Story Dark Horses' Time to Rule <Sri lankans win the thriller>

[shantanu_rooney]

Sky Sports Cricket Chat
​

Harsha Bhogle : Welcome to the first ODI between Sri Lanka and India of the Idea Cup 2008 at SSC in Colombo . With me in the studio I have Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar . Welcome Sunny , Sri Lanka completely out played the Indians in the 3 match test series what effect would that have on the Lankans ?

Sunil Gavaskar : That series win would have given the Lankan team lot of confidence before they face Indians over here today in the One Day Series . But under MS Dhoni India are completely different side and I expect them to bounce back from their series defeat .

Harsha Bhogle : We have seen Ajanta Mendis in the Asia Cup and as well as the Test Series , he has been a brilliant find for the Lankans .

Sunil Gavaskar : Yes , he has been a great find for them . He is young and is very effective which make him a bright prospect for the future after Murali retires . He is a very attacking bowlers . He is most useful in the middle overs where he slows down the run rate as well as takes wickets . India would have to play Mendis very carefully or else he would get the better of them .

Harsha Bhogle : Thanks Sunny , now we shall go down to the pitch where Ian Botham is waiting for us .

Pitch Report​

Ian Botham : Thanks a lot Harsha , welcome ladies and gentlemen to the pitch report . As you can see over here the pitch looks very dry . It will have even bounce through the match . The spinners will get a lot of help from this wicket as the game progresses . This is a batting paradise and it will stay the same for 100 overs . Well so I dont think the toss will have any effect on the result of the match . But the dew factor may come to play during the night . But overall it is a perfect batting wicket . So if you win the toss bat first and score about 300 to 350 would be great if the bowlers bowl well . Back to you Harsha in the studio .

Harsha Bhogle : Thanks Ian , as Ian said the pitch is really looking hard . It looks completely different from the pitch that was used for the 1st test match where Sri Lanka won by an innings . Well who will win the toss? Lets who has won the toss .

Toss​

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to Bat First​

Mahela Jayawardena : We will bat first as the pitch is hard and looks good for batting . The ball will have even bounce and we would like to get a lot of runs on the board . Also later as the game progresses the pitch may slow up and it will support our spinners .

MS Dhoni : Not disappointed by losing the toss , but we would have loved to bat first . We have a good bowling lineup and we hope to get some early wickets which would put a lot pressure on their batsmen . We need to get a win over here so that we get some confidence after the crushing defeat in the test series .

Harsha Bhogle : Both side have made some changes in their lineups . Sri Lanka have made no changes from the lineup that played India in the Asia Cup 2008 final in Pakistan . While , there are some important changes for the Indians . As Sachin tendulkar comes in place of Robin Uthappa and Harbhajan Singh also comes in place of Pragyan Ojha . Zaheer Khan has been brought in for rested Ishant Sharma

Sri Lanka : 1)Sanath Jayasuriya 2)Kumar Sangakkara 3)Mahela Jaywardena(c) 4)Tillakaratne Dilshan 5)Chamara Silva 6)Chamara Kapugedera 7)Chaminda Vaas 8)Ajanta Mendis 9)Dilhara Fernando 10)Numan Kulasekera 11)Muttaih Muralitharan

India : 1)Virender Sehwag 2)Sachin Tendulkar 3)Gautam Gambhir 4)Yuvraj Singh 5)Suresh Raina 6)MS Dhoni(c) 7)Rohit Sharma 8)Harbhajan Singh 9)Praveen Kumar 10)RP Singh 11)Zaheer Khan

Two batsmen are walking out to take guard stay tuned as Sky Sports will bring you all live coverage from Colombo .

 

[freddiw]

very good mate

 

[Jakester1288]

Absolutely gun imo.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Sri Lanka vs India
1st ODI , Idea Cup 2008
End of 5 overs

Aggressive start by the Openers​

Openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangarkkara opened the batting for the Lankans . Both batsman having loads of experience behind them would be facing the opening bowling of the most experience left handed bowler of India Zaheer Khan and not much experience Praveen Kumar.The stadium was full pack and the atmosphere was electric . The first ball of the innings bowled by Zaheer Khan hit was a bouncer hit the helmet of Sanath Jayasuriya while playing the pull shot .

Jayasuriya known to be one of the best hitters of the ball started of in explosive fashion against Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar . Anything short and wide was being punish stright to the boundary . Kumar Sangarkkara also gave support to Jayasuriya with some boundaries . The crowd was cheering their openers . The Indians looked worried as they knew once these two batsmen settled then it would be very difficult to get them out . Captain MS Dhoni had a chat with his experience players like Sachin tendulkar and Virender Sehwag and vice captain Yuvraj Singh about the field plan . He opted to have extra cover and third man for Jayasuriya and long off and deep mid wicket for Sangarkkara .

Sri Lanka 40/0(5)
S.Jayasuriya *20(16)
K.Sangarkkara *19(14)

India
Z.Khan 3-0-14-0
P.Kumar 2-0-26-0

 

[gutterman]

sri lanka dominating early kutgw mate

 

[Pakistani Army]

Nice pre-match show...was a bit short but was well presented. Regarding the current match situation Sri Lanka are off to a flyer. A wicket would help the Indians.

