Sri Lanka continued their impressive form in the World Cup with a crushing 69-run win over an Indian side miserably low on confidence by virtually knocking the 1983 champions out of the World Cup at Trinidad on Friday.
Defending 254, Sri Lanka wasted little time in wreaking havoc, with the two crafty veterans, Chaminda Vaas(who was at his abusive best after he got the wicket of Robin Uthappa) and Muttiah Muralitharan (who fielded well aswell), ripping the heart out of a brittle batting order.
Virender Sehwag hit a few lusty blows in a 46-ball 48 and Rahul Dravid prolonged the inevitable with 60 (includes 4 fours in a Lasitha Malinga over), but found zero support and India collapsed for 185 in 43.3 overs.
Sri Lanka's bowlers used their characteristic drip technique to choke India, reducing them to 105 for 4 and pushing them close to World Cup elimination. Having posted 254, exactly the same score that they managed in the semi-final of the 1996 edition, they dismissed India's top four, including the dangerous Virender Sehwag for 48, and were clear favourites at the halfway mark.
Sehwag's second successive 50-plus score, after enduring a barren period before, was an innings reminiscent of the batsman at his best. He was solid against the faster men, working the percentages and waiting for the width to exploit.
India couldn't get their innings off to a flier, even though the fiery Robin Uthappa was in the middle. The first ten deliveries he faced were dots, with Vaas offering him no room to free his arms, and a number of ambitious strikes were mistimed.
Sourav Ganguly was Vaas's next victim, being nagged out by a drip-drip technique. He couldn't summon a boundary in his 23-ball stay and fell trying to launch him over mid-off.
Sachin Tendulkar let his first two deliveries go before being castled by the third - Fernando nipped a speedy ball in from outside off and Tendulkar could only inside edge it onto the stumps. It was a moment that prompted a question: will this be his last World Cup innings?
Dravid and the rest would want to ensure that it isn't.
The tension that had built up before the match simmered throughout the first innings and Sri Lanka moved along to a competitive 254 for 6.
After a scrappy session interspersed with edges, french-cuts, prodigious swing, canny cut and gorgeous fours, there was nothing to choose between the two sides.
Earlier in the day, India won the toss and decided to make first use of a virgin pitch at the Queen's Park Oval.
Their seamers landed it in the right areas and snared out the three big wickets early - Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene were frustrated out while Kumar Sangakkara was tempted into a loose loft.
But Upul Tharanga's responsible half-century, followed by a plucky partnership between Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan restored the balance. Their 83-run stand, mainly singles with the occasionally hit four, was the highlight of the middle overs.
India's bowlers turned in an impressive performance, 27 extras notwithstanding.
Zaheer Khan started the game just like he'd begun the 2003 World Cup final, with a wide down the leg-side to a left-handed opener, but settled down into a fine rhythm soon after.
Ajit Agarkar and Munaf Patel were the best bowlers on view and would have ended with richer hauls with a dose of good fortune.
Sachin Tendulkar surprised with his banana inswing and Sourav Ganguly chipped in with an important wicket. All had moments of frustration but Sri Lanka chipped away gamely, eking out a handy total.
Upul Tharanaga impressed all with his approach Unlike Jayasuriya, there was no brutality in the strokeplay; unlike Sangakkara, there was no exaggerated follow-through and flourish; but the efficiency of his shot-making was a joyous sight.
His dismissal brought in a couple of hardworking batsmen - Silva was beaver-like in his approach, grinding out singles and improvising fours while Dilshan, always on the look-out for runs, provided support.
Silva's third consecutive 50-plus score formed the heart of the middle overs and his cheeky glides behind the wicket irritated the bowlers.
Dilshan was the more forceful, backing away and forcing the ball through the off side. Both fell in quick succession but Russel Arnold and Chaminda Vaas, adding 38 in 23 deliveries, boosted the total beyond the 250 mark.
Only twice have teams won chasing more than 250 on this ground. India should have been the 3rd one here but that was not to be.
So Sri Lanka's WIN over India knocks out India from this edition of the World Cup unless offcourse Bermuda pulls out a miracle WIN against Bangladesh (seems highly unlikely)..
Scorecard:
Sri Lanka Innings 254-6 (50 overs)
U Tharanga lbw b Tendulkar 64
S Jayasuriya c Agarkar b Zaheer Khan 6
M Jayawardene c Dhoni b Agarkar 7
K Sangakkara c Patel b Ganguly 15
C Silva c Dhoni b Zaheer Khan 59
T Dilshan c Dhoni b Patel 38
R Arnold not out 19
C Vaas not out 19
M Muralitharan
L Malinga
D Fernando
Extras: 27 ( b-0, lb-11, nb-2, w-14)
Total: 254-6 (50 overs)
Fall of wickets:
S Jayasuriya (33-1, 7), M Jayawardene (53-2, 12.4), K Sangakkara (92-3, 23.3), U Tharanga (133-4, 32.2), T Dilshan (216-5, 45.4), C Silva (216-6, 46.1)
India O M R W
Zaheer Khan 10 0 49 2
A Agarkar 8 1 33 1
M Patel 10 1 46 1
Harbhajan Singh 10 0 53 0
S Ganguly 4 0 22 1
S Tendulkar 8 0 40 1
India Innings 185-10 (43.3 overs)
R Uthappa c and b Vaas 18
S Ganguly c Muralitharan b Vaas 7
V Sehwag c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 48
S Tendulkar b Fernando 0
R Dravid c Muralitharan b Jayasuriya 60
Y Singh run out ( Arnold ) 6
MS Dhoni lbw b Muralitharan 0
A Agarkar c Arnold b Malinga 10
Harbhajan Singh not out 17
Zaheer Khan c Malinga b Muralitharan 1
M Patel c Vaas b Dilshan 10
Extras: 8 ( b-0, lb-1, nb-0, w-7)
Total: 185-10 (43.3 overs)
Fall of wickets:
R Uthappa (25-1, 6.5), S Ganguly (43-2, 10.5), S Tendulkar (44-3, 11.3), V Sehwag (98-4, 22.5), Y Singh (112-5, 27.4), MS Dhoni (112-6, 28.1), A Agarkar (136-7, 34.4), R Dravid (159-8, 37.3), Zaheer Khan (161-9, 39), M Patel (185-10, 43.3)
Sri Lanka O M R W
C Vaas 8 1 39 2
L Malinga 8 0 39 1
D Fernando 6.2 0 32 1
M Muralitharan 10 0 41 3
S Jayasuriya 9 0 31 1
T Dilshan 2.1 1 2 1
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