Zaheer Khan was given the man of the match award for his match winning performance. Zaheer took four wickets to create havoc in the Sri Lankan camp. Although India won the second ODI of the Idea Cup by three wickets, it was not convincing enough. Losing seven wickets in an attempt to chase 142 runs is in no way commendable. The bowlers did exceptionally well to restrict the islanders under 150 but the batsmen once again faltered and disappointed one and all. Had the score been anywhere near 170, the story would have been different altogether.
Earlier, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni once again showed why his temperamental skill is so much talked about. Although he was bowled by Dilhara Fernando when India’s scorecard read 135, he had done enough to take India near the total set by Sri Lanka. But the hearts of all Indian fans beat hard when Mendis struck Bhajji in his last over to dismiss the seventh Indian batsman. With the mauling that he has done in the past, it was very normal for all to think of the worst. However, Subramaniam Badrinath remained cool and showed tremendous patience to take India past the total set by Sri Lanka. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fell in quick succession after Yuvraj perished to Mendis. Thilan Thushara had Virat Kohli caught by Kapugedera for a score of 37 runs while Rohit Sharma departed without scoring. Sharma was dismissed plumb in front of the wicket. Debutant Badrinath came to the crease after Rohit’s departure and teamed up with skipper Dhoni to take India closer to victory.
Opener Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh stabilized the Indian innings after Kulasekara sent back Pathan and Raina. The duo got together and scored cautiously to take the Indian total past the 50 run mark. But the smile in the Indian camp lasted only a couple of deliveries as marauder Mendis dismissed Yuvraj for 20 striking his pads plump in front of the wicket.
Nuwan Kulasekara dismissed India’s makeshift opener Irfan Pathan to give Sri Lanka a good start with the ball after the batsmen failed to flourish on the Dambulla strip. Kulasekara has earlier teamed up with Thilan Thushara to put up a half century stand for the seventh wicket to bail Sri Lanka out of trouble. Kulasekara then dismissed Suresh Raina who came in to replace Pathan after the left arm Indian batsman was trapped in front of the wicket.
India revenged their insult at the hands of the hosts in the first ODI at the same venue by dismissing Sri Lanka for 142 in 38.3 overs. India were wrapped up for 146 runs in the first one-dayer. The Indian bowlers came firing all cylinders led by left arm pacer Zaheer Khan who scalped four wickets giving away just 21 runs. Praveen Kumar supported him well picking up 3 wickets while Bhajji and Pathan took two and one respectively. India have their best chance in the series so far to make the Lankans look less than ordinary. Only pressing the self destruct button can guarantee India their second consecutive loss
Moments after Thushara’s hard-wearing knock came to an end, Praveen Kumar ended Nuwan Kulasekara’s snail paced innings of 25 runs off 62 balls. Badrinath took another brilliant catch to dismiss the right hander. A full length delivery on the pads and a flick off the wrist of the batsman resulted in the eighth loss for the Lankans. Bhajji then came in to remove Ajantha Mendis for nought. Harbhajan took a simple catch off his own bowling to send Mendis back to the hut to result in the ninth Lankan wicket.
Before their dismissals, both Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara held their nerves to bring up their fifty run partnership and 100 for Sri Lanka after the hosts lost six wickets owing to some lethal bowling by Indian pacers. Thushara in particular played with aggression while Kulasekara played cautiously to bail the islanders out of deep trouble. Thushara fell to Bhajji just before reaching his half century for a score of 44. Kohli made no mistake in taking the catch to end a resilient knock from the left hander.
After Zaheer and Praveen had shaken the top order, Irfan Pathan came to outshine Dilshan’s class as he induced the right handed Lankan batsman into mistiming a sway. Dilshan’s mistake cost him dear as debutant Badrinath took a flawless catch at deep mid wicket. It seems as if India has exchanged their luck with Sri Lanka. Dilshan’s loss meant that the islanders lost their sixth wicket even before crossing the 50 run mark. However, Thilan Thushara, who came in for Dilshan, paired with Kulasekara helping his team limp past the 50.
It looked like it was Zaheer Khan’s day altogether. After removing three Sri Lankan batsmen in the first spell, he returned in the second to send the dangerous Sanath Jayasuriya for 13. The left hander could only manage one hit to the fence. Zaheer caught the southpaw plump in front and the umpire had no problems in raising the finger. Jayasuriya became Khan’s fourth wicket of the day.
Earlier, Praveen Kumar joined the party thrown by Zaheer Khan as he dismissed Chamara Silva for no score. An extra bit of bounce assisted the right arm pacer as the ball took the edge of Silva’s bat and popped in the air at point where the Under-19 World Cup winning captain took it with ease. Sri Lanka lost their fourth wicket in Silva’s form.
Prior to Praveen’s wicket, a pumped Zaheer Khan seemed to be on fire gulping down three Sri Lankan wickets in quick succession. He rattled Kumar Sangakkara’s for two runs. Mahela Jayawardene, the in form batsman and skipper was then lured by Khan to poke an away going delivery. Yuvraj Singh made no mistake in pouching the cherry sending the skipper back to the pavilion. Chamara Kapugedera entered. The script, however, did not change. Zaheer was on the roll again as a beauty of a delivery caught Kapugedera by surprise. He edged the delivery and wicket keeper exulted to celebrate the third Lankan dismissal.
Earlier, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to field first at the Rangiri stadium. He won the toss battle with his counterpart Mahela Jayawardene but will have to motivate his team to give their best if at all they wish to accumulate their lost status
India was bombarded with a bombshell even before the Murali-Mendis assault could start as star Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was ruled out of the second ODI due to a stiff neck. Subramaniam Badrinath replaces the Delhi batsman.
Dhoni said that he was choosing to bowl out of compulsion as they are playing a combination of 4 seamers and 1 spinner in the match. It will be Irfan Pathan who will open the innings with Virat Kohli. Praveen Kumar replaces Pragyan Ojha in the match.
For Sri Lanka, Vaas has been rested on 399 ODI wickets as he is suffering a stiff hamstring. Fernando will replace the ominous pacer.
Match Preview
We are into the second match of the five ODI series at the Rangiri International Stadium India lost the first one dayer by 8 wickets owing to some exceptional bowling by the Lankan bowlers.
The Murali-Mendis magic continues to maul the Indian batsmen and they seem to have no answer to the vicious web of the unorthodox spinners. The return of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the confident Yuvraj seemed to be of nil advantage to the visitors.
India batsmen will have to come good under any circumstances to pose any challenge to Sri Lanka. If they play like they have been for the past three weeks or so, the hosts will have no problems in sweeping the series clean and dust the reputation of the Indian batting line up.
Squad
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Mahela Jayawardene(c), Chamara Kapugedera, Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan
India (Playing XI): Irfan Pathan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni(w/c), Subramaniam Badrinath, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel