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Sri Lanka beat India by 74 runs in the final of the Triangular Series between Sri Lanka, New Zealand and India played at the Dambulla Stadium on Saturday

Kumar Sangakara

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat.  They made full use of the track and Tilakratne Dilshan slammed a chanceless century to maintain the hold of Sri Lanka on the match.

Though embroiled in the no-ball controversy in depriving Sehwag of a century in the previous encounter with India, he had saved his best performance for the last.

He was ably supported by Mahila Jayawardne who rotated the strike very well. These two batsmen posted an opening wicket partnership of 121 runs. This was Dilshan’s third century against India. (more…)

Though Cricket has always been a game of glorious uncertainities and predictions are extremely difficult, India should win the triangular Series Cup against Sri Lanka in the final to be played on Saturday at Sri Lanka.

No, I did not ask Octopus Paul, but they have the capacity to do it even though India’s batsmen, apart from M S.Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, have so far failed in their performance in this tournament.

As of now Dinesh Kartik, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can be said to be the failures of this tournament as they do not have any worthwhile contribution in the matches which have been played so far. Yuvraj Singh’s performance is also under the scanner, even though he had scored a paltry 38 in the match against Sri Lanka.

They are, however getting lot of support and encouragement from their seniors. (more…)

M.S.Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first on a newly laid pitch at the Dambulla Stadium on Wednesday.  New Zealand tried their best to reach the final of the tri-Series, but India were in a victory mode and never relented all through the game, and India beat New Zealand by 108 runs. Batting first they amassed 223 runs, almost half of which were scored by Virendra Sehwag, and then the Indian pacers wrecked havoc on their batsman and budled them out in a meager score of 118 runs. 

Virendra Sehwag

After the loss of four quick wickets, M.S.Dhoni gave Sehwag  the required support by rotating the strike and played the sheet anchor role at the other end, while Sehwag plundered his century. Dhoni and Sehwag put on a 107 runs partnership. Once Sehwag was out, the Indian tail was wiped out quickly by the New Zealand bowlers.

 Sehwag  also managed to hit his 1000th ‘four’ in ODI cricket. New Zealand bowlers bowled very well and took the wicket of Dinesh Kartik with India at no score and Virat Kohli also gave the faintest of nick to the wicket-keeper. Both these batsmen were caught fishing outside the off stump. 

Even though the New Zealand bowlers had managed to capture 4 quick wickets by sheer bounce and quick bowling, it was Sehwag alone duly supported by Dhoni, who gave India a fighting score.  (more…)

The Controversial Six
  
Virender Sehwag  helped India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets and also secure a bonus point to leave each of the three sides with a win at the end of the first round of matches in a cricket tri-series match at Dambulla on Monday.

MS Dhoni lost the toss again, but Kumar Sangakkara’s decision to bat first gave India the chance to bowl under the overcast weather at Dambulla and their bowlers cashed in with their swing on a wicket which had bounce also. Sehwag then manage to save his skin during the early Lankan attack and later slammed which would have been a classic century, but for the controversial six, which sealed victory.

Virendra Sehwag

The start of the game was no less dramatic as the end.  Praveen Kumar rattled the timber of Upul Tharanga with an out swinger off the first ball off the day. Sri Lanka found it difficult to adjust to the attack of Praveen as well as Ishant Sharma under cloudy skies and the batsmen struggled against the swing and deviation off the pitch and the  batsmen found it difficult to negotiate the swing in the damp weather at Dambulla.

Mahela Jayawardene had a brief stay at the crease and was trapped leg before by a Praveen in-swinger that moved back in late. Samaraweera and Sangakara also looked good in patches but went wayward in their application to the task.

Extra pace accounted for Sangakkara who was caught in the deep. Damaraweera was caught at short midwicket off a mis-timed pull. (more…)

 Muttaiah Muralitharan bid adieu to Test Cricket after taking 800 wickets in Test Cricket on Thursday at the Galle Cricket Ground.

 Murlitharan was the greatest spinner in the world of cricket. The smile, the eyes like headlights, the expectancy from every ball to do something different, he  had the hallmarks of a genius.

He announced his retirement after the test match in Galle, probably he had expected to reach the coveted 800 marks in test history, which he did. If I go into his statistics they cannot be incorporated in a blog, I would have to write a book.

He had been the wrecker-in-chief for SriLanka, the spear head of the attack in all forms of the game and called Mr. Dependable. Cricketing enthusiasts feel that  had he continued playing for some more time, he would have reached the 1000 wicket landmark. (more…)

A 15-year title-drought came to an end as India, who displayed a clinical and magnificent performance, won the Asia Cup tournament after crushing defending champions Sri Lanka by 81 runs in the Asia Cup final on Thursday. 

Captain M.S.Dhoni elected to bat first after winning the toss,  India posted a fighting total of 268 for six. They then skittled out the Sri Lankan’s for only 187 in 44.4 overs. India displayed a scintillating performance in all departments of the game and won the Trophy at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Thursday.  (more…)

The 5th ODI between India and Sri Lanka had to be abandoned ater 23.3 overs had been bowled and SriLanka had mustered 83 runs for the loss of 5 wickets at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground at Delhi on Sunday.

The Delhi crowd had come to the Stadium to enjoy a cricket-full Sunday but their enjoyment was short lived. Thet were expecting India to win today and were happy to see Thranga back in the pavillion on the first delivery of the day bowled by Zahir Khan. (more…)

Virender Sehwag struck a whirlwind 102-ball 146 to power India to their highest ever total in one-day cricket, a massive 414 for seven, against Sri Lanka in the first match at Rajkot on Tuesday.  Sachin Tendulkar (69) and M. S. Dhoni (72) also contributed well as India improved upon their previous best total and made 414.  Sehwag was unstoppable after a slow beginning and made a career-best 146  with 17 fours and six in 102 balls.

India started cautiously after being asked to bat first by Lanka with the openers raising only 19 in the first five overs as the ball was swinging a bit. (more…)

INDIA ACHIEVES No.1 SPOT IN ICC RANKINGS

India have become the number one team in ICC Test rankings after winning the third and final Test against Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs.

After conceding a huge 333-run first innings lead, Srilankans were struggling at 274 for six at close on the penultimate day. Needing just four wickets to record an emphatic victory, the Indians took just 40 minutes to clean off the visiting team’s tail to record their second consecutive innings victory.  (more…)

In my yesterdays’ post I had said that cricket is the game of uncertainty. Virendra Sehwag , the fastest player in Test Cricket today, missed his third triple century by 7 runs. One can make 293 but those 7 precious runs are sometimes very illusive. This is called unpredictability of cricket. Had he achieved it, he would have been the only batsman in Test history to establish the world record.

Although Virender Sehwag narrowly missed it, there was no respite for the Sri Lankans as the Indians rattled up their highest-ever total in Tests before declaring at 726 for nine at the end of the third day. (more…)