The Indians D(hon)isappoint SL again

India (Shar)made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan made way for Rohit and Irfan Pathan. Sri Lanka made just one change to the eleven that last played the Indians – Ajantha Mendis made way for Angelo Mathews.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Virender Sehwag, whose eight-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. Seventeen balls into the match, he was caught by Sanath Jayasuriya. Nuwan Kulasekara broke the 14-run stand.

India scored 50 off 10 overs (62 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point. The second Powerplay of their innings was between 11^th and the 15^th over.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 54 balls. While the contribution of Gautam Gambhir, the player of the match, to the partnership was 22, Dhoni’s contribution to it was 25. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three.

Fifteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 82 for the loss of a wicket at that point. While Gambhir was batting on 34, Dhoni was batting on 33.

India scored 100 off 17.1 overs (108 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 11 extras at that point.

Gambhir’s half-century – which included three boundaries and a six – came off 60 balls.

The second-wicket pair put on 100 off 104 balls. While the contributions of both Gambhir and Dhoni was 47 apiece. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was half-a-dozen. Dhoni’s half-century – which included four boundaries and a six – came off 53 balls.

India scored 150 off 24.5 overs (157 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 14 extras at that point. The second-wicket pair put on 150 off 146 balls. While Gambhir’s contribution to the partnership was 64, Dhoni’s contribution to it was 78. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was eight.

Thirty-one overs into the match, the seocnd drinks break was taken. India had scored 188 for the loss of a wicket at that point. While Gambhir was batting on 79, Dhoni was batting on 88.

India scored 200 off 33 overs (207 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 16 extras at that point. The man from Ranchi, whose 96-ball innings included four boundaries and a couple of sixes, scoreD(ho)ninety-four. A hundred and eighty-four balls after Sehwag’s dismissal, he was caught by Dilhara Fernando. Jayasuriya broke the 188-run partnership.

The second Powerplay of their innings was between 35^th and the 39^th over. Yuvraj Singh, whose six-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. Half-a-dozen balls later, Kulasekara broke the five-run stand. The fourth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Yusuf Pathan, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. The next ball, he was dismissed by Kulasekara.

Gambhir’s ton – which included eight boundaries and a six – came off 113 balls. India scored 250 off 39.5 overs (249 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 22 extras at that point.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 50 off 38 balls. While Gambhir’s contribution to the partnership was 29, Suresh Raina’s contribution to it was 15. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was seven.

India scored 300 off 45.5 overs (287 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 25 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 100 off 75 balls. While Gambhir’s contribution to the partnership was 62, Suresh Raina’s contribution to it was 31. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was nine.

Gambhir’s 150 – which included 14 boundaries and a six – came off 146 balls. He eventually faced 147 balls. Seventy-five balls after Yusuf’s dismissal, he was caught by Kumar Sangakkara. Muttiah Muralitharan broke the 103-run partnership.

Raina, whose 37-ball innings included four boundaries and a six, eventually scored 49. He was unbeaten, as was Rohit, who faced half-a-dozen boundaries, scoring four. India scored 332 for the loss of five wickets off 50 overs.

Mathews, who bowled three wicketless overs, conceded 24. Fernando, who bowled nine wicketless overs, conceded 64. Farveez Maharoof, who bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceded 60.

Jayasuriya, who bowled eight overs, conceded 46. He picked up a wicket, as did Muralitharan, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 66. Kulasekara, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 63. He picked up three scalps.

Sri Lanka’s openers scored 50 off 7.1 overs (44 balls). India had conceded a couple of extras at that point. While Tillakaratne Dilshan’s contribution to the partnership was 26, Jayasuriya’s contribution to it was 27.

Jayasuriya, whose 16-ball innings included a boundary and a couple of sixes, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. A ball after Sri Lanka scored 50, he was caught by Rohit. Irfan broke the 55-run partnership.

The second Powerplay of Sri Lanka’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. Dilshan, whose 45-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, eventually scored 38. Twenty-nine balls later, he was caught by Yuvraj. Praveen Kumar broke the 24-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 100 off 16 overs (97 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point. Sixteen overs into the chase, the first drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 102 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Sangakkara was batting on 32, Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s skipper, was batting on a couple.

A hundred and four balls into the chase, the match was delayed. Sri Lanka had scored 108 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Sangakkara was batting on 32, Jayawardene had no reason to be in seventh heaven.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 69 balls. While Sangakkara’s contribution to the partnership was 28, Jayawardene’s contribution to it was 21. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

Jayawardene, who faced 40 balls, eventually scored 28. Eighty-one balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Sehwag broke the 61-run partnership.

Sri Lanka scored 150 off 27.5 overs (169 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point. Sangakkara’s half-century – which included four boundaries – came off 61 balls.

Thilina Kandamby, who faced 15 balls, scored 10. Twenty-nine balls after Jayawardene’s dismissal, he was trapped leg before wicket by Yusuf, who broke the 23-run stand.

Sangakkara, whose 74-ball innings included four boundaries, eventually scored 56. Nineteen balls later, he was caught by Gambhir. Sehwag broke the 11-run stand.

Two handred and two balls into the chase, the second drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 175 for the loss of five wickets at that point. Although Chamara Kapugedera was batting, he had no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Mathews, who faceD(ho)nine balls, scored half-a-dozen. Thirteen balls later, he was caught behind off the bowling of Yuvraj, who broke the nine-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 200 off 39 overs (239 balls). India had conceded eight extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded. Kapugedera, who faced 26 balls, eventually scored 16. Twenty-six balls later, Pragyan Ojha broke the 24-run stand.

The third Powerplay of Sri Lanka’s innings was between the 42^nd and the 46^th over. Maharoof, whose 26-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 28. Thirteen balls later, he was caught by Rohit. Irfan broke the 13-run stand. Kulasekara, whose 22-ball innings included four boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 39. He was unbeaten.

The ninth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Muralitharan, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. A ball after Maharoof’s dismissal, he was caught by Raina off the bowling of Pathan.

Sri Lanka scored 250 off 46 overs (281 balls). Fernando, whose 14-ball innings included a boundary, scored nine. Thirty-two balls later, Kumar broke the 45-run stand. Sri Lanka, who were dismissed for 265 off 48 balls, lost by 67 runs. Ishant Sharma, who bowled five wicketless overs, conceded 39.

Yusuf, who bowled three overs, conceded 13. He picked up a wicket. Yuvraj, who bowled five overs, conceded 37. He picked up a wicket. Ojha, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 34. He picked up a wicket.

Sehwag and Kumar bowled nine overs each, picking up two wickets apiece. While the former conceded 43, the latter conceded 38. Irfan, who bowled seven overs, conceded 58. He picked up three scalps.

India led the five-match series 4-0.