Dilshan and Sangakkara take charge


February 8, 2009

25 oversSri Lanka 153 for 1 (Dilshan 56*, Sangakkara 51*) v India
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details



Sanath Jayasuriya provided Sri Lanka with a blazing start in their bid to avoid a first 5-0 series whitewash, and half-centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara ensured the hosts were well placed to push for a total in excess of 300. The turnaround in batting fortunes was made possible after Mahela Jayawardene finally won a toss in the series, because the dry pitch at the Premadasa Stadium has turned in the second innings in previous games.

During his brief innings, Jayasuriya beat the bowlers into submission, giving Sri Lanka a launch pad. He began by crashing Ishant Sharma through point in the fourth over and later played his trademark clip over midwicket, the short-arm pull, and the loft over mid-off. In Ishant's fourth over, Jayasuriya pulled twice for four towards square leg, prompting Mahendra Singh Dhoni to protect that boundary. Jayasuriya merely waited a little longer on the next pull and placed it towards the left of the fielder.

By the time Jayasuriya fell, top-edging Irfan Pathan after a premeditated charge, Sri Lanka had reached 66 in 10.1 overs. Though the pyrotechnics stopped after the dismissal, Sri Lanka continued to score steadily. It was easy to overlook Dilshan while Jayasuriya was batting for he chose the inconspicuous role of anchoring the innings. The highlight of Dilshan's innings was his running between the wickets, and his driving - through cover and straight down the ground.

Sangakkara benefited from some wayward bowling from Virender Sehwag, who gave him a loose delivery down leg side in each of his three overs. India's two newcomers for the dead rubber didn't have the best of early starts either. Ravindra Jadeja dropped a simple catch from Jayasuriya, on 19, at point and L Balaji, who was making a comeback after more than three years, conceded eight runs in his first over.

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