ODI 2 FullTime: India Win, But After A Scare!

Sreelata YellamrazuJan 31 2009

India appeared in control. But Sri Lanka nearly pulled off something that would have shocked their own dressing room. Naturally with something like that, it would need one great effort. It came, but it was not enough.

kandamby 2N4lO 17022

With 256 on board, India were stuck in a tricky position, knowing they did not really have the luxury of runs to fall back on should someone in the mould of Sanath Jayasuriya or Jayasuriya himself turned on the heat.

It was imperative to take wickets early and three came in the form of three good, in form players - Tillekeratne Dilshan, Jayasuriya, and Kumar Sangakkara. The onus then lay on the skipper who by his own admittance has not had the greatest runs in cricketing history himself in recent months. At three for thirty-six, there was no much he could fall back on either.

But Mahela Jayawardene fought himself as much as the opposition in a half century that involved a steady century partnership with Kandamby. It keep Sri Lanka alive even though the run rate, like the tide, was against them.

It was basically a case when the opponents were killed early, the middle was a bore and the end should have been an anti climax. Even as Kandamby kept the fight alive, his ninety-three evidence of it, it appeared Sri Lanka were still too far behind to bring this match alive.

To the credit of the hosts, they did and how! Suddenly the Indians in the field were woken, that would explain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's comments when his stated that the thinking in the team was not clear when Sri Lanka took the power play.

But needing twenty-nine from twenty balls, the things that did not work in Sri Lanka's favour was the fact that they had lost too many key wickets and while the equation could have been pulled off, they had exhausted their arsenal, and Ishant Sharma played his part in it.

In the end, Sri Lanka lost the match by fifteen runs, but the truth of the matter was that they had lost the fight too early and could only get away giving India a real but controllable fright!

ODI 2 Half Time: India Lose Way After Yuvraj-Raina Alliance

Dhoni Calls for Improvements; Inducts Sehwag

'Victory' Team in Sri Lanka for ODI?

Mendis Has Been Unravelled-- Harbhajjan

ODI 1 Full Time: Clinical Batting Sees India Seek First Win

Half Time ODI 1: Jayasuriya’s Century Propels Sri Lanka

Dhoni's Candid Confessions!

SL Take on India after Pak Victory

Murali Records 500; Pakistan a Humiliating Defeat

Hey Mendis ,Here We Come------- Sehwag

Ranatunga takes on Sports Ministry in pre-India tour row

Ranatunga Sues Over Dismissal