The Hindu : Sport : Tharanga and Silva lift Sri Lankan innings

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Saturday, Mar 24, 2007
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Tharanga and Silva lift Sri Lankan innings

S. Ram Mahesh

The Indian bowlers put in a decent performance in their last league match

Port of Spain: Upul Tharanga and Chamara Silva made contrasting half-centuries as Sri Lanka wriggled out of the straitjacket India's bowlers forced it into at the Queen's Park Oval here on Friday.

In the must-win Group B match, India started well after Rahul Dravid won the toss, and might have hoped to keep Sri Lanka under the 254 for six it managed. But, in the context of the tension surrounding the match, the over-all bowling effort wasn't to be sniffed at.

Often, texture is ascribed to tension. It is thick enough to either cut with a knife or chew like a paste.

Everything on Friday seemed to thicken tension here at the Queen's Park Oval: the excruciatingly slow street pantomime a few meters from one of the overflowing ticket counters, the pressuring buzz as the players warmed up, the market-bustle of activity as the captains walked out for the toss.

Zaheer Khan's first over was nervous — 10 came, but mostly from leg-byes. Ajit Agarkar beat both the inside and the outside edge of Sanath Jayasuriya's bat in a fine first over of control, cut, and swing. He had Jayasuriya in front, first ball; umpire Daryl Harper, surprisingly, gave the appeal little consideration.

Runs were hard to come by. Sri Lanka had made just 19 — including eight leg-byes — in five overs before Upul Tharanga guided Agarkar perilously close to Virender Sehwag at second slip for the first boundary off the bat.

The two slips were bunched together, necessitated by a deep first slip: Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag soon sorted out their spacing, but had they conceded an advantage? Worse, a convincing cuff over cover followed next ball.

Close call

Zaheer decked one into Jayasuriya — and another close shout for leg-before was turned down. Frustration could have crept in, but as Harbhajan Singh — brought in for Anil Kumble — showed at mid-off with a dive of desperation rather than grace, India was up for the battle. Zaheer had Jayasuriya skewing a high catch to third-man.

Agarkar has excellent hands, and he needed them, for it was a catch made tricky by the spin on the ball and the drama of the wait. Team India gathered around. The pressure of a pending first wicket was bled off.

Unsettled

Mahela Jayawardene, unconvincing against Bangladesh, charged Zaheer and sliced him over cover. But, the Sri Lankan captain looked distinctly unsettled. He could have gone any number of ways — the softest of them sought him out.

Agarkar, having switched ends, allowed Jayawardene one on the pads. He touched it for Dhoni to leap across, left mitt stuck out, and complete the catch.

Kumar Sangakkara is Sri Lanka's best batsman on surfaces that do a bit. Immediately, he was leaning into drives and punching late. His hands remained admirably soft.

Harbhajan was introduced as an interesting aside developed. The off-spinner has been guilty in recent matches of choosing parsimony to wicket-taking.

In his last 15 matches, he has 11 wickets at 73.6 balls a wicket compared to his career strike-rate of 46.7.

That he has often bowled in the Power Play overs has caused him to fire it in at over 60 mph. But, in his first spell on Friday, Harbhajan slowed it through the air, and looked better for the effort.

Ganguly strikes

Sourav Ganguly did Dravid and India a huge favour by getting rid of Sangakkara. Perhaps the only chink in this formidable batsman is a tendency to briefly lose concentration after a start. Here, he found a nonchalant Munaf at long-on.

Tharanga made emergency stitches to keep the fabric of the innings from rupture.

Sachin chips in

But, Sachin Tendulkar trapped him in front to make it two wickets from the non-regulars. Dravid brought Zaheer back, but Chamara Silva, with a cunning employment of the inside edge, thwarted the thrust for the wicket that would have slowed Sri Lanka down.

Dravid may have erred in keeping Tendulkar on for one over too many.

In Tillakaratne Dilshan's busy, innovative presence, Chamara hustled runs.

The pair put on 83 runs in 80 balls before Munaf and Zaheer dragged things back. Zaheer's cutter to dislodge Chamara was particularly skilful.

But, Russel Arnold and Chaminda Vaas hit out for important late runs.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka: U. Tharanga lbw b Tendulkar 64, S. Jayasuriya c Agarkar b Zaheer 6, M. Jayawardene c Dhoni b Agarkar 7, K. Sangakkara c Munaf b Ganguly 15, C. Silva c Dhoni b Zaheer 59, T. Dilshan c Dhoni b Munaf 38, R. Arnold (not out) 19, C. Vaas (not out) 19; Extras (lb-11, w-14, nb-2): 27; Total (for six wkts. in 50 overs): 254.

Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-53, 3-92, 4-133, 5-216, 6-216.

India bowling: Zaheer 10-0-49-2, Agarkar 8-1-33-1, Munaf 10-1-46-1, Harbhajan 10-0-53-0, Ganguly 4-0-22-1, Tendulkar 8-0-40-1.

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