India manages 3 run win against Lankans

Rajkot: On a day of highest scoring thrillers of ODI, with India and Sri Lanka going past the 400-run mark, India today managed to smash the Lankans, winning by three runs.

India took over Lankans in a very nervous match in the dying moments, which gave India a three-run win in the opening One-dayer.

India amassed the highest ever ODI score of 414 for seven and Sri Lanka looked set to chase that daunting target but lost their way just towards the end.

Sri Lanka needed 15 runs in the last two overs with five wickets still in hand. Zaheer and Nehra who bowled the last two overs did not concede even an inch of space to the rival batsmen. v Thilan Kandamby and Thilan Samaraweera ran themselves out which made the task tougher for the visitors. With Sri Lanka needing 11 runs in the last over, Nehra bowled a brilliant spell as Sri Lanka could manage only just seven runs as the visitors were restricted to 411 for the loss of eight wickets.

Dilshan and Tharanga had laid a perfect foundation with a staggering 188-run stand for the opening wicket in just 24 overs. Tharanga scored 67 off just 60 balls and Dilshan completed his century in just 73 balls with 16 hits to the fence and a six.

Sangakkara was closing in to the fastest century by a Sri Lankan and had raced to 90 in no time with 10 fours and five towering sixes but could not get enough bat on short ball from Praveen Kumar to be caught at deep square leg fence.

India amassed 414 for seven against Sri Lanka, India’s highest score in One-day Internationals, in the opening One-dayer of the five-match series here on Tuesday.

While Sehwag struck his 12th hundred, Sachin Tendulkar (69) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (72) struck half-centuries. Put in to bat, Sehwag and Tendulkar added 153 runs for the first wicket In 20 overs. Sehwag scored at a blistering pace and raced to his 12th century in just 66 balls.

Despite Tendulkar's dismissal later, there was no respite for the Sri Lankans as Dhoni took no time before he launched an onslaught at the bowlers. Dhoni and Sehwag put on 156 runs in just 16 overs for the second wicket stand.

December 15, 2009