Sri Lanka record first win in rain-hit clash
Sri Lanka were set a revised target of 154 off 21 overs to win under the Duckworth-Lewis method after India made 195 for five from their 29 overs.
Sri Lanka reached the target with two overs to spare, Tillekeratne Dilshan finishing unbeaten on 62 and captain Mahela Jayawardene not out 36.
“It was a crucial game for us,” Sri Lanka opener Sanath Jayasuriya told reporters.
“I thought the guys showed a lot of character today and fought really well.
“We managed to keep them to a decent score and the chase was well-calculated, so credit to the guys for the way they handled themselves today.”
Both teams were forced to chase quick runs after the start of the first international match in Australian capital for 16 years was delayed for more than three and a half hours because of heavy showers.Rohit Sharma smashed a career-best 70 not out from just 64 balls as India’s batsmen went on the rampage when the match finally got underway.
Sachin Tendulkar (32), captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (31) and the in-form Gautam Gambhir (35) also scored at better than a run-a ball in a frantic attempt to make up for lost time.
Dhoni and Gambhir were both run out trying to keep the scoreboard ticking along while Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekera and Farveez Maharoof each took a wicket for Sri Lanka.
Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan missed out on a wicket in his 300th One-day International, but he did take a catch.
Sri Lanka lost opener Jayasuriya for 27 and wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara for 10 but regained their composure and cruised to victory on the back of an unbroken partnership of 85 between Dilshan and Jayawardene.
Jayasuriya sparked Sri Lanka when he hit two massive sixes in one Shanthakumaran Sreesanth over that went for 23.
It was a nightmare match for the fiery Indian quick, who conceded 48 runs in only three overs and was also pulled for another six by Dilshan.
“The kind of start they got I think was really amazing,” Dhoni said.
“There’s nothing much you can do as a captain. It was really amazing to see Dilshan bat and the way he carried on with his innings. I think that was a key.”
Jayawardene said his side showed great character in a match they needed to win.
“We needed to show character. I thought the guys did show character today and fought really well,” he said.
“Winning the toss was a bit of an advantage on that wicket earlier on.
“We managed to keep them to a decent score and the chase was well-calculated so credit to the guys for the way they handled themselves today.”
Australia’s east coast has been drenched by torrential downpours over the past two weeks and the first two matches of the triangular series were washed out in Brisbane last week.
Only two of the previous matches produced results – Australia beating Sri Lanka by 128 runs in Sydney last Friday then India upsetting the Australians by five wickets in Melbourne two days later.
India lead the series with eight points from four games while Australia have seven from three and Sri Lanka six from three.
The result evened up the tri-series ladder considerably, with India on top on eight points, Australia on seven and Sri Lanka on six.
The next match of the series is in Perth on Friday when Australia play Sri Lanka.
Scoreboard
INDIA:
V. Sehwag c Muralitharan b Kulasekara 14
S.R. Tendulkar c Kulasekara b Maharoof 32
G. Gambhir run out 35
R.G. Sharma not out 70
M.S. Dhoni run out 31
Yuvraj Singh c Muralitharan b Malinga 6
R.V. Uthappa not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-6) 7
TOTAL (for five wkts, 29 overs) 195
FALL OF WKTS: 1-45, 2-49, 3-113, 4-181, 5-192.
DID NOT BAT: I.K. Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, S. Sreesanth, I. Sharma.
BOWLING: Vaas 6-1-39-0; Malinga 6-0-45-1; Maharoof 6-0-33-1; Kulasekara 6-0-41-1; Muralitharan 5-0-36-0 (6w).
SRI LANKA:
T.M. Dilshan not out 62
S.T. Jayasuriya c Dhoni b I. Sharma 27
K.C. Sangakkara c Sharma b Harbhajan 10
D.P.M.D. Jayawardene not out 36
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-10, NB-3) 19
TOTAL (for two wkts, 19 overs) 154
FALL OF WKTS: 1-45, 2-69.
DID NOT BAT: L.P.C. Silva, C.K. Kapugedera, M.F. Maharoof, W.P.U.J.C. Vaas, K.M.D.N. Kulasekara, S.L. Malinga, M. Muralitharan.
BOWLING: Sreesanth 3-0-48-0 (1nb, 2w); I. Sharma 4-0-26-1 (2nb); Pathan 4-0-30-0 (1w); Harbhajan 4-0-15-1; Tendulkar 2-0-15-0 (3w); Sehwag 2-0-14-0.
RESULT: Sri Lanka won by eight wickets after being set 154 in 21 overs under D/Lewis Method.
Toss: Sri Lanka
UMPIRES: B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia) and A.L. Hill (New Zealand).
TV UMPIRE: Peter Parker (Australia).
MATCH REFEREE: J.J. Crowe (New Zealand).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Tillekeratne Dilshan.
NEXT MATCH: Australia v Sri Lanka at Perth on Friday.—Agencies