Kohli and Gambhir guide India into final
Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir cracked half-centuries to help India
enter the triangular one-day series final with an emphatic eight-wicket
win over Sri Lanka here on Sunday. Kohli made a brisk 71 not out and
Gambhir scored 71 as India surpassed Sri Lanka’s 213 with more than 17
overs to spare in the day-night match.
India will clash with Sri Lanka in the final on January 13.
Sri Lanka, who had made it to the final before this match, finished
their league engagements with three victories from four matches. India
have so far posted two wins and Bangladesh none after three matches.
India’s victory was set up by paceman Zaheer Khan (3-38) and
leg-spinner Amit Mishra (3-40), who restricted Sri Lanka to a modest
total despite fighting half-centuries from skipper Kumar Sangakkara (68)
and Suraj Randiv (56).
Dinesh Karthik and Gambhir put India on course for victory with an
89-run stand for the opening wicket. Kartik smashed an attractive
40-ball 48 with nine fours before being caught behind off paceman Thilan
Thushara. Gambhir was dropped on 41 by Tillakaratne Dilshan at point and
then on 43 by Upul Tharanga in the deep — both off the bowling of
Thushara — before being caught at mid-on off Thissara Perera. He added
72 for the second wicket with Kohli, who hit nine fours in his 68-ball
knock.
Sri Lanka’s hopes of setting a stiff target were earlier shattered
when they lost six wickets for 84 runs in the opening 19 overs after
electing to bat. Sangakkara steadied the innings with a 59-run stand for
the seventh wicket with Randiv before falling in the 30th over, caught
by Suresh Raina at mid-wicket while attempting to pull part-time spinner
Yuvraj Singh.
He hit nine fours in his 54th half-century.
Randiv continued to defy the Indian attack, hitting five boundaries
in his maiden half-century before being bowled by Mishra. He also added
59 for the eighth wicket with Thushara (28).
Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Tharanga was caught at first
slip by Karthik off seamer Sudeep Tyagi in the opening over. Tharanga,
who made a century in the last match, failed to open his account this
time. Dilshan, who missed the last two games because of an injury,
looked in punishing mood as he cracked five fours in Tyagi’s successive
overs. India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni replaced Tyagi with Zaheer,
who struck in his opening over when he had Dilshan caught by Gambhir.
Dilshan hit eight fours in his 17-ball 33.
AFP
SRI LANKA
U. Tharanga c Karthik b Tyagi 0
T. Dilshan c Gambhir b Zaheer 33
K. Sangakkar c Raina b Yuvraj 68
M. Jayawardene c Kohli b Zaheer 5
T. Samaraweera lbw b Sreesanth 0
T. Kandamby run out 1
T. Perera c Yuvraj b Mishra 11
S. Randiv b Mishra 56
T. Thushara c Yuvraj b Zaheer 28
C. Welegedara st Dhoni b Mishra 1
S. Lakmal not out 0
Extras (lb3, nb1, w6) 10
TOTAL (for all out; 46.1 overs) 213
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Tharanga), 2-42 (Dilshan), 3-60 (Jayawardene), 4-61 (Samaraweera),
5-66 (Kandamby), 6-84 (Perera), 7-143 (Sangakkara), 8-202 (Thushara), 9-209 (Randiv), 10-213 (Welegedara).
Bowling: Tyagi 7-1-46-1, Sreesanth 7-0-38-1 (w1), Zaheer 10-2-38-3, Mishra 9.1-1-40-3 (nb1, w3),
Jadeja 6-1-21-0 (w1), Yuvraj 4-0-18-1 (w1), Raina 3-0-9-0.
INDIA
D. Karthik c Sangakkara b Thushara 48
G. Gambhir c Welegedara b Perera 71
V. Kohli not out 71
Yuvraj Singh not out 8
Extras (lb4, nb9, w3) 16
TOTAL (for two wickets; 32.4 overs) 214
Fall of wickets: 1-89 (Karthik), 2-161 (Gambhir).
Bowling: Welegedara 5.4-0-51-0 (nb6), Lakmal 10-0-75-0 (nb3, w2), Thushara 6-0-33-1 (w1), Randiv 6-0-19-0, Perera 5-1-32-1. |