Tuesday, Dec 23, 2003
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Cricket
By S. Sabanayakan
Sri Lanka `A' captain Russel Arnold sweeps Dinesh Mongia to the fence at the Eden Gardens on Monday. Indian wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra looks on. — Photo: Sushanta Patronobish
The victory should have tasted sweet indeed, for it came against a side which is virtually the second string Indian side. Sri Lanka failed to utilise the morning conditions and allowed India `A' reach 300 for eight in 50 overs, thanks mainly to opener Gautam Gambhir's 113. Sri Lanka pulled off the morale-boosting win in style. Three Sri Lanka batsmen stood out in the triumph. Opener Saman Jayantha's stroke-filled 98-ball 92, Man-of-the-match Russel Arnold's unbeaten 96 off 99 balls and a 57-run cameo from Naveed Nawaz made sure Sri Lanka ended on the winning side for a great start to this tournament. "Not many teams loose after scoring 300 runs,'' rued Indian captain Hemang Badani. "It was a bad day to be honest. We failed in the departments of bowling, fielding and catching. The total was good enough to defend.'' 
Gautam Gambhir
"At one point of time we were looking at 350 on this pitch against the strong batting line-up of the Indian team. We had to be positive from the start. That we achieved the victory with so much comfort feels wonderful and it will give a great boost to our confidence,'' said Arnold. To start with India had just four frontline bowlers in seamers Sanjay Bangar and Amit Bhandari and spinners Sarandeep Singh and Sairaj Bahutule. Munaf Patel, a newcomer even to first class cricket, proved that he had a long way to go. Patel lacked anticipation and alacrity on the field and his dropped catch of Jayantha when on 58 off Sarandeep Singh at backward square-leg should be enough evidence of his ability or lack of it.
Jayantha shows class
Jayantha, shaping up in the mould of Sanath Jayasuriya in the opening slot, made most of his runs with thundering shots, 11 crossing the ropes and two sailing over them. He and Arnold ensured a partnership of 126 runs for the third wicket in about 21 overs that turned the game Sri Lanka's way. Jayantha looked to get his century but fell to Mongia taken by Bahutule at mid-wicket for 92. Arnold found good company in vice-captain Naveed Nawaz and the duo made the remaining 99 runs in 87 balls to cruise to victory. India won the toss and opted to bat first despite conditions suiting seam bowling. However, the Sri Lankan pacers Nuwan Zoysa and Tharanka Lakshitha, especially the former, failed to exploit the conditions. In fact Zoysa bowled a 19-ball over, his second and Sri Lanka's third with nine no balls and four wides. Indian openers Gambhir and Bangar made merry to put on 84 runs for the first wicket in eight overs. Gambhir and Mohammad Kaif's association of 159 runs in 31 overs for the second wicket gave the real momentum to the innings. At one point of time India was 204 for one at the end of 35 overs and from there it ended at 300 for eight once Kaif left for a well-compiled 71 (107b, 4x4). Yuvraj Singh stayed long enough to witness Gambhir completing his century but he himself went out sweeping Arnold into the hands of Jayantha at square-leg for six before Lanka dismissed Gambhir for 113 (125b, 11x4, 1x6). The quick exits of Badani, Bahutule, Ajay Ratra and Sarandeep Singh did not help the cause of the side as Sri Lanka came back to restrict India to 300. Dinesh Mongia was left undefeated on 23. The National selectors named S. Sriram of Tamil Nadu as a replacement for Mithun Manhas of Delhi who sustained a crack on his left index finger while fielding. Manhas was substituting for an indisposed Gambhir. Sri Lanka takes on Pakistan in the second match of the tournament on Tuesday. Arnold hinted that his team was unlikely to make any change to the winning combination. The scores: India A: S. Bangar b Lakshitha 21; G. Gambhir lbw b Kulasekara 113; Md. Kaif c Jayantha b Herath 71; Yuvraj Singh c Jayantha b Arnold 6; H. Badani c Arnold b Zoysa 18; D. Mongia (not out) 23; S. Bahutule lbw b Zoysa 1; A. Ratra c Jayawardane b Kulasekar 1; Sarandeep Singh (run out) 3; A. Bhandari (not out) 3. Extras (lb-5, nb-22, w-13): 40. Total (for eight wickets in 50 overs): 300. Fall of wickets: 1-64, 2-223, 3-237, 4-261, 5-265, 6-267, 7-271, 8-292. Sri Lanka `A' bowling: Zoysa 10-0-81-2 (nb-18, w-5), Lakshitha 9-1-50-1 (w-1), Kulasekara 10-1-50-2 (nb-3, w-3), Herath 10-0-45-1 (w-2), Jayantha 5-0-33-0 (nb-1, w-1), Arnold 6-0-36-1. Sri Lanka `A': Shantha Kalaritigoda b Bangar 18; Saman Jayantha c Bahutule b Mongia 92; Jehan Mubarak lbw b Bahutule 25; Russel Arnold (not out) 96; Naveed Nawaz (not out) 57. Extras (lb-7, w-6): 13. Total (for three wickets in 48 overs): 301. Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-76, 3-202. India `A' bowling: Bhandari 6-0-44-0, Bangar 8-0-41-1, Patel 5-0-49-0, Bahutule 9-1-40-1, Sarandeep 10-0-54-0, Mongia 8-0-48-1, Badani 2-0-18-0.
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