Update: Ind Win in SL: When the Sun Breaks Through the Clouds

India have tried changed the batting order, changing the line up even. But when the batsmen just do not have enough in them to cope with the spin wizards, it is up to the bowlers to then try and win matches for India. One such effort came this morning in the second day international and the substitute batsmen would be poorer still if they could not complement this performance.

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This should have been an easy day in the field. Instead the batting suffered the usual wobbles and shakes and in short, almost handed the advantage right back to the shocked Sri Lankans. Their batting suffered an unusually susceptible day but their bowling was far from erratic. What made matters more quizzical was that India chose to play the caution card almost to their detriment.

It took a half century partnership from new man Subramanium Badrinath and the skipper himself, Mahendra Singh Dhoni before India could sight victory more confidently. Losing two wickets before lunch (since Sri Lanka’s innings was a curtailed one) seemed like a Test that needed caution. But India went into a shell where Virat Kohli appeared to take on the mantle on someone like Rahul Dravid and entrench himself. At seventy-five for five, the sixty odd run deficit was still looking some way off.

Yuvraj Singh’s confidence of a century in a tour match seemed to have vanished after being stunned by Ajantha Mendis in the first match. That he fell to the guile of the newcomer again will be another cause for concern. For the moment, India have a victory under their belt, a self assuring aspect that needed to keep them interested in the series with some sort of confidence. Their batting is still a cause for major concern. But perhaps a few drooping shoulders would have been lifted by this effort.

The bowling efforts are encapsulated below.

India strike back

The Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium has not proved to be a run fest thus far. If the Indian batsmen failed in the first match, Sri Lanka was facing a torrid time against a superlative Indian effort. The ‘substitute batsmen’ label comes for the number of injuries that have continued to beleaguer this Indian side. With Virender Sehwag knocking himself out of the first one day match and subsequently out of the series, his opening partner seems to have caught the blues. A stiff neck ruled the only other in-form batsmen in the side, Gautam Gambhir, out of the second one day international. India, therefore, needed an outstanding performance from the bowlers if this line up was to even stand a chance to get back into the series.

Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar brought new life to the pitch and the Indian team that has looked jaded and more like chain passengers on the journey they do not particularly fancy. With the batting looking in disarray, Mahendra Singh Dhoni could only try another option – bowl first. But even he would not have expected this kind of start for the Indians.

Losing four wickets with just eleven runs on board as early as the sixth over would have set back any team even in a Twenty20 match. But in this, the second one day international, the bowlers made it count and the batsmen had to do the job of at least being outstanding fielders.

Zaheer Khan rocked the foundation with movement enough to have the prolific Sri Lankan batsmen looking wary. The damage came almost immediately when Kumar Sangakkara’s off stump was disturbed by Zaheer and the big names just kept tumbling. Sanath Jayasuriya’s struggle at the crease after being cramped finally ended in the fourteenth over and Sri Lanka found themselves in deep trouble at five down for just thirty-three on board.

But with the line that Sri Lanka have and giving due consideration to the form and confidence that they have been in this series, one desperate effort had to be present. It came in the form of Thushara and Kulasekara after Tillekeratne Dilshan could only stand his ground for so much. It took Sri Lanka from sixty-six to 118. While it meant digging themselves out of the spiral, it would taking throwing the kitchen sink at everything before the hosts could at least give themselves a marginal chance of winning the second one day international.

Sri Lanka have 142 on board with nearly twelve overs wasted. Now it is up to the Indian batsmen, more than the Sri Lankan bowlers, who have it all to prove.