India D(hon)isappoint the iSLanders again

India made three changes to their playing (Pat)eleven – Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh made way for Gautam Gambhir, Pragyan Ojha and Munaf.

Sri Lanka made F(ernand)our changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Malinda Warnapura, Mahela Udawatte, Jehan Mubarak and Dilhara Fernando made way for Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilina Kandamby, Farveez Maharoof and Muttiah Muralitharan.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, inserted the hosts, whose openers didn’t get off the mark. Dilshan, who faced three balls, didn’t open his account. Three balls into the match, Yusuf Pathan ran him out.

The second Powerplay of Sri Lanka’s innings was the 11^th and the 15^th over. Their second-wicket pair scored 50 off 13 overs (81 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point. While the contribution of Jayasuriya, the player of the match, to the partnership waS(ana)thirty-six, Kumar Sangakkara’s contribution to it was 11.

Fifteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 59 for the loss of a wicket at that point. While Jayasuriya was batting on 38, Sangakkara was batting on 18.

Jayasuriya’s half-century – which included seven boundaries – came off 65 balls. Sri Lanka scored 100 off 26 overs (159 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point. While Jayasuriya’s contribution to the partnership was 62, Sangakkara’s contribution to it was 35.

Sangakkara, whose 86-ball innings included two boundaries, eventually scored 44. A hundred and sixty-five balls after Dilshan’s dismissal, he was caught by Suresh Raina. Ojha broke the 118-run partnership.

Thirty-four overs into the match, the second drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 146 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Jayasuriya was batting on 91, Kandamby was batting on eight.

Sri Lanka scored 150 off 35.1 overs (214 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point. 

Jayasuriya’s ton – which included 10 boundaries and a six – came off 108 balls. At 39 years and 212 years, he became the oldest man to score a century in a One-day International, breaking the record of England’s Geoffrey Boycott, who was 39 years and 51 days old when he scored a hundred against Australia in Sydney in 1979.

The third Powerplay of Sri Lanka’s innings was the 39^th and the 43^rd over. The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 63 balls. While Jayasuriya’s contribution to the partnership was 34, Kandamby’s contribution to it was 17. Extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

Kandamby, whose 32-ball innings included a boundary, scored 17. Sixty-four balls later, he was caught by Zaheer Khan. Ishant Sharma broke the 51-run partnership. Jayasuriya, who faced 114 balls, eventually scored 107. Four balls later, he was caught by Patel. Khan broke the two-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 200 off 44.4 overs (272 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point. Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s skipper, faced 19 balls, scoring 11. Thirty-six balls after Jayasuriya’s dismissal, he was caught by Rohit Sharma. Ishant broke the 33-run stand.

Maharoof, whose 27-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, scored 35. A dozen balls later, Ishant broke the 18-run stand. The seventh-wicket pair put on 23. Chamara Kapugedera, whose 23-ball innings included a six, scored 15. Fifteen balls later, Raina ran him out.

Thilan Thushara, whose 10-ball innings included a six, scored a dozen. He was unbeaten, as was Nuwan Kulasekara, who didn’t face a ball.

India eventually conceded five extras. Sri Lanka scored 246 for the loss of seven wickets off 50 overs. Rohit and Raina bowled four wicketless overs apiece. While the former, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 22, the latter conceded 16.

Patel, who bowled five wicketless overs, conceded 32. Pathan, who bowled seven wicketless overs, conceded 32.

Ojha and Khan bowled 10 overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 52, the latter, whose spell included two maidens, conceded 40. Ishant bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 52, picking up three scalps.

Tendulkar, who faced 16 balls, scored just five. Twenty-two ballS(ach)into the chase, he was trapped leg before wicket by Thushara, who broke the 13-run stand.

India scored 50 off 9.4 overs (60 balls). The number of extras Sri Lanka had conceded at that point gave them no reason to be in seventh heaven. The second Powerplay of India’s innings was the 11^th and the 15^th over.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 48 balls. While both Gambhir’s and Raina’s contributions to the partnership were 23 apiece, extras’ contribution to it was half-a-dozen.

Sixteen overs into the chase, the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 80 for the loss of a wicket at that point. While Gambhir was batting on 37, Raina was batting on 29.

India scored 100 off 20.1 overs (125 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded nine extras at that point.

Gambhir’s half-century – which included four boundaries – came off 56 balls.

The second-wicket pair put on 100 off 115 balls. While Gambhir’s contribution to the partnership was 46, Raina’s contribution to it was 45. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was nine. Raina’s half-century – which included three boundaries and a six – came off 67 balls.

Gambhir, whose 68-ball innings included five boundaries, eventually scored 62. A hundred and twenty-seven balls after Tendulkar’s dismissal, he was caught by Kandamby. Muralitharan broke the 113-run partnership.

The third-wicket pair put on 11. Raina, whose 71-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, eventually scored 54. Sixteen balls later, the off-spinner, Kumar Sangakkara and Ajantha Mendis (Muralitha)ran him out.

India scored 150 off 30.1 overs (187 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 11 extras at that point. Thirty-four overs into the chase, the second drinks break was taken. India had scored 167 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Yuvraj Singh was batting on 20, Dhoni was batting on 14.

Yuvraj, whose 40-ball innings included two boundaries, eventually scored 23. Sixty-three balls after Raina’s dismissal, he was caught by Muralitharan. Maharoof broke the 44-run stand.

India scored 200 off 41.2 overs (254 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 14 extras at that point. The third Powerplay of India’s innings was the 43^th and the 47^th over. Dhoni’s half-century – which included four boundaries – came off 55 balls.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 50 off as many. While Dhoni’s contribution to the partnership was 29, Rohit’s contribution to it was 19. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple,

Dhoni, whose 65-ball innings included five boundaries, eventually scored 61. He was unbeaten, as was Rohit, who eventually scored 25. His 30-ball innings included three boundaries.

Sri Lanka eventually conceded 17 extras. India, who scored 247 for the loss of four wickets off 48.1 overs, won by half-a-dozen wickets with 11 balls to spare. Dilshan bowled 5.1 wicketless overs, conceding 29. Kulasekara bowled seven wicketless overs, conceding 32. Mendis bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceding 47.

Thushara and Maharoof bowled eight overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 44, the latter conceded 35. Muralitharan bowled 10 overs, conceding 52. He picked up a wicket.

India led the five-match series 1-0.