Resilient India back in the lead
No problems whatsoever for Men in Blue as they took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series after they bundled Sri Lanka out for 239, the hosts cruising to a comfortable seven-wicket victory at the Barabati Stadium here on Monday night.
The visitors will rue the fact that from a position of supreme strength at 165/1 , Sri Lanka were all out for 239 by the 45th over. Indians gave a fitting reply with Virender Sehwag’s scoring a freewheeling 44 that set the tempo for the match and Sachin Tendulkar who scored yet another gem (96 not out) stayed till the end in ensuring a facile win that gave the hosts a 2-1 lead in the series.
Virender Sehwag will want to thank their hero Ravindra Jadeja whose 4/32 was instrumental in the Lankans being bowled out for a below-par score. The left-arm spinner came on when the visitors were looking at a much healthier total, but his wickets swiftly pegged back Kumar Sangakkara’s men.
At the start, the Sehwag-Tendulkar combination clobbered the bowling to put on 50 in less than seven overs. Chanaka Welegedera got the better of Sehwag off a mistimed slash that went straight to point, but Sri Lanka’s prospects quickly faded as spinners went for runs aplenty.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s openers butchered Indian pacers for the third time on the trot. Tillakaratne Dilshan toyed with the Indian bowling as the Lankans raced to 58/0 in just four overs.
Zaheer and Ishant repeatedly drifted down the leg side and Dilshan took full toll, cracking 10 boundaries on his way to an 18-ball 41. But Jadeja then went onto spin the match in India’s favour that helped the hosts to take a 2-1 lead.
