Sri Lanka triumph; India D(hon)isheartened

India made just one change to their playing eleven – Praveen Kumar made way for Robin Uthappa. Sri Lanka made (Fernan)do Cha(minda)nges to the eleven that last played the Indians – Kaushalya Weeraratne and Dilhara made way for Vaas and Ajantha Mendis, the player of the match and the player of the series.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, inserted the Sri Lankans, whose openers put on 11. Kumar, who faced three balls, scored four. His runs came by way of a boundary. Ten balls into the match, Suresh Raina (Sangakka)ran him out.

Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s skipper, scored 11. His 19-ball innings included a boundary. Thirty-four balls (Mahe)later, he was caught by Rohit Sharma. Ishant Sharma broke the 23-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 50 off 9.5 overs (59 balls). India hadn’t conceded any extras at that point. The second Powerplay of their innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over.

Sanath Jayasuriya’s half-century – which included half-a-dozen boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 43 balls.

Chamara Kapugedera, whose 11-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. Twenty-six balls later, he was caught by Raina. Ishant broke the 32-run stand. The fourth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Chamara Silva, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. A couple of balls later, he was dismissed by Ishant.

Fifteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 87 for the loss of four wickets at that point. While Jayasuriya was batting on 61, Tillakaratne Dilshan was batting on a couple.

The third Powerplay of their innings was between the 16^th and the 20^th over. Sri Lanka scored 100 off 15.3 overs (93 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 50 off 30 balls. While Jayasuriya’s contribution to the partnership was 46, Dilshan’s contribution to it was four. Extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

Sri Lanka scored 150 off 23.3 overs (141 balls). India had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Jayasuriya’s ton – which included nine boundaries and five sixes – came off 79 balls. The fifth-wicket pair put on 100 off 89 balls. While Jayasuriya’s contribution to the partnership was 67, Dilshan’s contribution to it was 31. Extras contribution to the partnership was a couple.

Thirty-four overs into the match, the second drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 192 for the loss of four wickets at that point. While Jayasuriya was batting on 123, Tillakaratne Dilshan was batting on 42.

Jayasuriya, who faced 114 balls, eventually scored 125. A hundred and forty-one balls after Silva’s dismissal, he was caught by Ishant. Virender Sehwag broke the 131-run partnership.

Sri Lanka scored 200 off 36.1 overs (217 balls). India had conceded seven extras at that point. Dilshan’s half-century – which included three boundaries – came off 68 balls. He faced 74 balls, eventually scoring 56. Twenty balls after Jayasuriya’s dismissal, he was caught by Dhoni. Irfan Pathan broke the 16-run stand.

Vaas, whose 32-ball innings included a boundary, scored 19. Thirty-six balls later, R P Singh broke the 23-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 250 off 47.3 overs (286 balls). India had conceded nine extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Nuwan Kulasekara, whose run-a-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 29. He was unbeaten. Thilan Thushara, who faced eight balls, scored five. Twenty balls after Vaas’ dismissal, he was trapped leg before wicket by Singh, who broke the run-a-ball stand.

Mendis, who faced four balls, scored eight. His runs came by way of a boundary. Four balls later, Singh broke the eight-run stand. Muttiah Muralitharan, who faced three balls, scored a couple. He was caught behind. Half-a-dozen balls later, Irfan broke the (Dho)nine-run stand.

Sri Lanka were dismissed for 273 off 49.5 overs. Rohit, who bowled three overs, conceded 11. He was wicketless, as was Pragyan Ojha, who bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 38.

Sehwag, who bowled eight overs, conceded 30. He picked up a wicket. Irfan, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 67. He picked up a couple of wickets. R P bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 67, picking up three wickets. Ishant bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 52, picking up three scalps.

Gautam Gambhir, whose 13-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Five overs into the chase, he was caught by Dilshan. Vaas broke the 36-run stand.

India scored 50 off seven overs (42 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

Sehwag’s half-century – which included 10 boundaries – came off 26 balls. He eventually scored 60 off 36 balls, which included a dozen boundaries. Twenty-six balls after Gambhir’s dismissal, he was stumped by Sangakkara. Mendis broke the 40-run stand.

The third-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Yuvraj Singh, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. A couple of balls later, he was (Men)dismissed.

The second Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. Raina, whose 21-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 16. Twenty-three balls after Yuvraj’s (Men)dismissal, the spinner broke the 17-run stand.

Eighty-one balls into the chase, the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 93 for the loss of four wickets at that point. The man from Ranchi was batting on (Dho)nine.

The third Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 16^th and the 20^th over. Rohit, who faced eight balls, scored just three. Eleven balls after Raina’s dismissal, he was trapped leg before wicket by Mendis, who broke the four-run stand.

India scored 100 off 17.2 overs (104 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

Uthappa, whose 41-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 20. Seventy balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Muralitharan, who broke the 38-run stand.

India scored 150 off 30.4 overs (185 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded three extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Irfan, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored a couple. Twenty-seven balls after Uthappa’s dismissal, he was caught by Jayawardene. Mendis broke the 19-run stand.

A hundred and eighty-nine balls into the chase, the second drinks break was taken. India had scored 154 for the loss of seven wickets at that point. Dhoni was batting on 44.

The eighth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. R P, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. A ball after Irfan’s dismissal, he was (Men)dismissed. Dhoni eventually scored 49 off 74 balls, which included four boundaries. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Sangakkara. Vaas broke the six-run stand.

Ojha, who faced 17 balls, scored half-a-dozen. He was unbeaten. Ishant, whose 18-ball innings included a boundary, scored eight. Thirty-one balls later, Kulasekara broke the 13-run stand. India were dismissed for 173 off 39.3 overs, lost by 100 runs. Thushara bowled eight wicketless overs, conceding 51.

Kulasekara bowled 6.3 overs, conceding 26. He picked up a wicket, as did Muralitharan, who bowled eight overs, conceding 26. Vaas bowled nine overs, conceding 55. He picked up two wickets. Mendis bowled eight overs, including a maiden. He conceded 13, picking up half-a-dozen scalps.

Sri Lanka won the 2008 Asia Cup.