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A face-saving victory for Sri Lanka

S. Dinakar

Gilchrist revels in his last appearance at the MCG

Melbourne: Adam Gilchrist’s lofted shot appeared heading for the fence. This, is seemed, would be yet another boundary is an astonishing innings. Then, out of nowhere, the little Lasith Malinga emerged, sprinting to his left from long-off and then sliding sideways to emerge with the ball. Bowler Nuwan Kulasekara’s exasperation turned to a smile. It was the defining moment of the contest at the MCG.

Mahela Jayawardene’s men, defending 221, squeezed out a 13-run win with old warhorse Sanath Jayasuriya ending a defiant last-wicket partnership between Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken. Lee edged a pull to his stumps and the Lankans celebrated.

Australia, in its first complete chase in the series, floundered. And, Sri Lanka signed off from the CB ODI tri-series salvaging some pride in what has otherwise been a disappointing campaign.

Jayawardene won a crucial toss and captained well after man of the match Gilchrist’s blitz threatened to shut the Lankans out. In his final game at the MCG, Gilchrist (83, 50b, 11x4, 2x6) was on the ball under the lights. He was a given a guard of honour by the Lankans as he walked in to bat and then struck the ball sensationally on a pitch on the slower side.

The hand-eye coordination, the bat speed, and the delightful swing of the willow were all in place as Gilchrist cut loose. The scorching yorkers from Malinga were sent thumping down the ground or through mid-off. When given the slightest width, the left-hander smashed the ball past point and cover. He picked the length so quickly that a good-length delivery from Ishara Amerasinghe was sent soaring over the square-leg fence. When Muralitharan flighted, Gilchrist danced down to strike over the bowler’s head.

Whirlwind start

The opening pair of Gilchrist and James Hopes — Matthew Hayden was rested — put on 107 in just 14.4 overs when a teasing Muralitharan floater clipped the right-handed Hopes’s off-bail.

Then, in an unexpected collapse, Australia slumped to 123 for six in the 24th over. Nuwan Kulasekara and Amerasinghe used the incoming delivery to good effect against right-handed Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke. Andrew Symonds nicked one down the leg-side. The left-handed Michael Hussey was cleaned up a delivery that darted in from Chamara Kapugedera.

There was resistance from the Aussie lower order, but this was a game where the Lankans found the answers.

Earlier, Nathan Bracken scalped four. The left-armer’s ability to extract bounce and the manner he switches his line make him a compelling bowler. There is a lot of ‘work’ on the ball when Bracken bowls. He gets the ball to jag wickedly either way off the seam. He also has the ability to swing the ball off a fuller length. The left-armer can also take the pace off the ball.

Bracken got his line to the left-handed Sanath Jayasuriya right and extracted the trade-mark bounce to snare the left-hander. The Aussies had accorded the Lankan Lion a guard of honour as he walked in. Another left-armer, the talented Mitchell Johnson, dismissed key batsman Kumar Sangakkara with a delivery on the off-stump that held its line. Hussey plucked a spectacular, diving catch at first slip.

Before long, the Lankans were 61 for four. Yet, the vibrant flag-waving Lankan fans in the stands continued singing ‘Surangani...’

Sri Lanka, gradually, regrouped. And skipper Jayawardene showed character. The compact right-hander with sound footwork and a wonderful sense of timing collected runs with common sense than flair. Before he played across to a Brad Hogg flipper, Jayawardene had pegged a rampant Aussie attack back with clever placements.

Like Jayawardene, Tillekeratne Dilshan is a wristy batsman of the sub-continental kind. He has a keen eye and is not reluctant to take his chances. Friday’s effort was, however, a watchful innings. Before his run-out dismissal, Dilshan (62, 70b, 3x4) worked the ball around, pushed and half-drove in the arc between cover and mid-wicket.

For a change, Chamara Silva another Lankan batsman who had disappointed in the series, offered some fight. The Lankans edged past the 200-run mark.

Wake-up call

Australian captain Ricky Ponting said the ball tended to skid off the pitch at the MCG on Friday. “A few of us got undone by a bit of skid off the wicket more than anything,” he said.

The captain added, “We’ve known for a while we’re playing India in the finals. Hopefully, the loss tonight will sharpen us all up for Sunday.”

On the Aussie guard of honour for Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan, he said, “Murali had a bit of a laugh and a joke with us, telling us we were setting up the guard of honour then we were going to try and knock his head off. They are two legends of the game and it’s the last time we’ll see them in Australia.”

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka: M. Perera lbw b Lee 5, S. Jayasuriya c Hussey b Bracken 23, K. Sangakkara c Hussey b Johnson 11, M. Jayawardene lbw b Hogg 50, C. Kapugedera c Gilchrist b Hopes 2, T. Dilshan (run out) 62, C. Silva c Johnson b Bracken 35, N. Kulasekara b Bracken 14, L. Malinga c Hopes b Lee 0, M. Muralitharan b Bracken 1, M. Amerasinghe (not out) 5, Extras (lb-1, w-8, nb-4): 13; Total (in 50 overs): 221.

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-32, 3-42, 4-61, 5-125, 6-185, 7-206, 8-208, 9-212.

Australia bowling: Lee 10-1-55-2, Bracken 10-3-29-4, Johnson 10-1-54-1, Hopes 8-0-32-1, Hogg 10-1-33-1, Clarke 2-0-17-0.

Australia: A. Gilchrist c Malinga b Kulasekara 83, J. Hopes b Muralitharan 28, R. Ponting lbw b Kulasekara 1, M. Clarke b Amerasinghe 0, A. Symonds c Sangakkara b Amerasinghe 0, M. Hussey b Kapugedera 5, B. Haddin lbw b Malinga 7, B. Hogg lbw b Muralitharan 21, B. Lee b Jayasuriya 37, M. Johnson c Jayawardene b Amerasinghe 3, N. Bracken (not out) 14, Extras (lb-3, w-6): 9; Total (in 48.1 overs): 208.

Fall of wickets: 1-107, 2-113, 3-115, 4-115, 5-115, 6-123, 7-142, 8-158, 9-173.

Sri Lanka bowling: Malinga 9-1-48-1, Kulasekera 10-3-36-2, Amerasinghe 10-2-44-3, Muralitharan 10-0-42-2, Kapugedera 6-0-24-1, Perera 3-0-11-0, Jayasuriya 0.1-0-0-1.

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