The Hindu : Sport : At last, a consolation victory for Sri Lanka

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At last, a consolation victory for Sri Lanka

S. Dinakar

Yuvraj Singh is Man-of-the-series; Man-of-the-Match Sangakkara and Dilshan shine

— Photo: AFP

RISING TO THE OCCASION: Suresh Raina is caught by Kumar Sangakkara, who had a great day with the bat as well as behind the wicket and played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s victory in the final one-dayer.

Colombo: Staring at a series whitewash, Sri Lanka picked itself off the floor with a comprehensive 68-run victory over India in the fifth and final ODI of the Wealthsurance series here on Sunday. India, however, took the series 4-1.

Once again, the side which won the toss finished at the right end of the contest. Powered by entertaining innings of 97 (117b, 9x4) by opener Tillakaratne Dilshan and 84 (70b, 8x4, 1x6) from Man-of-the-Match Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka set India a stiff target of 321.

The host then struck early through its pacemen to jolt India, seeking its 10th successive ODI win. But for a phase when Yuvraj Singh (73, 62b, 11x4, 1x6) blazed away, the islanders always had their noses in front.

With his feet closer in his in stance, Yuvraj has expanded his range of strokes. He is no longer planted at the crease, instead gets to the pitch of the ball. The punishing southpaw was adjudged the Man-of-the-Series.

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni fought hard for his 58-ball 53 — he was struggling with a tendon injury behind the knee in the later stages — and debutant Ravindra Jadeja was nerveless during his unbeaten 60 (77b, 5x4).

Good debut

Jadeja had a mixed time with his left-arm spin but batted with composure and skill. The ease and flow in this left-hander’s batting is hard to miss.

Crucially for Sri Lanka, its pacemen operated with a lot more discipline early on. The plan was in place for dangerman Virender Sehwag — getting him to drive at a fuller length ball around the off-stump. The ploy worked with the Indian opener being held at mid-off off left-arm paceman Thilan Thushara.

Gautam Gambhir can convert the length by walking down the pitch and Sangakkara stood up to Nuwan Kulasekara to counter the tactic. To his credit, Kulasekara took the ball away from the left-handers to prise out Suresh Raina and Gambhir. Sangakkara showed anticipation, balance and soft gloves while snaffling up the edges.

Things turned worse for India when Rohit Sharma top-edged a pull off Farveez Maharoof. Yuvraj and Dhoni kept India in the hunt before the former top-edged one back to bowler Muttiah Muralitharan.

Muralitharan bowled with control and craft, varying his trajectory and the point of release. He also won a contentious leg-before decision against Yusuf Pathan. Muralitharan’s spin partner Ajantha Mendis had a decent outing and picked up wickets at the end.

Jayawardene shuffled his bowlers well. His counterpart Dhoni, however, had an ordinary day as captain; there were too many bowling changes when Dilshan and Sangakkara were building the match-winning partnership. Non-regular bowlers often release the pressure and lessen the intensity.

Earlier in the day, the still explosive Sanatha Jayasuriya (37 off 35 balls) dismissed Ishant Sharma ruthlessly by pulling the paceman thrice in one over to the boundary.

Taking the initiative

A smart piece of bowling by Irfan Pathan — he pitched short when Jayasuriya charged down — earned India its first wicket. By then, Jayasuriya had provided the momentum.

Irfan bowled well in his first spell, there was more than a hint of movement for him, and could have prised out Jayasuriya on 19; Jadeja put down a regulation offering at point.

The right-handed Dilshan, a batsman quick of mind and feet, combined well with southpaw Sangakkara. The score was 209 in 32.5 overs when the second-wicket pair was separated.

Whenever given a little width, Dilshan drove both Ishant and Irfan fluently between point and cover. During the innings, Dilshan picked the length quickly and was swift with his response.

Sangakkara collected a slew of runs on the on-side. He repeatedly swept Virender Sehwag, slog-swept Jadeja and dumped Yuvraj over the mid-wicket ropes. Sangakkara’s leg-play is marked by the ease which he gets his right leg out of the way for the meaty blows. The manner in which he picks his spots reveals an incisive cricketing mind.

Eventually, Sangakkara fell to the left-arm spin of Yuvraj, well held in the deep by a sliding Rohit Sharma. Dilshan and the left-handed Thilana Kandamby, who read man L. Balaji’s slower one well, kept the run-rate at worrying levels.

Slump

Ishant then penetrated Kandamby’s defence with a speedy straighter one. In the same over — the 42nd — Rohit hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end from cover point to catch Dilshan short of the crease and Ishant moved one away from Chamara Kapugedera to find the nick. Sri Lanka slumped from 255 for two to 256 for five.

But the loose-limbed Maharoof biffed a 23-ball 32. The batting Power Play — taken in the 46th over — produced 46 runs for Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Tendulkar left for India on Sunday as he is not part of the T20 squad.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka: T. Dilshan (run out) 97, S. Jayasuriya c Raina b Irfan 37, K. Sangakkara c Rohit b Yuvraj 84, T. Kandamby b Ishant 26, M. Jayawardene c Raina b Yuvraj 1, C. Kapugedera c Dhoni b Ishant 0, F. Maharoof (run out) 32, T. Thushara c & b Ishant 11, N. Kulasekara (not out) 10, M. Muralitharan (not out) 3; Extras (b-3, lb-8, nb-1, w-7): 19. Total (for eight wkts in 50 overs): 320.

Fall of wickets: 1-66 (Jayasuriya), 2-209 (Sangakkara), 3-255 (Kandamby), 4-255 (Dilshan), 5-256 (Kapugedera), 6-256 (Jayawardene), 7-277 (Thushara), 8-315 (Maharoof).

India bowling: Irfan 9-0-55-1, Ishant 10-0-60-3, Balaji 5-0-32-0, Sehwag 3-0-26-0, Jadeja 6-0-40-0, Yusuf 3-0-20-0, Raina 6-0-24-0, Yuvraj 6-0-39-2, Rohit 2-0-13-0.

India: G. Gambhir c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 13, V. Sehwag c Jayasuriya b Thushara 6, S. Raina c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 0, Yuvraj c & b Muralitharan 73, R. Sharma c Kulasekara b Maharoof 15, M.S. Dhoni c Kulasekara b Jayasuriya 53, Y. Pathan lbw b Muralitharan 3, R. Jadeja (not out) 60, I. Pathan c Kapugedera b Mendis 8, L. Balaji c Kulasekara b Mendis 7, I. Sharma b Maharoof 4; Extras (lb-2, w-8): 10. Total (in 48.5 overs): 252.

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Sehwag), 2-9 (Raina), 3-52 (Gambhir), 4-85 (Rohit), 5-121 (Yuvraj), 6-138 (Yusuf), 7-193 (Dhoni), 8-217 (Irfan), 9-243 (Balaji).

Sri Lanka bowling: Kulasekara 9-0-42-2, Thushara 6-0-34-1, Maharoof 5.5-0-46-2, Muralitharan 10-0-41-2, Mendis 10-0-44-2, Jayasuriya 6-0-28-1, Dilshan 2-0-15-0.

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