Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

India overcome anxious moments to register win

By The Assam Tribune

PERTH, Feb 8 (PTI): India overcame a late innings wobble before cruising to a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their second match of the cricket triangular series here today.

After restricting Sri Lanka to 233 for right, the Indians chased down the target with 20 balls to spare after suffering a mid-innings collapse which reduced them to 181 for 6 in 36 overs.

Ravindra Jadeja (24) and Ravichandran Ashwin (30) then kept their nerve and put on 53 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket stand to guide India home. It was India�s second win in what has turned out to be a rather nightmarish tour of Australia.

The victory capped a brilliant match for Ashwin who also claimed 3 for 32 while Sri Lanka batted first for their 233 for 8.

In-form Virat Kohli (77) and Sachin Tendulkar (48) had played a good hand among India�s top-order batsmen but the rest were guilty of playing indiscreet shots to leave the team in the lurch.

Virender Sehwag (10) began blazingly by smashing off-side fours off Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga before he tried to help a rising delivery over the slips and was caught on the run by the third man fielder.

Sachin Tendulkar (48) appeared in splendid touch and it appeared that he would finally complete his historic 100th international century before he tried to cut an Angelo Mathews delivery too close to his body and dragged the ball on to his stumps.

Tendulkar faced 63 deliveries and hit five fours in his knock. Before he was out, he put on 75 runs for the second wicket with Virat Kohli off 98 balls. India then lost three wickets to poor shot selection and suddenly the match had swung back in balance.

Rohit Sharma (10)�s cut shot went straight into the hands of point fielder while Suresh Raina (24) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (4) holed out to a pull-shot which neither the deliveries nor the situation demanded.

Kohli, on 62, was suffering from hamstring pull when his partner Raina attempted a horizontal bat shot off the very next delivery to get dismissed.

His 24 off 27 balls had promised a lot, especially in the manner he got a couple of boundaries through the off-side.

India took the batting Powerplay in the 36th over and the game took a still more dramatic turn.

Kohli slammed a Dhamika Prasad delivery straight for a tremendous six but then ran for a non-existent run off the final ball of the over. Lasith Malinga, at mid-on, made a smart pick-up and threw down the non-striker�s stumps in one motion.

SCORECARD

Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga c Tendulkar b Khan 4, Tillakaratne Dilshan c Kohli b Jadeja 48, Kumar Sangakkara c Dhoni b Khan 26, Dinesh Chandimal st Dhoni b Ashwin 64, Mahela Jayawardene c Sharma b Ashwin 23, Thisara Perera st Dhoni b Ashwin 7, Anjelo Mathews not out 33, Lahiru Thirimanne run out 7, Nuwan Kulasekara c Sharma b Vinay Kumar 7, Lasith Malinga not out 1. Extras: (LB-6, W-7) 13. Total: (For 8 wickets in 50 overs) 233. Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-74, 3-100, 4-152, 5-172, 6-189, 7-204, 8-228. Bowling: Zaheer Khan 10-1-44-2, Praveen Kumar 10-0-54-0, Vinay Kumar 10-1-56-1, Ravindra Jadeja 10-0-41-1, R Ashwin 10-1-32-3.

India: Sehwag c Kulasekara b Malinga 10, Tendulkar b Mathews 48, Kohli run out 77, Rohit c Dilshan b Perera 10, Raina c b Mathews 24, Dhoni c Malinga b Prasad 4, Jadeja not out 24, Ashwin not out 30. Extras: (LB-5, WD-2) 7. Total: (for six wickets in 46.4 overs) 234. Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-89, 3-122, 4-157, 5-167, 6-181. Bowling: Malinga 9-0-49-1, Kulasekara 8-0-38-0, Prasad 10-0-47-1, Mathews 9.4-1-31-2, T Perera 5-0-37-1, Dilshan 5-0-27-0.

Next Story