Nuwan Zoysa made the early inroads, and Muttiah Muralitharan struck the decisive blow as Sri Lanka held on for a 12-run triumph over India in an engrossing Group B encounter at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran18-Jul-2004
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Sachin Tendulkar departs for 11 as India couldn’t recover from their bad start© Getty Images
Nuwan Zoysa made the early inroads, and Muttiah Muralitharan struck the decisive blow as Sri Lanka held on for a 12-run triumph over India in an engrossing Group B encounter at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.Sri Lanka had piled up 282 for 4 on a sluggish pitch, largely due to some tremendous hitting from Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in the climactic stages of the innings, and they appeared to have the match sealed when India slumped to 71 for 4. But Rahul Dravid, with a valiant 82, and Yuvraj Singh, unconvincing yet gutsy in an innings of 47, cobbled together 133 for the fifth wicket to set up a thrilling finish. But Sri Lanka held their nerve despite a late flourish from Irfan Pathan and Lakshmipathy Balaji, to go into the second round-robin phase of the Asia Cup as group winners.Though he had a quiet game by his standards, it was Murali that snuffed out any hopes India had by bowling Dravid off the inside edge (234 for 6), after he had walloped Zoysa for a four and a six in the previous over. Dravid paced his innings beautifully, but ultimately the steepness of the asking rate was to prove beyond even his considerable powers.India had gambled with Parthiv Patel at the top of the order, and it never threatened to work. Sachin Tendulkar, without Virender Sehwag to provide acceleration from the other end, started brightly, with a gorgeous straight-drive off Chaminda Vaas and a tremendous flick through midwicket off Zoysa. But when Zoysa pitched one just outside off stump, Tendulkar went for a meaty drive that only lobbed to Saman Jayantha at mid-off (16 for 1).Sehwag’s arrival at the crease upped the adrenaline levels. Having thumped Vaas down the pitch for four, he scooped the very next ball high to the bowler’s right. Vaas, though, couldn’t hold on. At the other end, Patel struggled to 6 before edging a full one from Zoysa behind the stumps (33 for 2).It could have got worse immediately as Sourav Ganguly started hesitantly on a pitch that certainly wasn’t cut out for strokemaking. Sehwag, though, was undaunted, lofting both Vaas and Zoysa straight back down the ground for fours, and then working Vaas through midwicket with disdain.The recovery shuddered to an abrupt halt when Zoysa struck with a splendid throw from third man. Sehwag and Ganguly had decided on two after Sangakkara fluffed a take behind the stumps, but Sehwag – after an attractive cameo of 37 – was caught inches out of his ground by Zoysa’s direct hit (71 for 3).Ganguly followed moments later, grotesquely miscuing a pull to Murali at midwicket (71 for 4). It was the perfect fillip for Sri Lanka, who hadn’t even introduced Murali into the attack. Both Dravid and Yuvraj struggled initially, but gradually, they started to find the gaps, and the occasional four, to set up a frenetic finale.Frenetic was an apt word to describe the 116-run partnership – at eight an over – between Sangakkara and Jayawardene after India had kept the Sri Lankans in check for two-thirds of the innings. But by the time Sangakkara (57) slapped a Pathan delivery to Ganguly at cover (272 for 4), the fine bowling in the middle overs was just a distant memory.Jayawardene had joined Sangakkara in the middle after Marvan Atapattu’s shambolic running between the wickets had cost Sri Lanka a second wicket. Not content with having run-out Avishka Gunawardene one short of his half-century, Atapattu then ran himself out, taking on the arm of Yuvraj at point (156 for 3). His half-century was a vital innings, though, the sedate nature of it the perfect counterfoil to the aggression of Gunawardene and Sangakkara.India had started brightly, with both Pathan and Balaji getting appreciable movement in the air. But once Saman Jayantha and Gunawardene settled, the run rate climbed. Balaji lost his radar, bowling too many wides, and offering room to manoeuvre for batsmen who relished the opportunity to give the ball a good thump.Jayantha had announced his intent with a top-edged hook for six off Pathan, and when Zaheer Khan was brought on to replace Balaji, he promptly smashed one to the midwicket fence. Ganguly’s response was to bring Balaji right back. Jayantha (37) then chased one that moved away from him, and Patel gathered the thin edge behind the stumps (63 for 1).
Avishka Gunawardene drives during his 49© Getty Images
Atapattu started hesitantly, but Gunawardene ensured that momentum wouldn’t be lost with some fine strokes. When Ganguly brought himself on, he thumped one straight back down the ground, before carving Zaheer over point for four more.At the other end, Atapattu eased his way in with a beautifully timed shot through midwicket off Zaheer, which took Sri Lanka past 100, and a sumptuous off-drive. But with Gunawardene on the verge of a richly deserved fifty, Atapattu sent him back after initially calling for a quick leg-bye off Kumble’s bowling. Patel’s throw to Kumble was a mere formality (128 for 2).Atapattu followed him to the pavilion minutes later, but Sri Lanka found the men of the hour in Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Sangakkara drove beautifully, and a six over midwicket off Yuvraj was possibly the shot of the innings, until Jayawardene topped it with a glorious flicked six over square leg off Balaji.The Indian bowling had no potency – Zaheer pulled up lame yet again – and the fielding was increasingly ragged, to Ganguly’s visible frustration. And ultimately, on the day that Tendulkar passed Mohammad Azharuddin as India’s most-capped player, it was the opposition that had something to celebrate. Sri Lanka have laid down the marker, and the other teams would do well to be wary.