutive fours. Jayasuriya's running between the wickets was superb and belied his age. Seven doubles - three of which came in one over - and three triples were just as punishing for India as the 13 boundaries Jayasuriya picked.
With the crowd rooting for his every run, Jayasuriya played to the gallery: Nehra was cleverly swatted wide of short fine leg, Pathan was swept and paddled with power and precision. There was to be no century, however, as Ashish Nehra struck Jayasuriya in front when two short.
Angelo Mathews went just after, stumped as he played all over the turn Suresh Raina achieved, but Kandamby and Chamara Kapugedera - back in place for Thilan Samaraweera - got together to add 83 in 92 balls. As is required when a pair must build on the excellent work of a player before them, Kandamby and Kapugedera kept the scoring rate healthy. They weren't as belligerent as Jayasuriya but ran well, called loudly, and found the gaps.
Sri Lanka innings:
TM Dilshan c Dhoni b Sharma 23
ST Jayasuriya lbw b Nehra 98
DPMD Jayawardene st †Dhoni b Pathan 17
KC Sangakkara lbw b Harbhajan Singh 5
AD Mathews st Dhoni b Raina 19
SHT Kandamby not out 91
KMDN Kulasekara not out 3
Extras (lb 4, w 10, nb 1) 15
Total: (6 wickets; 50 overs) 307
India innings:
KD Karthik not out 12
SR Tendulkar not out 6
Extras (w 5) 5
Total: 3.3 overs) 23 (6.57 runs per over)
To bat: R Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, SK Raina,
MS Dhoni, YK Pathan, Harbhajan Singh,
RP Singh, A Nehra, I Sharma
After Kumar Sangakkara had won the toss and batted, there was a welcome return to form for a key player. Jayasuriya, without a fifty-plus score since January, could have gone on 13 when he edged Ishant Sharma wide of slip, but was chanceless thereafter. He used the width on offer to judder boundaries and as Sri Lanka reached 34 in four overs, India had reason to fear the worst.
Tillakaratne Dilshan had been kept quiet after an initial flourish, and his attempt to flash one over the off side resulted in a thin edge. The loss of Dilshan didn't cramp Jayasuriya's style and he continued to punish even the smallest indiscretion in line and length. RP Singh was pulled and driven to the boundary thrice in the 10th over.
India's best option was to train their efforts at the other end, and MS Dhoni gave them the breakthrough by stumping Mahela Jayawardene down the leg side. Yusuf Pathan spun the ball down the pads, Jayawardene fell over attempting a flick, and as his back leg stretched back inside the crease Dhoni whipped off the bails. Sangakkara departed soon after, out lbw to a straight delivery from the impressive Harbhajan Singh, whose first six overs cost 13 as he struck a teasing line.
Jayasuriya had been slowed down due to a loss of strike. Incredibly, he spent 13 deliveries spread over 9. 1 overs in the forties. As the pop anthem of the year, the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling", blared across the thumping stadium Jayasuriya raised his half-century. The crowd cheered loudly. Those cheers turned to thunderous applause when Jayasuriya hammered Yuvraj Singh's short-pitched offerings over midwicket for consecutive fours. Jayasuriya's running between the wickets was superb and belied his age. Seven doubles - three of which came in one over - and three triples were just as punishing for India as the 13 boundaries Jayasuriya picked.
With the crowd rooting for his every run, Jayasuriya played to the gallery: Nehra was cleverly swatted wide of short fine leg, Pathan was swept and paddled with power and precision. There was to be no century, however, as Ashish Nehra struck Jayasuriya in front when two short.
Angelo Mathews went just after, stumped as he played all over the turn Suresh Raina achieved, but Kandamby and Chamara Kapugedera - back in place for Thilan Samaraweera - got together to add 83 in 92 balls. As is required when a pair must build on the excellent work of a player before them, Kandamby and Kapugedera kept the scoring rate healthy. They weren't as belligerent as Jayasuriya but ran well, called loudly, and found the gaps.
Sri Lanka innings:
TM Dilshan c Dhoni b Sharma 23
ST Jayasuriya lbw b Nehra 98
DPMD Jayawardene st †Dhoni b Pathan 17
KC Sangakkara lbw b Harbhajan Singh 5
AD Mathews st Dhoni b Raina 19
SHT Kandamby not out 91
KMDN Kulasekara not out 3
Extras (lb 4, w 10, nb 1) 15
Total: (6 wickets; 50 overs) 307
India innings:
KD Karthik not out 12
SR Tendulkar not out 6
Extras (w 5) 5
Total: 3.3 overs) 23 (6.57 runs per over)
To bat: R Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, SK Raina,
MS Dhoni, YK Pathan, Harbhajan Singh,
RP Singh, A Nehra, I Sharma