The Hindu : Sport : First One-Day match called off

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Friday, Feb 09, 2007
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First One-Day match called off

Vijay Parthasarathy

Sanath Jayasuriya in murderous mood

— Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

BELLIGERENT: Sanath Jayasuriya was at his usual destructive best.

KOLKATA: Displaying the brand of belligerence that brought him to prominence a decade ago, Sanath Jayasuriya dismantled the Indian pace attack before play was called off owing to rain, in the first One-Day International match of the Hero Honda Cup between India and Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens on Thursday.

The 37-year-old cut, pulled and drove his way to an effortless unbeaten 63 and was poised to score a century when the rain began to pour. The Sri Lankans were left stranded on 102 for three from 18.2 overs.

Even so, by his frenetic standards, Jayasuriya's career batting strike rate is over 90, this knock was serene: this wasn't quite one of those performances that might have roused the mummy at the Indian Museum near the stadium out of its case.

Jayasuriya continues to employ the bottom hand effectively. His age notwithstanding, his powerful, pliant wrists can generate tremendous bat speed. Thirteen boundaries were less stroked than pounded, yet the risks he took were minimal. The Indians couldn't convert the couple of half-chances that he gave, first a slash that evaded wicketkeeper Dhoni's lithe stretch, and subsequently the opportunity for a run-out at the non-striker's end.

Whirlwind start

Earlier, put in to bat, Sri Lanka began in a flurry of fours. The left-handed Upul Tharanga clipped the first ball of the innings off his feet for a boundary, then elegantly drove one through the covers on the front foot. The scoreboard read 13 for no loss after one over.

Although the bounce was even with ball coming on to bat, there was a bit of assistance for seamers on this wicket, a factor that prompted Dravid to go in with three pacers and the lone spinner, Harbhajan.

Things didn't go India's way at first. Zaheer Khan couldn't reproduce his rich form of recent weeks; on Thursday he bowled with little variation in length and nearly all his short-pitched deliveries were pounced upon. He was tonked all around for 32 runs in his first and only spell of five overs.

Munaf Patel, operating from the High Court end, was shown a trifle more respect. His second over produced a maiden but just when the Indians were starting to exert some pressure, Jayasuriya shrugged it off as one would an ill-fitting coat. At the other end, however, wickets were beginning to fall. Upul Tharanga tried to pull a relatively fuller Munaf delivery from outside off stump only to chop it on to the base of leg. Captain Mahela Jayawardene then got under the ball in Munaf's next over and scooped it up like a chunk of ice cream, for Dravid to take an easy catch at mid-on.

A half-century partnership between Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara followed; then, against the run of play Sreesanth, who had given away 19 runs off his first two overs, induced the edge off an attempted square-cut.

Poor shot selection

Admittedly, the dismissals owed more to poor shot selection, but this brief glimpse of Munaf's potential is encouraging from an Indian perspective. He looked fit, and seemed capable of consistently producing the sort of length that would cramp Jayasuriya.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka: U. Tharanga b Munaf 14, S. Jayasuriya (not out) 63, M. Jayawardene c Dravid b Munaf 0, K. Sangakkara c Dhoni b Sreesanth 12, M. Atapattu (not out) 5; Extras: (w-6, lb-2) 8; Total (for three wkts. in 18.2 overs) 102.

Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-44, 3-96.

India bowling: Zaheer 5-0-32-0, Munaf 7-1-25-2, Sreesanth 4.2-0-36-1, Harbhajan 2-0-7-0.

PP1 (1-10): 52/2; PP2 (11-15): 86/2.

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