Gambir's ton goes astray as rain halts second match

Commonwealth Bank Series:

Ranjan Anandaappa in Australia

The intermittent rains in Brisbane seem to be playing havoc as the second ODI limited over match in the Commonwealth Bank series between India and Sri Lanka too was abandoned without a ball being bowled in the Sri Lanka Innings here at the 'Gabba' Cricket Stadium in. their day/night game.

India now has gained four points on virtue of their two abandoned games against Australia and Sri Lanka while Australia and Sri Lanka have two points each. Sri Lanka is due to play Australia in Sydney in a day\night match on Friday (8 Feb.)

In the Indian Innings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and left hander Gautham Gambhir saved India from a near disaster and gave some respite to the Indian batting adding 184 runs for the fifth wicket without being separated after off spinner Muthiah Muralitharan snapped up two quick wickets in his first over to send India sliding down to 83 for 4 when they won the toss and elected to bat first.

Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag gave India a much needed start. Tendulkar batted with exquisite timing driving Vaas twice to the cover boundary, while Sehwag played second fiddle making their intentions clear of building a sound opening stand.

Neither batsmen were keen in their usual flurry of strokes taking the advantage during the first session of power play, but they kept the score moving at a healthy and reasonable pace. In the first 8 overs they posted 41 runs without being separated with Tendulkar and Sehwag scoring more either square or behind the wicket.

Vaas although went for runs, bowled without luck in his first spell. Tendulkar survived a confident appeal for leg before and a thick edge off the same batsman, which got past Mahela Jayawardena in the slips.

There after Sehwag shaping to play a shot on the on side popped up the ball which fell in no mans land, while the score was moving steadily. Sehwag also cut one hard and T.M.Dilshan failed to cling on to a sharp chance.

Jayawardena kept his pacemen till the 20th over. He kept rotating Malinga, Vaas and Amarasinghe in short spells. When the score was 68 Malinga who replaced Amarasinghe in the15th over got the vital break through bowling Tendulkar off the inside edge of his bat. Then Amarasinghe replacing Vaas accounted for Sehwag caught behind on the leg side by Sangakkara.

Ishara Amarasinghe was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers. He bowled with venom to unsettle the Indian top order batsmen, Gambhir who went on to score a century was also dropped early in the innings by Sangakkara when on 11. At that stage Amarasinghe had the impressive bowling figures of 1 for 17 off 6 overs.

With the introduction of Muralitharan in the 20th over India suffered a severe blow when he captured the wickets of Yuvraj Singh for 2 in his second ball and Rohith Sharma in the fourth ball who was unfortunate to be ruled out caught behind.

India were at that stage 83 for 4 and heading towards total disaster. Skipper Dhoni joined Gambhir and the pair indulged themselves in a massive rescue operation. The Indian captain took the responsibility solely on his shoulders and guiding Gambhir to bat with caution mixed with aggression. In 25 overs India had lost 4 for 94.

Jayawardena marshalled his bowlers judiciously. He used his main fast bowlers in intervals and got batting all rounders Chamara Kapugedera, and T.M. Dilshan for a short while. But Dhoni and Gambhir was moving steadily to post the 100 for 4 in the 27 over off 163 deliveries.

In the 35th over India were 138 for 4 and the accelaration began thereafter. The 100 run stand for the 5th wicket between Dhoni and Gambhir came off 126 deliveries and the Sri Lankans could not do much to stop the rampaging pair.

In the last 10 overs the pair added 105 runs with Gambhir reaching a well compiled unbeaten 102 off 101 deliveries containing 10 fours and six, while Dhoni's unbeaten 88 had five fours and a six. The pair added 184 runs for the fifth wicket off 175 deliveries.

INDIA INNINGS
V. Sehwag c Sangakkara b Amerasinghe	 33
S. Tendulkar b Malinga			 35
G. Gambhir not out			102
Y. Singh c Jayawardene b Muralitharan	  2
R. Sharma c Sangakkara b Muralitharan	  0
M. Dhoni not out			 88
Extras (lb-3, w-4)			  7
TOTAL (for four wickets, 50 overs)	267
DID NOT BAT: R. Uthappa, I. Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, S. Sreesanth, I. Sharma.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-68, 2-80, 3-83, 4-83.
BOWLING: Vaas 10-0-72-0 (w-1), Malinga 10-1-56-1 (w-1), 
Amerasinghe 10-2-30-1, Muralitharan 10-0-51-2 (w-1), Kapugedera 6-0-23-0 (w-1), 
Dilshan 1-0-8-0, Jayasuriya 3-0-24-0.