Mahela Jayawardene rediscovered his batting form at the right time as Sri Lanka staged a dramatic recovery to stun India and romp into thefinal of the Indian Oil Cup at Dambulla today.
Chasing a target of 221, the hosts were precariously placed at 95 for six before Jayawardene swung the game in his team's favour with a controlled 94 not out to help Sri Lanka record a four-wicket win at the Rangiri stadium.
The Indians had themselves to blame for the debacle as the lack of a quality fifth bowler allowed the hosts to wriggle out of a tight situation through an record unbroken 126-run partnership betweenJayawardene and Upul Chandana (45).
The result ensured Sri Lanka's berth in the final on Tuesday and left the Indians needing to beat the West Indies in their last league match to reach the summit clash.
It was Jayawardene's first half-century in 18 innings. Incidentally, the right-hander's last 50-plus knock came against the same opponents at the same venue in the Asia Cup last year.
The spinners, Harbhajan Singh and part-time Virender Sehwag, proved expensive under the flood-lit conditions as didSaurav Ganguly with his medium pacers.
Ganguly, however, made it a memorable return to international cricket with a well paced 51 that also saw him cross the 10,000-run mark in one-day internationals.
Earlier, Tillekeratne Dilshan turned the Indian innings upside down with his part-time off-spinners. Dilshan ripped the heart ofthe Indian middle-order with a spell of four for 29 which completely stopped the Indians on track who at one stage were cruising at 117 for one. There was little hint of such a turn-around when Sehwag (32) and Ganguly put on 67 runs for the second wicket and another 50 were realized between Ganguly and Laxman but then the Indians lost their plot.
Dilshan was introduced in the 27th over at the total 107 for one and in his third over cleaned up Laxman who inside edged a big-turning off break on to his stumps.
Ganguly departed at the other end when he aimed a sweep at a leg-break from Chandana which hit his leg-stump.
Dilshan now turned up a dream spell when he took Rahul Dravid (0), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (20) and Suresh Raina (2) out from the middle with his innocuous off-breaks.
Dravid was unlucky to be ruled leg before wicket when aiming an on drive but there was no such case with Dhoni and Raina who offered return catches to the bowler.
Sri Lanka would have been still better placed had they accepted two chances in the slip cordon from Sehwag who was largely unconvincing in his 32 off 39 balls with five fours.
However, there was no such thing with Ganguly who batted solidly and looked to play in the V, cutting out his favourite shots square off the wickets. He was also quick between the wickets but the scoring was restricted to a trickle once Laxman joined Ganguly in the middle.
Laxman was palpably nervous and even fortunate to have survived a catch behind the stumps but couldnot make the most of the opportunity.
The innings was still pushed beyond the 200-run mark by a plucky 33-run stand for the seventh wicket between Mohammad Kaif (34) and Irfan Pathan (36 not out).
Kaif was beginning to flourish when Fervez Maharoof caught him brilliantly in his follow through, his 34 taking him 48 balls and including one four.
Pathan then took a heavy toll of Dilhara Fernando in the 49th over whom he hit for three fours and 17 runs were realised from it.Pathan faced 28 balls and hit five fours.
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After Lanka seemed down and out at 95 for six in the 26th over, the Indians all of a sudden gave too many fours down the leg-side and it was baffling to see Harbhajan adopt a negative middle-leg stump line.
Once Ashish Nehra was through with his splendid spell of 10 overs for 23 runs and two wickets, Harbhajan and Sehwag failed to exert pressure from the two ends.
By the time Pathan and Lakshmipathy Balaji were recalled, the last roll of the dice, so to speak, the batsmen were well and truly settled.
The win came in the 48th over, a comfortable one in the end, when all had seemed lost.
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Jayawardene made his runs from 115 balls with nine fours and a six while Chandana's innings spanned 62 balls and contained four fours.
The Indians had closed in on Sri Lanka remarkably in the early part of the innings with some early wickets and a splendid spell byNehra.
India had reduced Sri Lanka to 36 for 2 with opener Upul Tharanga (4) and Kumara Sangakkara (16) cooling their heels in the pavilion.
Suresh Raina once again picked up Marvan Atapattu (29) by way of a run out and it brought wickets in a clutter with Nehra stifling the batsmen completely.
Nehra took out Dilshan (4) and Russel Arnold (7) from the middle and when Harbhajan had Dilhara Lokhuttege (0) caught at thewicket. Sri Lanka looked headed towards a rare defeat on home soil.
But that was not to be.
PTI
