The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Lankan Lions storm into final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 24, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Lankan Lions storm into final

By Sanjay Rajan

RAVEHEART: Mohd. Ashraful, who waged a lone battle against Sri Lanka. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

COLOMBO, JULY 23. Even as Alok Kapali lost his wicket to a terrible mix-up with Md. Ashraful, and bowler Chaminda Vaas, while trying his best to conceal the smile on his lips, took the bails off at the non-striker's end, Bangladesh's coach Dav Whatmore, sitting in the players' balcony at the Grand Stand of the R. Premadasa Stadium, clutched his head and stared despondently at the floor. Opting to bat, Bangladesh had been reduced to 23 for three by the ninth over against Sri Lanka. This certainly wasn't how Whatmore had envisioned the Indian Oil-Asia Cup 2004 second phase day/night clash that pitted his present wards against his former.

The contest on Friday was an emotional one for the Australian, as it happened to be the first occasion he was plotting against the Lankan Lions, whom he had guided to success in the 1996 World Cup.

The fiery Lasith Malinga and wily left-armer Vaas provided the early breakthroughs and when gangly pacer Farveez Mahroof, who gained considerable bounce, castled left-hander Faisal Hossain, the side was beginning to sink, at 31 for four.

But, young Ashraful had other plans. The compact right-hander, who began opening in the shorter version of the game as recently as March, during the series against Zimbabwe, scored a gritty 66 (121b, 5x4, 1x6) and put on 100 off 155 deliveries for the fifth-wicket with left-hander Manjural Islam (43, 84b, 3x4). His effort enabled the side to make 190 for nine in the allotted 50 overs.

It was Ashraful's best effort in ODIs. The young man had topscored in the previous match. Whatmore finally smiled. At least his batsmen had performed better than the Pakistanis (122) did, against the host at this venue two days earlier. This was played on a different wicket though.

Jayasuriya dazzles

That Sri Lanka knocked off the runs without losing a wicket, with left-handers Sanath Jayasuriya scoring his 17th century (107, 101b, 11x4) and Avishka Gunawardene (64, 100b, 4x4) in blazing form, was another matter.

The clash was a mis-match, really. Sri Lanka picked up a second bonus point and secured a place in the final.

The host rested Nuwan Zoysa. It was expected. The left-arm pacer, who picked up consecutive Man of the Match awards, needed to be preserved. Malinga played instead. For Bangladesh, medium-pacer Tapash Baisya replaced Tareq Aziz, who is of similar breed.

Ashraful defiant

Ashraful and Islam batted with purpose against both pacemen and spinners. Muralitharan, the wizard off-spinner, bowled with a slip and silly point, gained appreciable turn, but didn't make the kind of impact that was expected of him.

Ashraful hooked Maharoof to the fence, swept left-arm spinner Jayasuriya for a six, on-drove and cover-drove Maharoof for boundaries. It wasn't a chanceless innings though. When on 25, he was dropped by Vaas at mid-on off Malinga with the team score at 60 for four.

Islam was dismissed giving Muralitharan the charge while Ashraful, the youngest Test centurion in history, was run out to a direct hit at the non-striker's end by Tillekeratne Dilshan after Khalid Mashud played leg-spinner Upul Chandana to mid-on.

Jayasuriya lived up to his skipper's faith. "I'm waiting for that one good innings. After that he'll be the Jayasuriya we all know," was how Marvan Atapattu backed the all-rounder through his bad patch, when people bayed for the southpaw's blood.

And when Jayasuriya played that ferocious lofted off-drive off medium-pacer Mahmud he was just making his point: I'm back. Beware.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport