Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not have enjoyed the outing to Rajkot too much. That is because despite having the cushion of 414 runs under India’s belt, the hosts struggled to stop the rampaging Sri Lankans, and managed to win the thriller, the first ODI, by three runs!
Dhoni would not have imagined it would be this hard to defend such a colossal target, despite the nature of the pitch and outfield. But India certainly had a battle on their hands, one that went to the final ball with Sri Lanka needing five, and four would have sufficed for a tie.
Much like Virender Sehwag’s whirlwind innings, Sri Lanka enjoyed the mystic of Tillekeratne Dilshan who was quite during the Twenty20 matches. And like the Sehwag-Sachin Tendulkar partnership for the opening wicket, Sri Lanka got a brilliant start with Upul Tharanga ( scoring sixty-seven runs ) lending support to the unstoppable Dilshan.
The Dilscoop came out as did some emphatic shots that sent the Indians into panic mode rather early. If anything, Sri Lanka’s chase looked even more facile and they only lost their first wicket with the score on 188 in the twenty-fourth over. But the Sri Lankan captain has been in good form, even during the Twenty20 matches, adding another similarity in that Dhoni was instrumental in playing second fiddle to Sehwag and the story was no different with Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara.
Sangakkara’s blaze only added greater momentum to the Sri Lankan offence and India appeared to be regretting not having aimed for 500! In fact, while Sangakkara stayed and Dilshan trashed the ball around for his 160, the possibility of a Sri Lankan victory was far greater than that of India’s.
And again like India, when looking to push, Sri Lanka’s middle order suffered a wobble, in their case one that decided the match eventually.
Sangakkara missed out on a century, defeated for ninety off just forty-three balls as Praveen Kumar gave India the breakthrough. From two down for 316 in the thirty-seventh over, Sri Lanka were reduced to five down for 345 two balls into the forty-first over.
By then, it was left to two men, Kandamby and Angelo Matthews to get Sri Lanka to the target they had chased with such impressive gusto. But run outs and Harbhajan Singh made life very hard for Sri Lanka so much so that it appeared that Sri Lanka were playing a innings of two sessions.
Even as the chase got down to double digits and within Sri Lanka’s reach, they had lost the momentum and only a little bit of luck could have got them through at that point. Needign eleevn from the final over, Sri Lanka never really got the big shots that marked thier innings for the better part of the match. Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra kept their cool at the death and and ensured that India would go one up in the series, even if it by only by a three run margin.
Ind SL ODI 1 Half Time: Sehwag Ton Puts India in Firm Command at Rajkot
Ind SL ODI 1 Preview: Yuvi’s Pain Could be Factor; Murali’s Finger Joins Injury List
Nagpur to Host Second ODI Between India and SL After Telangana Stand Off
Ind SL T20 2: Birthday Boy Makes it a Twenty20 Bash!
Team Is the Priority, Says Birthday Boy Yuvraj Singh
T20 2 Capers: Sreesanth Contracts Swine Flu; Team and Manager on Radar
Auro, not Paa, at the Second Twenty20
Special “Paa” Treatment for Bhajji by Amitabh Bachchan
When Sreesanth Met Amitabh Bachchan
Vishwanath, Gavaskar Felicitated by Bachchan, Tendulkar
Sachin Credits Anjali for His Positive Comeback
‘Daredevil’ Akshay Kumar Pays Tribute to Sachin in Marathi
Aamir Khan Asks Kapil Dev About Sachin Tendulkar
SRK and Aamir at Sachin’s Sea Wind Party!
Neeta Ambani to Host Tendulkar’s Bash at Seawind!
Tendulkar - Why Silence is Golden
More from the Sena: When Publicity Comes Free and Sachin Plays for BCCI, not India!
Sena Says They Attacked Media Because Thackeray Was Misquoted on Tendulkar
Is This What Shiv Sena Wanted Tendulkar to Be Proud Of?
Sachin Tendulkar for Middlesex?
Kapil Dev’s Message to Sachin Tendulkar: Be a Destroyer, Not an Underachiever
Atherton Feels, Sachin Tendulkar, Pampered Player, Not Greatest After All
Vinod Kambli Pays Tribute to Tendulkar, Apologizes Through Bigg Boss
Can Phelps be Compared to a Tendulkar (or vice versa)?
Vinod Kambli’s Popularity Put to the Test
Bal Thackeray Warns Tendulkar Against Entering Political Battles
Tendulkar Says, Mumbai Does not Belong to Maharashtra Alone
Kambli Survives A Week in Bigg Boss Thanks to Immunity
Vinod Kambli Set to Fill Cricketer’s Void in Bigg Boss 3
When There’s no Cricket; The Suave Come out to Dance
Kambli Alleges ‘Best Friend’ Sachin Didn’t Help, BCCI Discriminated
Sachin, Kambli At Same Function After Fracas
Politician Kambli Opens Up on Television, Incurs Wrath
Anjali Tendulkar Visits Sachin In Ahmedabad
Sachin’s Bowling That Ruined South Africa’s Day in the Hero Cup
The Sachin Sandstorm that Australia Never Quite Recoverd From
Tendulkar’s Perhaps Greatest Win Was Over His Mind
Sachin Tendulkar Completes Two Decades in International Cricket
Sachin, The Superstar; Don, the Legend?
Sachin Finally Breaks Lara’s Record; But India in Recession
Sachin – The Modern Day Cricket Maestro
Maybe, In Tendulkar Lies in the Cue
Sachin - Mother Teresa, Sehwag - the Messiah?
Sachin Tendulkar bats for Children at Test Venues
Sachin: Caught into an Unsuspecting Controversy
Tendulkar Dedicates Ton to Tiger Conservation!
Sachin - The Unflappable Juggernaut
Sachin Will Wax Eloquent in Tussaud’s
Tendulkar Would Have Loved to Play Twenty20 for Team India
Tendulkar Behind Sunil’s Stay in Malaysia
Sachin Tendulkar to Fans: Learn To Accept Defeat Gracefully
Salutations to the King of Pop
Tendulkar Wins None, KP All Amongst Aussie Mates
Buchanan Saves Best Criticism for Tendulkar
Kambli Alleges ‘Best Friend’ Sachin Didn’t Help, BCCI Discriminated
Sachin, Kambli At Same Function After Fracas
Tendulkar: Missed Michael Jackson in Concert
Tendulkar: Highest Tax Paying Cricketer
Sachin Tendulkar: Not Going Away in a Hurry
Raj Singh Dungarpur: The Man Who Breathed Cricket Breathed His Last
Tendulkar Believes in Match Winners in Indian Team
Ind Aus ODI 2: Sunny’s Imposition for Sachin Tendulkar, Ind 67/2 in 10.1
Sachin Tendulkar - A Grandfather?
Ind Aus ODI 5: Heartbroken Tendulkar Despite his Heroics
Sachin Speaks Out About Pressure, Planning and Disappointment
Ponting Praises Tendulkar, Watson and Marsh
Javed Miandad Believes Tendulkar Is Exemplary for Future Cricketers
