ODI Tri Series 5: Perera Five-for, Dubious Decisions See Sri Lanka Tame India for Finals

--> -->

Sreelata YellamrazuAug 22 2010

India suffered yet another embarrassment at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. This time against a different opponent, but with similar unsavoury after effects.

thissara perera with ball after five for

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian captain, won his first toss on the tour, but paid a heavy price, although his decision was not entirely to blame for the fiasco that followed.

The Indians paraded onto the field and back in such short sequences that Yuvraj Singh was running out of partners and India out of opportunities to secure their place in the Tri series ODI final.

En route, the Indian team encountered at least three dubious umpiring decision, causing a furore on its own but not between the teams themselves. Even as the Indian media played up the fact that the umpire at the end of three iffy decisions was the former Sri Lankan cricketer, Kumar Dharmasena, Sri Lanka and all rounder Thisara Perera blew India away.

Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and Yuvraj Singh (the most glaring one given by umpire Asad Rauf), seemed to be victims of decisions that would need to reviewed in hindsight. The Sri Lankan bowlers, for their part, did their job, bowling in the corridor of uncertainty and having the Indian batsmen either stuck in the way of the inevitable or caught in two minds.

Perera was rewarded with a five-for for his effort, and India managed to get past the previous all out for eighty-eight against New Zealand by being bowled out for 103 in the thirty-fourth innings with only Yuvraj Singh, scoring thirty-eight runs to impact the innings.

Sri Lanka suffered no hiccups en route to chasing down the total, using the time before and after the innings break to push for a rather facile win to make their road into the Tri series ODI final, despite Ishant Sharma taking two wickets in two balls, with Mahela Jayawardene opening the batting and Tillekeratne Dilshan both, scoring thirty-five and thirty-three runs respectively as Sri Lanka earned a bonus point by chasing down the target in only 15.1 overs.

The final match between India and New Zealand now becomes a virtual semi final.

Sangakkara Found Not Guilty of Breaching ICC Code of Conduct

Tri Series ODI 4: Match Abandoned Second Day in a Row; Sangakkara faces Level 2 Charge

Tri Series ODI 4: Sangakkara, Nathan McCullum Clash Mid Pitch; Rain Halts Match Midway

ODI Tri Series 4: Match Abandoned for Rain; Reserve Day will See Fresh Start

Board War: Was Powerful BCCI Able to Bring An Apology and Punishment Out of SLC?

ICC Commends SLC for Commitment to the Spirit of Cricket

One Match Suspension for Randiv, Match Fee for Dilshan; Reprimand for Sangakkara

ODI Tri Series 4 Preview: New Zealand Hope to Exploit Weary Eyed Sri Lanka

Enrique Iglesias To Perform for Champions League Twenty20 2010 in South Africa

Sehwag Tweets to Taunt Sri Lankans Over their "Selfishness" and "Fear of Losing"

Sangakkara Takes Responsibility for No-Ball Fiasco; Says Guilty Will Be Punished by Board