Tendulkar, Jadeja propel India to 2-1 lead

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: December 22, 2009

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Cuttack: A couple of years ago, there was a lot of talk of Sachin Tendulkar not being the greatest batsman ever since he has not managed to finish games for India. Well, anyone who said would now be eating his words. First, it was England, then Australia and now Sri Lanka. In the last couple of years, Sachin has won games for India, singlehandedly, on multiple occasions and the big difference is that he has stayed there till the end to take the team home.

India’s little master, Sachin Tendulkar, scored a masterly 96 not out, making a mockery of the Sri Lankan bowlers as India chased down the target of 240 in just 42.3 overs, giving them a 2-1 lead in the five game series.

Stand-in skipper, Virender Sehwag, smashed a 28-ball 44, including 9 boundaries, while Gautam Gambhir (32) and Dinesh Karthik (32 not out) chipped in with useful contributions as Sachin exposed the mediocrity of the Sri Lankan bowling attack. In the end, it was all too easy with the Indian team achieving the target without breaking sweat.

Earlier, young left-arm spinner, Ravindra Jadeja, turned the game on its head with career-best bowling figures of 4 for 32 as India made a spirited comeback to dismiss Sri Lanka for 239 in 44.2 overs after the tourists had got off to a flying start and another total in excess of 300 was looking inevitable.

Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and opted to bat on what was another batsmen’s paradise. And Tillakaratne Dilshan once again blazed away to a 18-ball 41, including 10 boundaries, before he went for one shot too many holding out to wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik off the bowling of Nehra with the Sri Lankan score at 65-1 in the 7th over.

Upul Tharanga (73) and Kumar Sangakkara (46) then carried the innings forward, not letting the run rate drop as they added 100 runs for the second wicket in just 97 balls. At 165-1 in the 23rd over, the Lankans were well on their way for a score in excess of 300 before the Indian spinners brought India back into the game.

Sehwag himself started the collapse for the Lankans when he broke the 100 runs partnership between Tharanga and Sangakkara. The Indian stand-in captain defeated Sangakkara in the air and Karthik stumped the Lankan skipper on the second attempt. Sangakkara hit three boundaries and one six in his innings of 46.

Batsmen started falling like nine pins after Sangakkara’s dismissal. Two quick wickets followed with the addition of just eight runs as Opener Upul Thranga, looking good on 73, was brilliantly bowled by Ravindra Jadeja in his first over, while Mahela Jayawardene (2) was sent back by Harbhajan Singh caught at mid-wicket by Suresh Raina, Sri Lanka reduced to 173 for four.

Continuing his dream spell, Jadeja then castled Chamara Kapugedera (15) to pick up his second wicket. Having conceded 49 runs from his first four overs, pacer Ishant Sharma, picked in place of Praveen Kumar for this game, returned with a brilliant spell to dismiss Thilina Kandamby (22) and Suraj Randiv (0) in successive balls.

Jadeja and Nehra then cleaned up the tail to dismiss the Lankans for 239 in 44.2 overs. The visitors lost their last eight wickets for just 70 runs. Jadeja finished with figures of 4 for 32 off 10 overs while Nehra and Ishant Sharma picked up two wickets each.

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar then ensured that the hard work of the bowlers didn’t go waste, as he played a classic ODI innings to take India home. He first played second fiddle to Virender Sehwag in their 55 runs opening stand and once Sehwag was dismissed, Tendulkar opened up, playing some majestic shots on way to his 104-balls 96 not out, his 93rd half-century laced with 13 fours.

Sehwag gave India a flying start, with the Delhi dasher smashing 16 runs from Lasith Malinga’s first over. He hit nine boundaries, three each coming off Nuwan Kulasekara, Malinga and Chanaka Welegedara and all three of them in an over of each bowler. Welegedara broke the opening stand of 55 by dismissing Sehwag in the seventh over.

Unaffected by Sehwag’s dismissal, Tendulkar took the Indian chase forward playing sensibly as he added 72 runs for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir (32) before the left-hander became the victim of rookie off-spinner Suraj Randiv who took a low catch off his own bowling.

Tendulkar, then reached his 93rd ODI 50 off off 52 balls, and subsequently opened up to play some exquisite shots much to the delight of the packed Barabati crowd. One shot, which will remain etched in the memory of everyone present in the stadium would be the upper cut to a rising Kulasekara delivery that raced over the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper’s head for a boundary.

Yuvraj Singh (23 from 40 balls) did not last long as he became Welegedara’s second victim. Dinesh Karthik, who has been included in the team because of Dhoni’s two match suspension, then gave fine support to Tendulkar at the other end, remaining unbeaten on 36 from 32 balls with one big six and five fours.

The two teams now move to Kolkata for the fourth one-dayer to be played on Thursday.

Match Summary:

India 242 for 3 (Tendulkar 96*, Karthik 32*, Sehwag 44) beat Sri Lanka 239 (Tharanga 73, Jadeja 4-32) by seven wickets

Man of the Match: Ravindra Jadeja

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