Sri Lanka yesterday emerged as one of the favourites to win the World Cup and soared to the top of Group A when their thunderbolt opening pair Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharane spearheaded them to a smashing victory over India at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.
Sri Lanka's emphatic six-wicket victory with eight balls to spare over the star-studded India, was a stunning reminder that the island team, until recently regarded as mere whipping boys for the big guns were well on the way to fulfilling Richard Hadlee's prediction that they would be the next World Cup Champs.
The vociferous cheering of the capacity crowd, at the stadium was reduced to pindrop silence as skipper Arjuna Ranatunge and Hashan Tilekaratne guided Sri Lanka with a record breaking 5th wicket stand after a minor middle order slump.
Chasing a run rate of 5.4 an over Sri Lanka openers Romesh Kaluwitharane and Sanath Jayasuriya produced a text box one day start, storming to 50 in only 4.4 overs. The pair stepped into a destruction mood from the very first over off Prabhakar taking him for 11 runs. Worse was to follow. As he was smashed for 22 runs in his next over, including three fours and a six.
After conceding 33 runs in two overs, Prabhakar was replaced by Venkat Prasad, who had instant success. Kaluwitharane going for a straight drive, hit it straight to Kumble at extra cover who held on to a good catch. The little master blaster had six boundaries in his brief 16 ball innings that was worth 26 runs.
Gurusinghe joined Jayasuriya and the pair kept up the momentum as they kept the scorers busy and ensured that the Lankans were ahead of the asking rate. Jayasuriya in particular playing in his 100th one day international went after the bowling using his bat like a meat cleaver to raise to his 50 in only 36 balls. He produced a brilliant array of strokes as he made full use of the first 15 overs to hit 7 fours and 2 sixes for his half century.
Gurusinghe (25) gave his partner good support as he put on 76 runs for the 2nd wicket before being needlessly run out, going for a second run. The dismissal of Gurusinghe set off a minor collapse as Sri Lanka lost further two wickets within the space of four overs.
Jayasuriya was the first to go when an attempted hit over long on, off Anil Kumble ended up in Prabhakar's hand at long on. Kumble came back in the next over to grab the prize wicket of Vice Captain Aravinda de Silva. De Silva played an irresponsible stroke when he came down the track to hit the leg spinner over the top, but missed it completely, to see his castle shattered.
At this stage, the Lankans had their backs to the wall at 141/4 in the 23rd over. With the Indian bowlers Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble striking an accurate length Lanka's 5th wicket pair of Hashan Tilekaratne and Arjuna Ranatunge were pegged down.
However, the pair batted sensibly playing the bowling according to its merits and most importantly keeping their wickets intact.
Tilekaratne, as always, kept up to his name Mr. Reliable though he took time to settle down before unleashing some exquisite cover drives that were timed to perfection and pierced the tight Indian field. Crisis man Ranatunge played in his own inimitable style chipping and nudging to steal the singles and twos.
Tilekaratne (70 n.o.) and Ranatunge (46 n.o.) put on an unbroken 131 run stand for the 5th wicket to eclipse the previous World Cup best for the 5th wicket which was 80 between Ranatunge and Mendis in the 1987 World Cup. Fittingly Tilekaratne drove the final nail into the Indian coffin when he scored the winning run in the penultimate over.
Earlier Ranatunge had called correct in the morning and had no hesitation in sending the Indians in first on a cold and misty morning and on a wicket shorn of grass. Opening bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Ravindra Pushpakumara bowled a tidy line and length to keep the usually explosive Sachin Tendulkar and his partner Manoj Prabhakar well under control. They conceded only 47 runs in the first fifteen overs while Pushpakumara accounted for Prabhakar's wicket with the score at 27. The allrounder who was once again promoted to his make shift position mistimed an off drive to give Gurusinghe a straight forward catch.
Manjrekar joined Tendulkar in the middle and denied the Lankan bowlers of any further success. The pair batted intelligently, mixing caution with aggression and built a firm base for a sizeable Indian total. However, in the 24th over Dharmasena succeeded in getting Manjrekar to top edge a sweep for Kaluwitharane to complete an easy catch.
Skipper Mohamed Azharuddin joined Tendulkar at the crease and treated the 30,000 capacity crowd to a delightful exhibition of stroke play. Tendulkar in particular who has been a model of consistency, batted with great temperament and skill to ruthlessly dismember the Lankan bowling attack.
Tendulkar took the bowling by the scruff of the neck as the Lankans were slowly but surely loosing the grip on the game. He enjoyed a few close shaves when the Lankan fielders were not upto the mark with their fielding.
Azharuddin played second fiddle to his vice captain as he gave him much of the strike. However, the captain kept the scoreboard ticking with his immaculate strokes and precision timing.
With the Indians enjoying a four-plus run-rate for a major part of the innings, Tendulkar brought the game to a pitch of vibrancy as he cracked 23 runs in the 48th over bowled by Pushpakumara. Tendulkar reached his second hundred in the World Cup and his sixth in one day internationals as India crossed the 250 mark.
Tendulkar surpassed his previous best one-day score of 127 not out against Kenya before he was out in the last over for 137. His explosive innings included 5 sixes and 8 fours and was chisled off only 137 balls.
Yesterday's heroic victory by Sri Lanka made certain that they top Group A. More importantly the second successive defeat for India, set the stage for a likely India-Pakistan quarter final clash in India.
Sanath Jayasuriya was picked as the Man of the Match.
Group A
Played Won Lost Points
Sri Lanka 4 4 0 8
Australia 4 3 1 6
India 4 2 2 4
Kenya 4 1 3 2
West Indies 4 1 3 2
Zimbabwe 4 1 3 2
Group B
South Africa 4 4 0 8
New Zealand 4 3 1 6
Pakistan 3 2 1 4
England 4 2 2 4
UAE 5 1 4 2
Netherlands 4 0 4 0
According to the standings today, West Indies will likely to be out
of Quarter Finals unless they beat Australians in their last game
tommorow or maintain a better run rate than Kenya & Zimbabwe. Most
likely Quarter Final matches will be as follows.
Sri Lanka vs England at Faisalabad
India vs Pakistan at Bangalore
South Africa vs Kenya at Karachchi
New Zealand vs Australia t Madras
Please send your comments and suggestions on this web site to
info@suntimes.is.lk or to
webmaster@infolabs.is.lk