Date:26/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/26/stories/2008082656821900.htm

Sport - Cricket

India takes lead

COLOMBO: India did the near impossible at the Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, handing Sri Lanka only its 18th defeat in 67 ODIs at this venue and securing a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Praveen Kumar and Zaheer Khan resumed their contract from Dambulla, reducing Sri Lanka’s reply to 40 for four: not nearly the point of no return — Mahela Jayawardene’s brave and brilliant 94 (111b, 6x4, 1x6) was far too good to be counted as merely raging against the dying of the light — but close enough.

SCOREBOARD

India: 237 for nine in 50 overs.

Sri Lanka: S. Jayasuriya c Dhoni b Praveen 13, K. Sangakkara lbw b Zaheer 9, C. Kapugedera lbw b Praveen 12, M. Jayawardene c Praveen b Munaf 94, C. Silva lbw b Zaheer 1, T. Dilshan c Dhoni b Munaf 16, C. Vaas b Harbhajan 0, N. Kulasekara lbw b Yuvraj 11, T. Thushara b Zaheer 30, A. Mendis (not out) 6, Muttiah Muralitharan b Munaf 6; Extras (lb-2, w-4) 6; Total (in 49 overs) 204.

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Jayasuriya), 2-26 (Sangakkara), 3-37 (Kapugedera), 4-40 (Silva), 5-58 (Dilshan), 6-59 (Vaas), 7-94 (Kulasekara), 8-175 (Thushara), 9-192 (Jayawardene).

PP1 (1-10): 41/4; PP2 (11-15): 17/0; PP3 (16-20): 12/2.

India bowling: Praveen 10-0-62-2, Zaheer 10-3-23-3, Munaf 10-1-42-3, Harbhajan 10-0-29-1, Yuvraj 8-0-37-1, Rohit 1-0-9-0.