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| Monday, 19 July 2004 |
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Lanka pull off 12-run win over India Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from Dambulla DAMBULLA, Sunday - Sri Lanka held off a spirited Indian fightback to win their Asia Cup Group 'B' day-night match by 12 runs at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium here today. In a thrilling contest between bat and ball, Sri Lanka came out trumps in the first meeting between the two sides in the 2004 competition. Sri Lanka rattled up 282-4 off 50 overs to record the highest total ever made on this ground then restricted the powerful Indian batting line up to 270-8 in 50 overs despite a valiant 82 off 100 balls (8 fours, 1 six) from Rahul Dravid which almost brought them to the door step of victory. It was a vicious off-break from Muttiah Muralitharan than ended Dravid's threatening innings in the 46th over with India still requiring a further 48 runs off 27 balls. That wicket brought Sri Lanka back into the game and they were able to contain the rest of their batting to earn a morale victory. India were pushed onto their back foot when they began their run chase by man of the match Nuwan Zoysa who figured in their first four dismissals for 71 runs. Zoysa captured three wickets for 49 runs and then ran out danger man Virender Sehwag for 37 with a direct throw from third man. But a 133-run fifth wicket partnership between Dravid and Yuvraj Singh (47) brought India back into the game before Sri Lanka once again roared back in the latter stages of the game. Sri Lanka capitalized on an excellent batting pitch and some wayward Indian bowling to knock up this record score beating the previous highest total of 262-6 by Australia against Sri Lanka in February this year. The highlight of the Sri Lankan innings was the rollicking fourth wicket partnership of 116 off 90 balls between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene who both completed superb half-centuries. The stage was set for them to launch into the Indian bowling with Sri Lanka on 156-3 in the 34th over. They ran between the wickets well and pierced the gaps on the field to put the Indian bowling to the sword. If not for the Indian ground fielding which did not wilt against the assault, Sri Lanka could have easily got to a total of 300. Sangakkara raced to 57 off 54 balls with three fours and a six before attempting to force the pace holed out to Ganguly in the covers in the 49th over. Jayawardene playing delicately and batting with finesse notched up his half-century off 45 balls inclusive of six and two fours. He finished not out on 58 with Dilshan seven when the innings ended. Sanath Jayasuriya who offers several options to the team as an explosive left-handed opener, a more than useful left-arm spinner and excellent fielder was forced to pull out with a left side strain. Sri Lanka team manager Ajith Jayasekera said that Jayasuriya first suffered the strain during the Darwin Test and at Cairns it became sore. "Sanath aggravated it while batting in the UAE match when he found that he was uncomfortable with his trademark square cut," said Jayasekera. "Sanath should be fit for the next game on Wednesday. All he needs is rest at the moment," he said. However Sri Lanka winning the toss and batting first did not feel Jayasuriya's absence in the batting when openers Saman Jayantha and Avishka Gunawardene put on 63 off 81 balls. The partnership was ended by Balaji who struck in his second spell after going for 29 runs including seven wides in his first. He found the edge of Jayantha's forward defence, which ended up in a catch behind the wicket. Jayantha's share in the partnership was 34 off 40 balls inclusive of four fours and a hooked six to long leg off Pathan. Gunawardene who recovered from chest cramps and being put on a rehydration drip after the match against UAE on Saturday, played and missed initially before coming to terms with the Indian bowling to strike five fours. He was run out when he backed up too far and failed to beat wicket-keeper Patel's throw to bowler Kumble. He missed out on his second successive fifty of the tournament by a run batting for 77 balls. Skipper Marvan Atapattu who rested from the first game, was quickly into his stride stroking the ball confidently and went onto make a stylish half-century off 76 balls with three fours before he tested Yuvraj's arm at backward point and was run out. Sri Lanka made three changes for today's game - Atapattu and Vaas returned to the side after missing the game against UAE while all-rounder Farveez Maharoof replaced the injured Jayasuriya. SRI LANKA:
S. Jayantha c Patel b Balaji 34
A. Gunawardene run out 49
M. Atapattu run out 50
K. Sangakkara c Ganguly b Pathan 57
M. Jayawardene not out 58
T. Dilshan not out 7
EXTRAS (b2, lb9, nb4, w12) 27
TOTAL (for four wickets in 50 overs) 282
Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-128, 3-156, 4-272.
Bowling: Pathan 10-0-49-1,
Balaji 9-1-60-1, Zaheer 9-0-39-0,
Ganguly 2-0-15-0, Kumble 10-1-46-0,
Sehwag 7-0-45-0, Yuvraj 3-0-17-0.
India innings (target: 283 runs from 50 overs)
SR Tendulkar c Jayantha b Zoysa 11
+PA Patel c Sangakkara b Zoysa 6
V Sehwag run out (Zoysa) 37
*SC Ganguly c Muralitharan b Zoysa 6
R Dravid b Muralitharan 82
Yuvraj Singh c Sangakkara b Vaas 47
M Kaif b Maharoof 22
IK Pathan not out 15
L Balaji c Sangakkara b Vaas 10
Z Khan not out 0
Extras (b 1, lb 6, w 21, nb 5) 33
Total (8 wickets, 50 overs) 269
DNB: A Kumble.
FoW: 1-16 (Tendulkar, 3.5 ov), 2-33 (Patel, 7.1 ov),
3-71 (Sehwag, 13.4 ov), 4-71 (Ganguly, 14.1 ov),
5-204 (Yuvraj Singh, 40.3 ov),
6-234 (Dravid, 45.3 ov),
7-243 (Kaif, 46.5 ov), 8-266 (Balaji, 49.2 ov).
Bowling O M R W
Vaas 10 0 51 2
Zoysa 10 2 49 3 (1nb, 6w)
Maharoof 10 0 45 1 (3w)
Muralitharan 10 0 46 1 (2w)
Chandana 5 0 39 0 (3nb, 2w)
Dilshan 3 0 25 0 (3w)
Jayantha 2 0 7 0
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