Lanka crush listless India

July 25, 2012

srilanka

Sri Lanka exacted sweet revenge on India with a crushing nine-wicket victory in the second ODI here to draw the series level at 1-1.


It was an absolutely contrasting performance by the Indian batsmen from their last match as they were bundled out for a paltry 138 in only 33.3 overs.

Chasing a target of 139, which isn’t good enough for even Twenty20 format, Sri Lankan openers Upul Tharanga (59 n.o., 60 balls) and Tillekaratne Dilshan (50, 49 balls, 5x4) added 119 runs as the islanders hardly broke sweat while racing to the target in only 19.5 overs.

The win also means that India won’t get a shot at No 1 spot in ICC ODI rankings, for which they needed a 5-0 victory in the current series.

Although the second ODI was played on a different strip, it was inexplicable as to how a team, which scored 314 a couple of days back, showed complete lack of application to get bowled out inside the 34th over.

Save opener Gautam Gambhir, who scored a fighting 65 (96 balls, 4x4), the other batsmen paid heavy price for their indiscretion on a pitch that demanded judicious shot selection. Thisara Perera (3/14) and Angelo Mathews (3/19) ran through the Indian top-order.


India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and expectedly decided to bat despite windy conditions that aided swing bowlers.

The visitors got off to a brisk start courtesy Virender Sehwag (15) as he blasted debutant Isuru Udana for a couple of boundaries as they raced to 31 in just three overs.

After Udana went for 16 in his first over, Mahela Jayawardene had no option but to turn to Perera whose slower delivery did the trick after Sehwag committed to the shot early for the bowler to take a sharp reflex catch.


Failure is a rarity for Virat Kohli (1) these days but Tuesday was different. He chased a delivery from Perera that was wide outside off-stump and the faint nick gave Kumar Sangakkara first of his four catches.


Rohit Sharma (0), who is lucky to be still persisted with despite a run of poor scores, once again flattered to deceive as he played on while going for an ambitious cut off a very wide delivery from Mathews.

Suresh Raina (1) dragged one from Perera back onto his off-stump. Dhoni (11) hit a couple of fours but then went for a non-existent cut shot off a Mathews delivery. The ball reared up from short of good length and there was virtually no room to play the square cut and Sangakkara latched onto the edge.

With all the top-order batsmen save Gambhir back in the pavilion before completion of first 15 overs, the Delhi left-hander had an onerous task of saving his wicket as well as scoring some runs.

Irfan Pathan (6) too didn’t stay long but Ravichandran Ashwin (21, 15 balls, 3x4) did throw his bat around during a 28-run eighth wicket partnership after which the burly Tamil Nadu offie was needlessly run-out.

Gambhir, meanwhile, got to his 32nd half-century with No 10 batsmen Pragyan Ojha for company.

score board

INDIA

Gambhir c Sangakkara b Malinga 65
Sehwag c&b Perera 15
Kohli c Sangakkara b Perera 1
Rohit b Mathews 0
Raina b Perera 1
Dhoni c Sangakkara b Mathews 11
Irfan c Perera b Malinga 6
Ashwin (run out) 21
Zaheer lbw Herath 2
Ojha c Sangakkara b Mathews 5
Yadav (not out) 0

Extras (B-2, LB-4, W-5) 11

Total (all out, 33.3 overs) 138

Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-33, 3-38, 4-41, 5-60, 6-79, 7-107, 8-113, 9-132.

Bowling: Malinga 7.3-0-36-2, Udana 6-0-42-0, Perera 8-3-19-3, Mathews 7-2-14-3, Herath 5-0-21-1.

Sri Lanka

Tharanga (not out) 59
Dilshanc Dhoni b Ashwin 50
Chandimal (not out) 6

Extras (LB-10, W-14) 24

Total (for 1 wkt, 19.5 overs) 139

Fall of wicket: 1-119

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 6-0-39-0, Irfan Pathan 4-0-27-0, Umesh Yadav 4-0-38-0, R Ashwin 5-1-18-1, Pragyan Ojha 0.5-0-7-0.



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News Network
May 1,2020

Melbourne, May 1: Reclaiming the top spot in Test cricket has brought smiles back on their faces but Australia coach Justin Langer says beating India in their own den remains the ultimate test and their numero uno status will be put to test when they clash with the Virat Kohli-led team.

After a tumultuous transition phase post the ball-tampering scandal, Australia on Friday displaced India as number one side in Test format but Langer is aware that it does not take long for the situation to change.

