India clinches series with a thumping win Colombo: The two brush-stroked the canvas — which in this instance was the arena — with bold and bright colours on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. The varying hues celebrated the free-spirited batsmanship of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh. Stroke-filled hundreds from the two inventive batsmen and probing left-arm spin from Pragyan Ojha powered India to a 147-run win over Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium. A record India has clinched the five-match Wealthsurance series 3-0 with two matches remaining. The side has also equalled the Indian record of most successive wins — eight — in ODIs. Earlier in the day, Muttiah Muralitharan equalled Wasim Akram’s mark of 502 scalps for most wickets in ODIs. The side was always up against it once India raced to an imposing 363 for five — the highest score at the Premadasa Stadium — after winning the toss. The Indians once against struck with the new ball. Sri Lanka desperately needed Sanath Jayasuriya to fire but Praveen Kumar consumed the batsman by denying him room for his favourite cut shot. Only the technically pleasing Kumar Sangakkara (83, 82b, 9x4) offered prolonged resistance. He scored as much with his footwork as his sense of placement and timing. The impeccable cover-drive off Zaheer Khan sparkled under the lights for its sheer quality. There were cameos from Tillekeratne Dilshan and skipper Mahela Jayawardene — he went past the 8000-run mark in ODIs — however both fell to high risk strokes. Praveen achieved two-way movement with his pronounced wrist action; the evening dew assisted him. Lovely delivery Ojha got the ball to spin and bounce away from the right-hander. He castled Chamara Kapugedera with a lovely delivery which pitched on leg and hit middle. Farvez Maharoof was done in by one that spun away. The left-armer also prised out Sangakkara when the left-hander miscued an attempted pull. India fielded smartly and maintained the pressure. Dhoni made all the right moves. Earlier, Sehwag and Yuvraj delighted. They are naturals galloping on their skill, fearless in mind and destructive with their methods. Sehwag — put down by bowler Jayasuriya on 72 — whipped up a stroke-filled 90-ball 116 (17x4). Yuvraj — adjudged the Man of the Match — bludgeoned his way to a 95-ball 117 (17x4, 1x6). Their thrill-a-minute 221-run partnership for the third wicket consumed just 27.5 overs on a good batting pitch and a racy outfield. Then, after a mini collapse of sorts, Dhoni (35 not out off 45 balls) rotated the strike while Yusuf Pathan blitzed to a 38-ball unbeaten 59 (4x4, 3x6). India finished strongly. Tactically, India surprised Lanka. India’s batting Power Play was taken in the 17th over with side on 124 for two. The five overs fetched India 43 runs without the loss of a wicket. Importantly, it disrupted the Lankan plans. Another error The contest, though, started differently. Sachin Tendulkar fell to another umpiring error and Gautam Gambhir was stranded out of the crease when Dilhara Fernando managed to get his hands to a straight drive from Sehwag. Then, there was mayhem in the middle. Sehwag and Yuvraj form a right-left pair of contrasting heights and the same attacking intent. And two can create scoring opportunities out of nothing. In a stunning piece of strokeplay, Yuvraj picked paceman Maharoof from a shade outside the off-stump to whip him through the long-on fence. Earlier, he had pulled the speedy Dilhara Fernando off the front-foot. Muralitharan was taken aback by the ease with which Sehwag, employing inside-out drives to deliveries pitched on or outside the leg-stump, breached the gaps between point and cover. Yuvraj’s feet are closer and he is more balanced and relaxed in his stance. His feet moving well from the beginning of his innings, he eased into a front-footed cover-drive off Fernando. The left-hander also played the spin well, using his feet and reading the bowler from the hand. The Sri Lankans did not bowl to their field. Jayawardene had the fine-leg up but watched in anguish as the erratic Maharoof strayed down the leg-side. Ajantha Mendis struggled with his length and Sehwag pounded the spinner through the covers. The Sri Lankan bowling lacked discipline but it must be said that attacking batting can knock bowlers off their rhythm. SCOREBOARD India: V. Sehwag (run out) 116, S. Tendulkar lbw b Fernando 7, G. Gambhir (run out) 10, Yuvraj Singh c Kapugedera b Muralitharan 117, M. Dhoni (not out) 35, S. Raina st. Sangakkara b Mendis 9, Yusuf Pathan (not out) 59; Extras: (nb-3, w-7) 10; Total: (for five wkts. in 50 overs) 363. Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Tendulkar), 2-24 (Gambhir), 3-245 (Yuvraj), 4-265 (Sehwag), 5-278 (Raina). Sri Lanka bowling: Kulasekara 10-0-68-0, Fernando 8-0-63-1, Maharoof 7-0-68-0, Mendis 9-0-64-1, Muralitharan 10-0-60-1, Jayasuriya 6-1-40-0. Sri Lanka: T. Dilshan b Zaheer 31, S. Jayasuriya b Praveen Kumar 0, K. Sangakkara c Yuvraj b Ojha 83, M. Jayawardene c Sehwag b Praveen 30, S. Kandamby c Yuvraj b Sehwag 10, C. Kapugedara b Ojha 2, F. Maharoof c Gambhir b Ojha 22, N. Kulasekara c Tendulkar b Yuvraj 3, M. Muralitharan c Dhoni b Ojha 0, A. Mendis (not out) 8, D. Fernando (run out) 19; Extras: (lb-3, w-5) 8; Total: (in 41.4 overs) 216. Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Jayasuriya), 2-51 (Dilshan), 3-118 (Jayawardene),4-132 (Kandamby), 5-139 (Kapugedera), 6-184 (Maharoof), 7-189(Sangakkara), 8-189 (Muralitharan), 9-189 (Kulasekara). India bowling: Zaheer 8-1-44-1, Praveen 7-0-41-2, Ishant 5-0-35-0, Ojha 10-0-38-4, Sehwag 7-0-30-1, Yuvraj 3.4-0-14-1, Tendulkar1-0-11-0.
Our guys are doing an awesome job on the field !Oh how happy I was to learn that India was just a few points forom becoming THE BEST CRICKET TEAM IN THE WORLD !! SO PROUD OF THEM.KEEP GOING !!!!!!!! INDIA
Toppping the chart in one sport ang lagging behind in others, do u seriously think this is what we should proud of? Bieng the best is not great but doing your best is.
