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Download PDF Upul Tharanga and Chamara Silva hit solid half-centuries to help Sri Lanka post a competitive 254 for 6 in a World Cup Group B match against India here on Friday.
India bowled superbly for a major part of the innings before losing their way in the closing 10 overs which yielded 75 runs, thanks to Silva’s 68-ball 59 for his third successive half-century.
Silva put on 83 for the fifth wicket off just 80 balls with Tillakaratne Dilshan (38), ensuring his team crossed the 250-mark.
India were 103 for 4 after 24 overs. Rahul Dravid was batting on 18 while Yuvraj Singh (3).
Left-handed opener Tharanga top-scored with a fighting 64 for his sixth half-century, but was unable to dominate the disciplined pace-spin attack.
Seamers Zaheer Khan (2-49), Munaf Patel (1-46) and Ajit Agarkar (1-33) all bowled tightly on a pitch which offered movement and bounce early in the innings.
India, needing a win in this game to boost their chances of qualifying for the next Super Eight stage, kept pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen as they never allowed them to build a notable partnership till the closing overs.
India skipper Rahul Dravid elected to field after winning the toss and his new-ball bowlers did not let their captain down as both Zaheer and Agarkar exploited the conditions superbly.
Veteran Sanath Jayasuriya (6), who hammered a century in the previous game against Bangladesh, was the first to go when he top-edged a Zaheer delivery to be caught by Agarkar at the third-man boundary.
Tharanga kept his end intact with his sensible knock, but received little support as in-form skipper Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara fell cheaply to leave their team in a spot.
Agarkar was rewarded for his hard work when he had Jayawardene (7) caught by wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni, who dived to his left to bring off an excellent catch.
Sangakkara (15) lost his patience and wicket, caught at long-off by Patel while trying a big shot off seamer Sourav Ganguly.
Sachin Tendulkar then got a big wicket when he trapped Tharanga leg-before to send Sri Lanka struggling at 133-3. The Sri Lankan opener struck six fours in his 90-ball knock.
IRELAND 183/8
Ireland made 183 for 8 off 48 overs in a rain-affected World Cup Group D match against the West Indies at Sabina Park on Friday.
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