Tharanga leads Sri Lanka’s India hunt

Upul Tharanga plundered the highest individual score in a one-day international (ODI) in the Caribbean as Sri Lanka steamrollered India by 161 runs in the third match of the Tri-Series at Sabina Park on Tuesday.

Replying to Sri Lanka’s mammoth 348 for one in their 50 overs, in which Tharanga made an unbeaten 174 and Mahela Jayawardene 107, World Cup and Champions Trophy holders India were dismissed for just 187 in the 45th over.

Upul Tharanga. AFP

“It was a bad day at the office,” admitted India’s stand-in captain Virat Kohli.

“We took some time to switch on in the field and by then the Sri Lankans were off and away, and even when we batted I don’t think we applied ourselves as well as we should have.” India looked a pale shadow of the side that had gone unbeaten in lifting the Champions Trophy in England just over a week earlier.

The dismissal of Kohli, standing in for the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni, hooking his Sri Lankan counterpart Angelo Mathews to long-leg, virtually ended the match as a contest as India fell to 57 for three in the 16th over. Earlier Jayawardene played a typically classy innings in compiling his first ODI hundred for two years and his 16th in all in a 213-run opening stand in which he outscored Tharanga.

But ultimately it was Tharanga’s day as he timed the ball sweetly and caned the lacklustre Indian bowling to all parts of the ground with dismissive authority. He brought up his 13th ODI hundred off 124 deliveries with 11 fours and finished with 19 fours and three sixes in his 174 off just 159 balls.

Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews promoted himself to number three to join the run feast and raced to 44 off 29 balls as he and Tharanga plundered an unbroken 135 off the final 11.2 overs.

“We really needed this,” said Mathews, who acknowledged that his team was under pressure to get a good result after being beaten comfortably by the West Indies in the tournament-opener last Friday. “Hats off to Mahela and Upul, who really set this up for us and allowed the bowlers to complete the job.” A disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack never allowed the Indians a chance to threaten the daunting target.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath was the most successful bowler with three for 37 while Sachithra Senanayake and Lasith Malinga claimed two apiece.

Mathews proved the most ecomomical. Sharing the new ball, he conceded only 23 runs off his eight overs, picking up the key wicket of Kohli.

AFP