"We recognise how fluid these rankings are, but at this time it was certainly nice to put a smile on our faces," Langer told Cricket Australia website. "We've got lots of work to do to get to be the team that we want to be, but hopefully over the last couple of years not only have we performed well on the field, but also off the field," Langer added.

The former left-handed opener underlined what he felt will be the ultimate test of character.

"Certainly a goal for us has been the World Test Championship ... but ultimately, we have to beat India in India and we've got to beat them when they come back (to Australia).

"You can only judge yourself as being the best if you beat the best and we've got some really tough opposition to come," Langer put his priorities in place. The team he insists needs to get better as now others will come gunning for them.

"Getting to No.1 is a great thing, but when you're No.1, you're always the hunted," Langer said. "We've been the hunters for a while, now we're the hunted and we need to get better and better."

Langer also hoped that white ball team under Aaron Finch will win the World Cup. "I know how hard it is to win World Cups ... everything has to go right. One day, I'd love to see Aaron Finch with all his mates lift that T20 World Cup above his head."

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Agencies
January 14,2020

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News Network
February 21,2020

Wellington, Feb 22: shant Sharma's lion-hearted bowling effort met its match in Kane Williamson's elegance as New Zealand ended an attritional second day of the opening Test against India with a slight upper-hand, here on Saturday.

After another lower-order collapse that saw India get bundled out for 165, Ishant, coming straight back from an ankle injury, took three for 31 in 15 overs despite Williamson's effortless 89 in New Zealand's day-end score of 216 for 5.

New Zealand now lead by 51 runs.

Mohammed Shami (1/61 in 17 overs), during his final spell of the day, removed Williamson, who couldn't check an uppish drive. Henry Nicholls' (17 off 62 balls) struggle seemed to have hampered Williamson's rhythm.

During the final hour, Ravichandran Ashwin (1/60 in 21 overs), who also bowled beautifully throughout the day, relieved Nicholls' of his agony with a delivery that had drift and a hint of turn as India skipper Virat Kohli snapped the low catch at second slip.

Williamson looked good as he hit some delightful strokes square off the wicket. The square drive on the rise off Jasprit Bumrah (0/62 in 18.1 overs), followed by a cover drive, showed his class.

In all, the New Zealand skipper hit 11 boundaries off 153 balls.

Bumrah, in particular, was punished by Williamson, who also back-cut him for a boundary and Taylor then punished another half volley through the covers.

There were quite a few loose deliveries on offer from the Indian pacers and in between a few did beat the bat. With the 'Basin' baked in sunshine, batting became lot more easier and Black Caps seized the initiative.

Bumrah, in particular, failed to find his length consistently. Either he bowled too full and drivable length deliveries or too short that even Rishabh Pant failed to gather with the ball going a couple feet over his head.

This is where Ishant came into the picture. While he was lucky to get opener Tom Latham out with a delivery drifting on leg-stump, the other opener Tom Blundell (30) had a typical Ishant dismissal written all over it.

The ball was full on the off-stump channel and jagged back enough to find the gap between his bat and pad.

Williamson and Taylor then had a partnership of 93 runs during which New Zealand also got the lead before Ishant, coming back for his third spell, bowled one that reared up from good length and proved to be an easy catch for Cheteshwar Pujara at short-leg.

Once Nicholls came in, Williamson, who was batting fluently, suddenly had a player at the opposite end who scored only 4 off 34 balls.

Looking good for his 22nd Test hundred, Williamson, in his bid to get another boundary, couldn't check a cover drive and the low catch was taken by substitute fielder Ravindra Jadeja.

Earlier, New Zealand's debutant Kyle Jamieson and veteran Tim Southee took four wickets apiece as Indian innings folded in 68.1 overs.

Jamieson (4/49 in 16 overs) and Southee (4/49 in 20.1 overs) took four of the five wickets that fell on the second morning with India adding only 43 runs to their overnight score of 122 for 5.

Rishabh Pant (19) started with a six but then a horrible mix-up with senior partner Ajinkya Rahane (46) resulted in a run-out and the little chance of recovery was gone for good.

It was a poor call from the senior player and Pant had to sacrifice his wicket in the process.

Ashwin then received a beauty from Southee, pretty similar to what Prithvi Shaw got, while Rahane inside edged one while trying to leave it alone.

With India at 132 for 7, Rahane knew that time was running out as he played a square drive off Trent Boult to get him a boundary.

Southee then got rid of Rahane when he tried to shoulder arm a delivery that made a late inward movement. Mohammed Shami's entertaining 21 then enabled the visitors to cross the 150-run mark.

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