INDIA CLINCH SERIES
COLOMBO: Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag cracked blistering centuries as a ruthless India clinched the five-match cricket series against Sri Lanka by spanking the hosts by 147 runs in the third ODI on Tuesday. Electing to bat first, India rode on a 221-run stand for the third wicket between Sehwag (116) and Yuvraj (117) to amass 363 for five, their highest score in Sri Lanka.
Chasing the mammoth total, Sri Lanka folded for 216 in 41.4 overs, despite Kumar Sangakkara’s defiant 83 off 82 balls. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha did the maximum damage to Sri Lanka, claiming four for 38.India thus took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series and both the teams will square off again at the same venue on Thursday for the fourth match.
The Lone Figther
The capacity crowd at the R Premadasa Stadium found the only solace when off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan removed Yuvraj to equal Wasim Akram’s world record tally of 502 ODI scalps. This was India’s highest total on Sri Lankan soil, eclipsing the previous best of 307 for 6 in 1998 at the same venue.
Chasing such a huge total, Sri Lanka badly needed a big knock from Sanath Jayasuriya but the veteran opener let the side down today. Jayasuriya dragged the first ball he faced, from Praveen Kumar, onto his stumps and that was clearly a bad omen for the hosts.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (30 off 26 balls) sizzled for a while in Sangakkara’s company before an inside edge off Zaheer Khan upset his timbers. Like Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene (30) also got the start but with the run rate mounting, the Lankan captain had no other option but to try something different. He came dancing down the track to hit Praveen out of the park only to find Sehwag at mid-off.
Sehwag then removed Thilina Kandamby (10) and, in the next over, Pragyan Ojha cleaned up Chamara Kapugedera (2) to tighten the noose around the hosts. Sangakkara did try his best but by then, it was too late and the Lankan tail simply didn’t had it in them to accomplish such a herculean task. Pragyan Ojha was the bowling hero for India taking four wickets and was ably assisted by centurions Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj who took a wicket each.
The Nawab Of Najafgarh
Earlier, Sehwag and Yuvraj set the stadium ablaze with some scintillating stroke-play as the duo stitched a record 221 runs for the third wicket. Yusuf Pathan (59 not out) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35 not out) were the other notable contributors for the visitors.
The twin centuries also broke a jinx as no Indian batsman had hit a ODI century on Sri Lankan soil in the last 10 years. The Indians, however, had a rather poor start to their innings when Sachin Tendulkar (7) was handed a dubious leg before wicket decision for the third successive time.
Dilhara Fernando’s delivery was going down the leg but umpire Gamini Silva felt otherwise and upheld the Lankan appeal. Fifteen runs later, Sehwag’s straight drive brushed bowler Fernando’s fingers before hitting stumps with Gautam Gambhir (10) backing up too far.
Sehwag and Yuvraj brought the smiles back in the dressing room with an audacious exhibition of strokes which put the islanders completely on the back foot.
The Dashing Left-Hander
Yuvraj’s 95-ball 117 contained as many as 17 boundaries and a six while Sehwag was equally ruthless in his 90-ball 116 which was studded with 17 boundaries. The Punjab southpaw was adjudged man of the match. Yusuf Pathan and Dhoni then provided the late sparks to the innings by using the long handle to devastating effect in the slog overs.
Sehwag and Yuvraj maintained a brisk scoring rate of over seven runs per over right through their partnership. The Sri Lankan bowlers looked completely clueless against the rampaging duo. While the pacemen strayed down the leg side and bled runs, the two spinners — Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis — also failed to contain the run flow.
To make it worse for them, Jayasuriya dropped Sehwag when the batsman was 73 and the lapse proved costly. Yuvraj’s belligerence finally came to an end when he was caught by Jayawardene off Muralitharan. Sehwag soon joined him in the pavilion being run out off a direct hit from Jayasuriya. But with Pathan and Dhoni milking runs at will, there was no respite for the hosts.
And Man Of The Match is Yuvraj Singh