Muralitharan breaks world one-day bowling record
India four in four with a 67- run win against Lanka:
Elmo RODRIGOPULLE
Muttiah Muralitharan who broke Wasim Akram’s one day international
world bowling record having Gautam Gambhir as his 503rd victim was the
only redeeming feature in another disgraceful effort by the Sri Lankans
who conceded defeat to the Indians by 67 runs in the 48th over in the
fourth one-day international in a day/night encounter at the R.
Premadasa Stadium, yesterday.
Sr Lanka were all out for 265 in reply to India’s 332.
When Sri Lanka began their reply and if they were to get any where
near the Indian total of 332 and go past it, and if an unlikely win was
to be achieved, then openers Tillekeratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya
had to give them a rollicking start.
They put on a stand of 55 in 44 deliveries. But that was not enough
for the batsmen following to launch. Jayauriya went for 27 with two
sixes and a four and then Dilshan followed at 79 for 38 with 6 fours.
With the Sri Lankan score on 107 for two an ugly incident took place
when a spectator hurled an object on to the field which prompted skipper
Dhoni to take the team off the field after consultation with umpires
Bryan Jerling and Kumar Dharmasena as a precautionary measure. But the
game resumed after a near 20 minute break with no overs being reduced.
Then vice captain Kumar Sangakkara and captain Mahela Jayawardena put
on 61 for the third wicket and when Jayawardena left with the score on
140 for 28, Thilina Kandamby followed for 10 and when Sangakkara went
for a neatly compiled 66 with 4 fours in 74 balls the writing was on the
wall. It was Sangakkara’s second half century in a row.
Angelo Matthews made 6, Chamara Kapugedera another failure for 16,
Farveez Maharoof for 28, Muralitharan for no score and the last man out
was Fernando bowled by Praveen Kumar for 9. Kulasekera remained unbeaten
on 39. Irfan Pathan had three wickets and Sehwag and Kumar two wickets
each.
It was another sad and listless batting display by the Lanka batsmen
save for Sangakkara and with this defeat, only a miracle can save them
from a 5-nil whitewash which would be a black mark on their game which
ignominy has not been suffered before.
A magnificent century from stylsh left handed opener Gautum Gambhir
150 who was involved in a big stand of 188 for the second wicket with
skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni 96 steered India to yet another formidable
total of 332 for five in 50 overs.
Gambhir excelled with superb cuts and lofted shots and the hallmark
of his innings was that he was able to bisect the fielders. He had 13
fours and one six in his 146 ball knock
Gambhir was also involved in a century stand with Suresh Raina for
the fifth wicket. When the Indian innings ended Raina was unbeaten on 49
and Rohit Sharma on 4. Kulesekera had two wickets for 53.
Muttiah Muralitharan finally realized his dream pocketing the world
one-day bowling record when Kumar Sangakkara clung on to a snick by
Gambhir in the first ball of the bowler’s final over. Murali’s team
mates ran in from every where in the field to pat and congratulate the
record breaker. Murali is now the king of wicket takers in both versions
of the game. An achievement that all Sri Lanka could well be proud of.
The Indian batsmen gave a lesson in clever and intelligent running
between the wickets.
Only a sprinkling of spectators greeted the two captains Mahendra
Singh Dhoni and Mahela Jayawardena when they walked out to toss. It was
apparent that the supporters had deserted the Lankan team and they
cannot be faulted and it would have dawned on the Lankan cricketers that
losers are outcasts.
Sri Lanka had left out their mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis whose
mystery the Indians seemed to have unraveled, while India rested Sachin
Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan and gave Rohit Sharma and Irfan Pathan a go.
With the five match series already decided with India winning three,
the only points of interest in this game was whether Muttiah
Muralitharan would realize his longing of capturing one more wicket and
making the one-day cricket bowling record all his own and whether Sri
Lanka would win and not be in line to suffer the ignominy of a 5-nil
whitewash that has never happened in the history of their game.
Jayawardena again had the mortification of losing the toss and Dhoni
sported a wide grin and he said: Ď will have first go”.
Nuwan Kulasekera and Farveez Maharoof opened the bowling to Virender
Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. With the score on 14, a beefy drive by Sehwag
was brilliantly held by an agile Sanath Jayasuriya diving forward at mid
off and the Lankan bowlers would have been over joyed and heaved a sigh
of relief to see the back of Sehwag.
But their joy was short lived because Dhoni coming in one drop and
Gautam Gambhir once they got their eyes in began to toy with the fastmen
who were just up and down. Spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath
Jayasuriya too were not spared.
They were involved in a big stand of 188 in 185 balls. Both batsmen
played some lovely cover drives, pushed the singles and twos and even
turned the twos into threes and blasted fours and hammered sixes when
the bowlers offered and as the Lankan fielding flopped, especially the
ground fielding with runs off overthrows also being gifted.
Dhoni was unfortunate to miss a well deserved 100 when going for a
boundary hit which would have signalled his three figure mark. He
mistimed the big hit and skied a catch to Dilhara Fernando fielding at
point off Jayasuriya. He left at 207 for a well made 94 which came in 96
deliveries with 4 fours and 2 sixes.
With the addition of five more runs, Kulasekera coming on for his
second spell yorked century maker in the previous game Yuvraj Singh for
5 and next ball got Yusuf Pathan to play on without scoring.
INDIA
Virender Sehwag c Jayasuriya b Kulasekara 5
Gautam Gambhir c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 150
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Fernando b Jayasuriya 94
Yuvraj Singh b Kulasekara 5
Yusuf Pathan b Kulasekara 0
Suresh Raina not out 49
Rohit Sharma not out 4
Extras: (9lb, 15w, 1nb) 25
TOTAL: (for 5 wickets) 332
Overs: 50. Batting time: 226 minutes.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-14, 2-202, 3-207, 4-207, 5-310.
DID NOT BAT: Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Pragyan Ojha and Ishant Sharma.
BOWLING: Nuwan Kulasekara 10-0-63-3 (6w), Farveez Maharoof 10-0-60-0 (1w),
Dilhara Fernando 9-0-64-0 (1nb 3w), Angelo Mathews 3-0-24-0,
Muttiah Muralitharan 10-0-66-1 (4w), Sanath Jayasuriya 8-0-46-1 (1w).
SRI LANKA
T. Dilshan c Yuvraj b Kumar 38
S. Jayasuriya c R. Sharma b I. Pathan 27
K. Sangakkara c Gambhir b Sehwag 56
M. Jayawardene c Dhoni b Sehwag 28
T. Kandamby lbw b Y. Pathan 10
C. Kapugedera b Ojha 16
A. Mathews c Dhoni b Yuvraj 6
F. Maharoof c R. Sharma b I. Pathan 28
N. Kulasekara not out 39
M. Muralitharan c Raina b I. Pathan 0
D. Fernando b Kumar 9
Extras (lb3, w5) 8
TOTAL (for all out) 265
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-55 (Jayasuriya), 2-79 (Dilshan), 3-140 (Jayawardene), 4-163 (Kandamby),
5-174 (Sangakkara), 6-183 (Mathews), 7-207 (Kapugedera), 8-220 (Maharoof), 9-220 (Muralitharan), 10-265 (Fernando).
BOWLING: Kumar 9-0-38-2, I. Pathan 7-0-58-3 (w1), I. Sharma 5-0-39-0, Ojha 10-0-34-1 (w1),
Sehwag 9-0-43-2 (w1), Y. Pathan 3-0-13-1 (w2), Yuvraj 5-0-37-1.
Overs: 48
|
