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A ballistic 33-ball half-century by Robin Uthappa set the tone for the run-chase before an assured middle-order partnership between Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly steered India home to a memorable 2-1 series win ahead of their departure for the World Cup in eleven days' time. It rounded off a couple of fine series for India, with the back-to-back triumphs allowing them to put behind the nightmare they'd endured during the one-day leg of the South African tour.
Chamara Silva's outstanding maiden one-day century had allowed Sri Lanka to recover from the depths of 56 for 4, lifting them to a competitive 259, but India's batting arsenal proved to be too strong. Uthappa started off at breakneck speed, smearing nine fours and a six in a blink-and-you'll miss it effort, before the experienced hands of Virender Sehwag, Ganguly and Yuvraj sealed the issue. Yuvraj motored to his first half-century since May 2005, a factor which will no doubt be a boost ahead of India's Caribbean campaign. Ganguly managed his fourth fifty since returning to the one-day side and was deservedly presented with the Man-of-the Series award.
Chasing 260 in 47 overs was always going to provide a challenge but India didn't have to worry too much after such a frenetic start. Uthappa dominated the 92-run stand with Sehwag, where they rattled along at 7.5 an over. Walking in during the first over, after Ganguly had retired hurt with cramps in the thigh, he had a few tough moments against the fiery Lasith Malinga. He edged the first ball, which raced away past the slip cordon for four, before being beaten for pace thrice in a row. He managed two fours in the next few overs but it was only in the seventh over of the innings that he gave Dilhara Fernando a rude welcome to the crease. In a sequence that read 4,1,1,4,4,4 he dismantled Fernando with a combination of crisp flicks and slaps. It was a brand of hitting that would have made the man at the other end, Sehwag, readily applaud.
Once he fell, scooping a length delivery to mid-off, Sehwag picked up the baton. Making most of the width offered, he juddered a few boundaries square of the wicket. But he will be most disappointed with his senseless dismissal, especially after seeming to rediscover his old touch in a 43-ball 46. Turning his back on the ball a good ten feet away from the crease, lazily making his way back, he was caught napping by a sharp throw from Kumar Sangakkara.
It didn't affect the final outcome, with Yuvraj and Ganguly adding 145 in emphatic fashion, blending sparkling strokeplay with sensible strike rotation. Yuvraj was off the blocks with a sensational leg-side six off Dilhara Fernando, when he simply jutted his bat out and saw the ball soar over square leg, and didn't appear in any trouble throughout. Ganguly took the aerial route on a more regular basis - pulling Fernando majestically over square leg, lofting Malinga Bandara straight and hoicking Jayasuriya over midwicket with an air of arrogance. Yuvraj finished off the game with a flurry of boundaries, pasting Maharoof for a sequence that read 4,4,dot,6,4,4.
9 окт 2024
