India edge past Sri Lanka

19 February 2008

Mahendra Singh Dhoni hits the winning runs © Getty Images

Kumar Sangakkara’s brilliant 128 proved to be in vain as Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit fifties to help India edge home by two wickets against Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth Bank Series encounter at the Adelaide Oval.

Sangakkara’s innings ensured Sri Lanka posted a competitive 238 for six - the wicketkeeper-batsman sharing a 153-run third-wicket stand with captain Mahela Jayawardene (71).

The India response was not without its hiccups but 76 from 70 balls from Yuvraj and an unbeaten 50 by skipper Dhoni saw them home with five balls to spare.

The result leaves Sri Lanka struggling to reach the tri-series finals with four matches remaining before the best-of-three decider.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Sri Lanka lost their first wicket to Munaf Patel’s fourth ball as Tillakaratne Dilshan prodded a curving delivery into the grateful hands of Dhoni.

Two overs later, Sangakkara’s straight drive off Patel was tipped onto the stumps by the bowler - who was looking to stop a certain boundary - and ran out non-striker Sanath Jayasuriya for nought.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene then steadied the ship, the former bringing up his 50 in 88 balls.

Kumar Sangakkara cuts early in his innings © Getty Images

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Jayawardene’s half-century and the 100 partnership between the two quickly followed before Sangakkara was given a reprieve as he fended a Praveen Kumar delivery straight to short mid-wicket but a no-ball was called as the delivery was above waist-height.

India finally made a breakthrough in the 38th over as another straight drive from Sangakkara, this time off Kumar, was turned onto the stumps by the alert bowler to catch Jayawardene out of his ground and end the crucial partnership to leave Sri Lanka 159 for three.

Chamara Kapugedera contributed just one run before a direct hit from Rohit Sharma ran him out at the non-striker’s end as he looked for a single following a push to point off Ishant Sharma.

Sangakkara brought up his third one-day century against India and seventh overall off 141 balls with a boundary over long-on off Patel as Sri Lanka edged over 200.

Sangakkara and Chamara Silva (21) added a brisk 50-run partnership off 46 balls to push India’s required run-rate to just under five an over.

The wicketkeeper-batsman finally perished after holing out to Kumar at deep mid-wicket off the last ball of the penultimate over from Irfan Pathan.

Silva fell with three balls remaining after picking out Robin Uthappa at long-on off Harbhajan to leave Chaminda Vaas and Farveez Maharoof unbeaten at the end.

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The India reply could hardly have got off to a worse start as Sachin Tendulkar headed back to the pavilion in only the second over - bowled by a Lasith Malinga leg-cutter without having troubled the scorers.

Uthappa added 10 to the total before being run out by a direct hit from Jayasuriya attempting a quick single, and opener Gautam Gambhir soon followed suit when he edged behind to Sangakkara for 15 off Ishara Amerasinghe. That left India reeling on 35 for three in the 12th over.

Rohit and Yuvraj put on 64 for the fourth wicket before Rohit went for a big hit off Muttiah Muralitharan but failed to clear Silva at deep mid-wicket and was dismissed for 24.

Yuvraj passed his half-century and continued to advance at a rate of knots, but was then bowled by Vaas to put the game back in the balance at 158 for five.

Pathan’s knock of 31 from 41 deliveries was halted when he was bowled between bat and pad by Amerasinghe, who then also had Kumar snapped up at first slip by Jayawardene for six.

The late wickets continued to tumble as Malinga trapped Harbhajan leg before wicket playing across the line for three to further hold up the India chase.

But Dhoni remained constant at the other end as his partners came and went, and the captain finished things off by smashing the first legitimate ball of the last over from Maharoof through the covers for two to reach his 50 and see India home.

The next match of the CB series sees Australia face Sri Lanka at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.