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InDepth headlines national business sports cricket regional entertainment technology world travel autos health | in-depth coverage > India-Sri Lanka Series 2005 > India hit back hard 17.18 IST 09th Nov 2005 By Manish Kumar 
Left-handers Yuvraj Singh and R P Singh played stellar roles as India hit back hard at Sri Lanka this time beating them by 7 wickets in the sixth match of the series at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground in Rajkot on November 9.India achieved the victory target of 197 runs in just 34.5 overs with Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj remaining unbeaten on 38 and 79 respectively. India, which played its 600th ODI today, now leads the series 5-1. The match started with Virender Sehwag winning the toss and putting in the Lankans to bat. The visitors’ new pair of openers Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya did hit some stunning boundaries but in the eighth over, newcomer Sreesanth had Jayasuriya (19) caught behind by Mahendra Dhoni as the ball took the inside edge of Jayasuriya’s bat. Indian pace spearhead Irfan Pathan struck next when he dismissed Kumar Sangakkara (9), who tried to pull, but lopped the ball high up in the air for Sachin Tendulkar to take the catch at mid-on. Singh took his first wicket in the next over when he surprised Tharanga (28) with a rising delivery and the batsman edged it for Dhoni to take his second catch of the match. Sehwag brought Murali Kartik in the attack after the 16th over and the left arm spinner struck on his very first ball when he had Mahela Jayawardene (14) stumped by Dhoni. Jayawardene was playing a defensive stroke on his front foot, but the ball turned, missed his bat and Dhoni did the rest as Jayawardene was out-stretched too far. Singh struck again in the next over having the Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu (9) caught at mid-on by Sehwag to reduce Lanka to 83/5. Russel Arnold tried his best to give company to Tillekeratne Dilshan but Kaif announced his comeback to the Indian team when he effected a superb run out. Dilshan tapped the ball to the covers and called Arnold for a quick single, Kaif alert and quick as ever, in one movement picked the ball and threw right into the hands of Dhoni, who uprooted the stumps in no time. Arnold scored 8 runs. Kartik truck again in the 31st over when Chaminda Vaas (who made his ODI debut at this very ground in 1994), played on a delivery onto his stumps. The ball, with a lot of spin over it, castled Vaas’ stumps after he had played it. Last match hero Dilshan erred in judgment again when he took on Yuvraj to steal a quick single. He tapped the ball to point and ran for a quick single, Yuvraj hit the stumps direct at the bowler’s end to run out Dilshan, who top scored for his team with 59. Singh was brought back in the attack by Sehwag and he responded with taking the last two Lankan wickets. Singh first had super sub Farveez Maharoof (4) caught in the covers by Kaif and then in the next over, clean bowled Upul Chandana (30) with a brilliant incoming delivery. Dilhara Fernando remained not out on 4 as Sri Lanka were bundled out for just 196 runs in 42.5 overs. India opened their innings with a new pair in Gautam Gambhir and Sachin. Gambhir, who hit a brilliant hundred in the last match, set the pace of the Indian run chase in an emphatic manner, scoring at more than run-a-ball. However, a slower ball by Fernando ended his innings as Gambhir played on to his stumps after scoring 28 runs off 27 balls with six fours. Fernando used his slower ball again to deceive the Master who gave a simple catch to Maharoof at mid-on. Sachin scored 19 runs off 30 balls with three fours. Sehwag returned to the pavilion next while trying to flick a leg spinning delivery by Chandana to mid-wicket but instead ended up giving a simple catch to Dilshan in the covers. The Indian skipper of the day scored 22 runs off 22 balls with four fours. The Lankans thought that they would be back in the game by taking one or two more wickets, but Kaif and Yuvraj denied them any more breakthroughs by adding an unbeaten 105 runs for the fourth wicket. This was the third 100-run partnership between Kaif and Yuvraj in ODI cricket and it sealed the game for India. Kaif, making his comeback into the team, played his typical knock – taking singles at every available opportunity, converting ones into twos and punishing the bad balls for his three fours to score 38 runs off 71 balls. But the knock of the day was played by Yuvraj. The Punjab lad was quick on his feet and was very good against the spinners especially against the leg spin of Chandana. Yuvraj was under some pressure coming into this match, but he responded superbly with a match-winning knock of 79 that came off 67 balls and was studded with nine fours and three sixes, one of which off Fernando, went over the stands. R P Singh was adjudged the Man of the Match for taking 4/35. The next and the last match of the series is in Baroda on Saturday. in-depth coverage > India-Sri Lanka Series 2005 > |
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