Tuesday thriller: The Great Escape, starring Viru-Dada

Having twice rummaged through the debris of defeat in this tournament, India finally feasted on the remains of success in the steamy surroun...

Having twice rummaged through the debris of defeat in this tournament, India finally feasted on the remains of success in the steamy surrounds of Premadasa Stadium tonight with a victory over Sri Lanka that was as tight as they come. It set up the thrilling prospect of a final with the tournament hosts on Sunday, with the scores tied 1-1 so far.

Yet on an evening often laden with drama and occasional touches of pathos, Sanath Jayasuriya’s brave century almost took it away from India. His innings was laced with typical rapier cuts and stylish drives, but the man who picked up his wicket, Virender Sehwag, showed that he’s still a useful bits-and-pieces bowler in limited-overs games.

It doesn’t get much tighter, though, than victory by four runs. What helped tip the balance was Sehwag’s three wickets along with Zaheer Khan’s impressive last over; they held their nerve while the Lankans failed to capitalise on Jayasuriya’s 132-ball innings of 130 in a total of 267 for 9. Zaheer justified his place in the side and Sourav Ganguly’s faith in the left-arm bowler to support Irfan Pathan to head the attack.

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But it was close, especially during Jayasuriya’s partnership with Tillekeratne Dilshan when India were placed under pressure as the runs mounted. The 100 came off 99 balls — just the sort of middle-order charge to keep the game alive and entertaining.

Sehwag struck the double blow when Ganguly brought him back for a second spell. In the 44th and 48th overs the occasional off-spinner ripped through the Sri Lanka challenge, removing first Dilshan and then Jayasuriya, and the game became a battle between mind games and strategy which India won.

	WHY INDIA WON

	• Virender Sehwag’s partnership with Ganguly which set up a score to defend • Yuvraj Singh making the slog count till he lasted, even though India seemed to have ended 30 runs short • Regular fall of wickets in the Sri Lankan chase • Sehwag’s spell with the ball which kept India in the run • Ganguly backing his instinct to give Zaheer the last over

India needed man of the match Sehwag to make some form of contribution in this series. He has looked out of touch, untidy in his general strokeplay and at times hesitant. There were a couple of typical Sehwag flourishes: a straight drive off Nuwan Zoysa that raced to the boundary and one of the two sixes that scattered more than the crows gathered below the media centre. He even had a slice of luck being dropped in the covers after an earlier miss in the slips.

While the partnership with Ganguly prospered and fed off a bowling attack missing Lanka’s two top strike bowlers, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, it also enabled India to mount a challenging total. Yet there was the feeling that it might not be enough.

	TURNING POINT

	• This is an easy one. With just 18 to get off 18 balls, the Matara Mauler played an indiscreet shot. He couldn’t get completely under a ball from Sehwag, hit it straight up in the air for the bowler to take an easy return catch. India held their nerve while Lanka lost theirs, along with three more wickets, to lose the match by 4 runs Story continues below this ad

Rahul Dravid’s early departure after Sehwag’s dismissal in the 33rd over came at the wrong time as the innings lost some of its momentum at a crucial stage.

Ganguly’s runmaking habits this tournament have been fairly regular, passing the half-century mark twice before today’s game and yet one wonders why India are in the position they were entering this game — needing to win to reach the final.

Not the state of mind India needed as it created the sort of pressure that can get to a side. Ganguly admitted before the game that India had not played particularly well in the tournament. They came into the series as favourites and probably thought it would all fall into place.

	HOW INDIA RATED

	• Sehwag: Man of the match with good reason: Spent time at the crease and gained form, later bowled a magic spell • Tendulkar: Played an important part with the ball, striking at the right moment • Ganguly: Captain’s game. First batted with commitment and responsibly, then kept his team together at the death • Dravid: Rare chance for him to stand back and admire others’ efforts in a winning cause • Yuvraj: Got going in the slog overs; in the field, was safe without being brilliant • Kaif: Flopped in the slog overs, did his usual bit on the field • Parthiv: Very bad day behind the stumps, did not gather the ball cleanly at any time • Pathan: Starred once more with his opening and end-over spell as he checked scoring • Kumble: Taken to the cleaners by old foe Jayasuriya • Harbhajan: Looked good and troubled the hosts with his tight spell • Zaheer: All the early-innings waywardness was forgotten after that incredibly cool last over

Victories against such minor opposition as UAE and Bangladesh hardly need a mention in this scenario. They were expected results. It is the games against Pakistan and Sri Lanka that count, and India have not been as sharp in the field or when it comes to mounting an attack the past 10 days. A touch alarming perhaps: but the playing conditions for the tournament demanded 14 players for each side.

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It might have been an idea to have brought Rohan Gavaskar or Badani instead of Parthiv Patel to give the side that extra batting option. Ganguly and John Wright would no doubt suggest that if they could not win this tournament with this team, they don’t deserve to.

There was some confusion at the toss when team lists were exchanged and Laxmi Balaji’s name was included ad then left out as the pitch conditions favoured the extra spinner, with Harbhajan being brought in as the extra bowler, but Patel included, giving the batting balance needed. As balanced as it is going to be, though tough enough with a teenager filling the role of someone who is a class act.

What was interesting was how the two tall Sri Lanka bowlers Zoysa and Farveez Maharoof did a more than creditable job in filling in for Vaas and Muralitharan although why Jayasuriya was so sparingly used is another matter. His four overs were tight in a tricky situation.

SCOREBOARD

India: S Tendulkar lbw Zoysa 18, V Sehwag c Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 81, S Ganguly c Chandana b Malinga 79, R Dravid c Sangakkara b Maharoof 1, Y Singh c Jayawardene b Malinga 50, M Kaif run out 1, P Patel 13n.o., I Pathan 8n.o.
Extras (lb 2, w 14, nb 4): 20
Total: 271 for 6 (50 overs)
FoW: 1-34, 2-168, 3-169, 4-240, 5-248, 6-255
Bowling: N Zoysa 8-0-49-1, L Malinga 10-0-56-2, T Dilshan 10-0-49-0, F Maharoof 8-0-37-1, U Chandana 7-0-42-0, S Jayasuriya 4-0-17-1, S Jayantha 3-0-19-0

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Sri Lanka: A Gunawardene c Pathan b Zaheer 7, S Jayasuriya c&b Sehwag 130, S Jayantha c Patel b Pathan 5, M Atapattu c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 8, K Sangakkara c Tendulkar b Sehwag 15, M Jayawardena b Tendulkar 19, T Dilshan b Sehwag 39, U Chandana c Yuvraj b Pathan 11, F Maharoof b Zaheer 4, N Zoysa 3n.o., L Masinga 1n.o.
Extras (b 4, lb 13, w 8): 25
Total: 267 for 9 (50 overs)
FoW: 1-20, 2-36, 3-76, 4-103, 5-134, 6-237, 7-254, 8-261, 9-266
Bowling: Pathan 9-0-34-2, Zaheer 9-1-63-2, Harbhajan 10-0-42-1, Sehwag 9-0-37-3, Kumble 10-0-51-0, S Tendulkar 3-0-23-1