Great works mate!

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Sri Lanka vs India
1st ODI , Idea Cup 2008
End of 15 overs

Indians comeback with 2 quick wickets ​

Sri Lankans had scored plenty in the first power play. Both Jayasuriya and Sangarkkara were looking settled . Indian skipper was running out of options as Praveen Kumar had gone for many in his first spell . RP Singh was now given the ball . He bowled well in his first over by giving just 2 runs .

Zaheer Khan was given the last over of his spell . Jaysuriya was looking to hit him for sixes . But instead Jayasuriya edged it and an easy catch for Sachin tendulkar in the slips . Finally it was the end of Jayasuriya as he departed for 27 of 24 balls . Sri Lanka lost their first wicket at the score of 56 .

R.Shastri : Well held by Tendulkar in the slips , India have got their first wicket . Jaysuriya departs for 27 in 24 balls .

The skipper Mahela Jayawardena was the new man . He is highly experience and was the strikers end . Kumar Sangarkkara on the other end looks well settled as the two scored some quick runs with no boundaries involved . The running between the two was brilliant and they converted the ones into twos . For India RP Singh was bowling brilliantly as he went for just 5 runs in his 3 overs . Praveen Kumar was bowling better in his second spell . Both the batsman look settled . But it was Praveen Kumar who got India the second wicket .
Praveen Kumar pitched the ball outside the off stump and Jayawardena didnt attempt any shot . The ball just did a bit and came in and clipped the bail of the offstump . The skipper had to depart for 16 of 23 balls and Sri Lanka were 88 for the loss of 2 wickets

S.Gavaskar : That whats happen when you dont attempt any shot . Brilliantly bowl by Praveen Kumar , Sri Lankan captain has to depart .

The new man to arrive was Dilshan . Indians had put some pressure on the Lankans . He got off the mark straight away with a boundary through the covers . It was the end of the second power play and Sri Lankans were 92/2 .

Sri Lanka 92/2(15)
S.Jayasuriya c Tendulkar b Khan 27(24)
K.Sangarkkara *38(38)
M.Jayawardena b Kumar 16(23)
T.Dilshan *4(5)

India
Z.Khan 6-0-39-1
P.Kumar 6-0-47-1
RP.Singh 3-0-5-0

 

[gutterman]

good comeback by india but sri lanka still on top i feel

 

[Ollie_H]

Sri Lanka still on top even after the loss of two wickets. Bad shot by Mahela though! Should be looking for 250+ still.

 

[Pakistani Army]

That was a poor shot from Mahela. However, I still think Sri Lanka are in a good spot and should get 250-260 from here.

Great presentation and graphics mate. I like it how you have used the commentary.

 

[Karachi Xpress]

Sri Lanka aren't in any trouble yet...But another wicket in the next 5 overs could put them in trouble...

Nice presentation! KUTGW!

 

[shubhrayu]

Excellent no words mate

 

[JD10]

Great Updates here mate love reading them

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Sri Lanka vs India
1st ODI , Idea Cup 2008
End of 25 overs

Sangarkkara reaches 50 but Dilshan departs .​

India had taken two quick wickets of dangerous Jayasuriya and skipper Jayawardena . The pressure was on Sangarkkara and Dilshan to anchor the innings . RP Singh was proving to be a great bowler and skipper Dhoni kept a slip even in the last power play . RP Singh was getting some good swing which troubled the batsmen . But experience players like Sangarkkara and Dilshan did the right job to roate the strike . Kumar Sangarkkara reach his half century . The crowd stood up and appluaded him for his half century as he waved the bat in the air .

H.Bhogle : Thats yet another 50 for Sangarkkara . He is in very good form lately , hope he converts this one into something really big .

After the end of powerplay overs Dhoni operated one spinner from each end . Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag were given the bowl . As expected the pitch suited the spinners as they were getting some real great turn . Dilshan was unable to read Harbhajan and the pressure was mounting on him . It was harbhajan who won the battle . Dilshan going for a lofted cover drive but straight in the hands of the Sehwag at cover .

R.Shastri : Poor shot by Dilshan, no need to play such a situation . Dilshan departs for 23 of 29 balls and Sri Lanka are 131/3 .

New man to walk in was Chamara Silva . Silva was the last known batsman in the lineup as next was a new and less experienced Kapugedera to come . Silva and Sangarkkara kept on rotaing the strike .

Sri Lanka 139/3(25)
S.Jayasuriya c Tendulkar b Khan 27(24)
K.Sangarkkara *60(68)
M.Jayawardena b Kumar 16(23)
T.Dilshan c Sehwag b Harbhajan 23(29)
C.Silva *6(6)

India
Z.Khan 6-0-39-1
P.Kumar 6-0-47-1
RP.Singh 6-0-12-0
Harbhajan Singh 3-0-16-1
V.Sehwag 3-0-14-0

 

[Karachi Xpress]

Yet another great inning by Sangakkara! He sure has to bat a long way...

Nice presentation! KUTGW!