The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sehwag, Ganguly come good

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Sehwag, Ganguly come good

By Sanjay Rajan

RETURN TO FORM: Virender Sehwag was back among the runs with an innings-best 81 against Sri Lanka in a crucial Asia Cup match in Colombo on Tuesday as India won a thriller by four runs to enter the final. Sri Lanka had already reached the summit clas h. -- Photo: N. Balaji

COLOMBO, JULY 27. It might seem trivial at the end of it. Especially after Virender Sehwag returned to form with a smashing 81. But the fact remains that the Najafgarh lad's confidence was largely built in Sachin Tendulkar's company, during the near-seven overs that the openers were together on Tuesday.

Tendulkar took first strike, a change from the normal pattern, indicating that his partner's confidence was on the ebb. Looking back, one of the main reasons for India's lack of success in big matches in the ongoing Indian Oil-Asia Cup 2004 competition so far, was Sehwag's loss of form, translating to bad starts for the team.

Not that India, opting to bat first, got a good one in the must-win contest against Sri Lanka under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium here. But the 34-run stand was not about runs alone. Tendulkar covered up for his partner; didn't allow him to face a ball in the first two overs while the Mumbaikar on-drove Nuwan Zoysa for two boundaries and straight-drove the left-armer again to the fence to keep the board ticking.

Sehwag struggled at the start — beaten uncharacteristically on the off-side — but, nevertheless, settled down to provide the launch pad.

India finished at a competitive 271 for six, thanks largely to the 134-run second-wicket stand off 157 deliveries between Sehwag and skipper Sourav Ganguly.

India went into the match with four bowlers. Specialist wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel was included — his second match in the competition — and batted down the order. L. Balaji, whose loss of form touched the nadir in the outing against the men in green, was dropped, while both the spinners, leggie Anil Kumble and offie Harbhajan Singh, figured in the scheme of things.

Left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan, back from an injury break, shared the new ball with fellow southpaw Irfan Pathan. Sri Lanka was without mediumpacer Chaminda Vaas (rested) and wizard off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (away in Kandy to attend his grandfather's funeral).

Pacemen Lasith Malinga and Zoysa made runs difficult to come by for Sehwag. In fact, Malinga nearly had him in the sixth over, fishing outside the off stump, but the thick edge flew wide off Jayawardene at first slip. It was Sehwag's first boundary.

ELEGANT AS EVER: Sourav Ganguly turns Sanath Jayasurya round the corner as wicketkeeper Kumara Sangakkara follows the action.

Zoysa had Tendulkar leg-before. In came Ganguly, welcomed with a series of short-pitched deliveries by Malinga. The skipper ducked under a few and, getting on top of his toes, dropped a few others down dead.

The look in his eyes said: here is a man with a mission. At the end of 10 overs the score was a modest 43 for one.

Sehwag was his old self in the following over when he hooked Zoysa to the boundary and followed it with a crisp cover-drive to the fence. Ganguly, at his fluent best, put Malinga in his place with three boundaries in one over. Sehwag then struck off-spinner Dilshan for a huge six. A while later, he would have fallen to Dilshan when on 33, he gave the charge and the leading edge flew over Gunawardene at covers.

Run feast

Sehwag struck Zoysa for a straight six when he returned for a second spell. Ganguly pulled mediumpacer Maharoof to the boundary. At 30 overs, India had trotted on to 152.

Jayasuriya replacing Zoysa, brought the lucky break, claiming Sehwag given caught behind while trying to sweep in his second over. Rahul Dravid walked back almost immediately, snapped up behind as he lunged into a drive. And India tumbled to 173 for three, by the end of the 35th over.

But Ganguly (79) and spunky southpaw Yuvraj Singh (50), with a reprieve when Dilshan dropped him off his own bowling, put on 71 for the fourth wicket at a-run-a-ball, before the former was caught at mid-on failing to gauge Malinga's subtle change of pace in the 46th over. Meanwhile, Zoysa, who pulled a hamstring, didn't complete his spell.

INDIA

S. Tendulkar lbw b Zoysa 18

(21b, 3x4)

V. Sehwag c Sangakkara
b Jayasuriya
81

(92b, 6x4, 2x6)

S. Ganguly c Chandana
b Malinga
79

(120b, 9x4)

R. Dravid c Sangakkara 1

b Maharoof

(7b)

Yuvraj c Gunawardene
b Malinga
50

(46b, 5x4)

Md. Kaif (run out) 1

(2b)

P. Patel (not out) 13

(10b, 1x4)

I. Pathan (not out) 8

(6b)

Extras (1b-2, w-14, nb-4) 20

— —

Total (for six wkts. in 50 overs)

271

— —

Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Tendulkar), 2-168 (Sehwag), 3-169 (Dravid), 4-240 (Ganguly), 5-248 (Kaif), 6-255 (Yuvraj).

Sri Lanka bowling: Zoysa 8-0-49-1 (w-7), Malinga 10-0-56-2 (w-3, nb-2), Dilshan 10-0-49-0 (w-2), Maharoof 8-0-37-1 (w-1, nb-2), Chandana 7-0-42-0 (w-1), Jayasuriya 4-0-17-1, Jayantha 3-0-19-0.

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

Sport