India Falter Again At The Final Hurdle

COLOMBO

Sri Lanka reserved their best performance of the Coca-Cola Cup until the endand, cheered on by an animated capacity crowd, they crushed India by 121 runs inthe final played today at the Premadasa International Stadium.

India had looked the form side after three consecutive victories, but theyonce again flopped at the final hurdle. Amazingly, for such a talented side,this is the eighth final they have lost in succession.

Sri Lanka though extended an impressive run in one-day cricket. They have nowwon their last four triangular tournaments and have not lost a one-daytournament or series at home for over three years.

Dav Whatmore was delighted: "The Sri Lanka team saved the best till lastin this tournament. Recently, in the biggest games, we have played our bestcricket."

Saurav Ganguly didn't hide his dissapointment: "We didn't play well inany department of the game and we were never really in the game when we batted.We have been giving away too many runs in the final."

He identified Zaheer Khan's dropped catch off Jayasuriya as a key moment:"Jayasuriya is a very good player and he seems to win crucial games againstus. I think the catch we dropped was very crucial."

In fact, Sri Lanka never looked like losing this match after captain SanathJayasuriya won an important toss in the afternoon - of the seven matches playedat this ground in this tournament, only one was won by the side chasing - andelected to bat first.

So far, in this tournament, the Sri Lankan batting had failed to performcohesively, with fine individual performances papering over mini collapses,especially in the middle order. This afternoon, however, they fired on allcylinders, with five out of the top six batsmen making significant scores.

With half centuries from Jayasuriya, who was cruelly dismissed for 99, MahelaJayawardene and Russel Arnold, plus useful cameos from Romesh Kaluwitharana andAvishka Gunawardene, they scored 295 for five, the highest score in thetournament by far and the sixth largest ever at this ground.

To win, India had to rewrite the history books - the highest ever scoresuccessfully chased at Premadasa was the 243 target overhauled by India back in1998. They also had to have a start like they had done at the Sinhalese SportsClub on Thursday when Virender Sehwag had flogged a 69-ball century.

Sehwag (4) though never got a chance to get going, as he was run out by adirect hit by Arnold, backing up too far in just the second over of the innings.Ganguly (1) was dismissed next ball, as he cut straight to backward point - fornot the first time in the series. India were five for two with their backsfirmly against the wall.

Rahul Dravid (21), the highest scoring Indian batsmen in the series with 259runs, and V.V.S. Laxman (37) kept Indian hopes alive for a little while as theyadded 56 runs off 70 balls before Dravid played on to his stumps in the 14thover and Laxman clipped a catch to mid wicket off Kumar Dharmasena in the 20th.

They were never likely to recover, especially with Muttiah Muralitharan stillhaving a full quota of overs to bowl, and didn't, as wickets fell steadily.

Arnold squeezed a delivery under the bat of Yuvraj Singh (6); Hemang Badani(22) was run out after a mix up with Reetinder Sodhi (6); Sodhi was bowled as hetried to loft Muralitharan into the top tier; and Harbhajan Singh (15) wascaught bat pad.

Sameer Dighe (23) batted stubbornly with Zaheer Khan (16), adding 33 runs innine overs, but by then it was just a face saving exercise and they wereeventually bowled out for 174.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan batsmen had appeared to be inspired by a highlycharged partisan atmosphere. Jayasuriya and Gunwardene (31) set the tone with 71runs off 65 balls.

Ganguly was forced to turn to Harbhajan Singh in just the ninth over asZaheer Khan's first four overs cost 30 runs. The off spinner immediately sloweddown the scoring and trapped Gunawardene leg before wicket - so plumb that heactually walked.

When Marvan Atapattu (5) drove a short delivery from Sehwag lamely to Gangulyat short cover the Indian players may have sensed another Sri Lankan middleorder slump.

Jayawardene (57) though gave his captain, who needed a runner after sufferingfrom leg cramps, good support and the pair added 104 in 20 overs.

With the crowd all poised to celebrate another exciting Jayasuriya centurythe left-hander pushed a simple catch straight to Ganguly at mid-wicket.Jayawardene was dismissed soon after as he optimistically tried to reverse sweepHarbhajan Singh, by far the best Indian bowler.

The Sri Lankan innings appeared to be faltering. After 40 overs they hadscored 219 and with Russel Arnold (52) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (31*) initiallystruggling to time the ball, only a reasonable target appeared likely.

But Arnold and Kaluwitharana suddenly went into the overdrive and, whippingthe crowd into a frenzy, they smashed 60 runs from the final six overs to post atotal that was never likely to be eclipsed with Sachin Tendulkar not playing.

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