The Hindu : Sport : Jayasuriya guides Sri Lanka to a fine victory

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 31, 2005

Sport

Sport

Jayasuriya guides Sri Lanka to a fine victory

Sanjay Rajan

PRIZE CATCH: Kumar Sangakkara cannot hide his delight as Rahul Dravid is bowled round his legs by Upul Chandana. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

DAMBULLA: It does seem like Sanath Jayasuriya has some sort of psychological hold over India. The ageing lion did it again on Saturday — a deep-throated roar, just when India had staged a remarkable recovery in the IndianOil Cup tri-series opener at the picturesque Rangiri Dambulla Stadium here.

Chasing 206 for victory, the host was reduced to 104 for four when Jayasuriya walked in. The `Marauder from Matara' hadn't fielded for most part of the Indian innings after sustaining a shoulder injury earlier in the afternoon. As a result he had to come down the order and it proved to be a blessing in disguise, considering that an experienced campaigner was needed then, and who better than the man bowlers world over fear on the low and slow wickets of the sub-continent. And Jayasuriya (43 not out) dutifully guided Sri Lanka to a three-wicket win with 10 deliveries to spare.

Later when asked about the state of his injury, Jayasuriya said, "nothing is known for now. I took a few painkillers to bat. My team needed me."

It wasn't one of those slam-bang Jayasuriya innings. This one was about control — cool and calculated, as he handled Harbhajan, Sehwag and the three left-arm seamers.

The Indian new ball pair of Irfan Pathan and Zaheer Khan sent back Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, while Suresh Raina's direct hit at the wicketkeeper's end from square-leg did Marvan Atapattu in.

Harbhajan strikes

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold took the side past the 100-run mark with a 44-run stand off 74 deliveries for the fourth wicket, before the former fell leg-before to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh playing across the line.

Harbhajan struck again, when he had Arnold bowled, playing for the turn. India had every reason to smile, having dismissed the top-half of the Lankan line-up for 112 (29.4 overs).

Only, Jayasuriya, who began this innings 76 short of 10,000 ODI runs, was still in the middle. And nothing is quite over as long as he is there. Jayasuriya found support in the debutant Dilhara Lokuhettige, who made a daring 21. The two put on 28 for the sixth wicket, before the youngster played-on to Pathan.

Amid mounting tension, Jayasuriya and Upul Chandana slowly and steadily whittled down the difference. With 38 needed for victory, Jayasuriya had a reprieve, a difficult opportunity for Dravid at slip off off-spinner Sehwag. Zaheer, re-introduced into the attack, struck when he had Chandana caught behind, but Mahroof and Jayasuriya sealed the contest with their stand of 37. Jaysuriya scored the winning runs, a pull to the fence off debutant Raina.

Sri Lanka was without its main seamers Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa, both down with injuries, but Farveez Mahroof and Lokuhettige were up to the task. Mahroof's first spell read 8-0-21-1 and the prized wicket of Virender Sehwag and Lokuhettige's 8-2-26-2.

In the absence of V.V.S. Laxman — down with a back spasm, again — India needed a long innings from the Delhi batsman, considering that the top-order was short of experience.

But Sehwag, who began imperiously, cracking three boundaries in Lokuhettige's first over, missed the line while trying to work the ball to the on side. This was in the third over, after Rahul Dravid had opted to take first strike.

Lokuhettige impresses

The decision to open the batting with M.S. Dhoni was a logical one. The 'keeper-bat from Jharkhand was in form after scoring half-centuries in both the warm-up games. But the team management took a chance by moving Yuvraj Singh up the order to No. 3. Obviously Dravid wanted an experienced hand to beef up the top-order. Only, the move backfired.

For one making his debut, Lokuhettige bowled with tremendous confidence, complementing Mahroof every inch of the way. He bowled Dhoni through the gate. And when Yuvraj departed, top-edging a pull off Lokuhettige with the team score at 44, India was in deep trouble.

India found found runs difficult to come by and was 48 for two at the end of 15 overs and 64 for five, five overs later. It was Dravid's half-century, a defiant 38 by debutant Venugopala Rao and use of the long-handle by the tail, which saw India finish at 205 for nine.

A good recovery, considering that the average first innings score at this venue is 199, but not good enough. Mahroof frequently beat Yuvraj around the off-stump.

The Punjab left-hander was clearly uncomfortable against the moving ball. For that matter, he never has been, as was evident during the Test series at home against Australia. He was also a failure in the three previous ODIs that he has batted at No. 3.

The move also upset the middle-order, where Yuvraj and Md. Kaif at five and six usually bolster the scoring rate with their dynamic ways. That was missing now.

India capped Venugopala and left-hander Suresh Raina and left out L. Balaji, leg-spinner Anil Kumble and all-rounder Jai Prakash Yadav from the XI.

Kaif checked his on-drive off Dilhara Fernando and Muralitharan, running in from mid-on, brought off a magnificent diving catch. The wizard off-spinner then befuddled Raina with a floater, which had the left-hander leg-before. It was the Uttar Pradesh lad's first ball in international cricket.

Dravid and Venugopala put on a crucial 58 runs in 81 deliveries for the sixth wicket. Dravid guarded Venugopala against the wiles of Muralitharan and the Vizag lad steadily grew in confidence.

At that point, the host clearly missed the accurate left-arm spin of Sanath Jayasuriya, who injured his right shoulder while fielding early in the innings.

Venugopala and Irfan Pathan, who played some neat drives, added 37 in 66 balls for the next wicket, while the ninth wicket pair of Zaheer and Harbhajan put on an invaluable 43 off 34 deliveries.

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