Sanath Jayasuriya smashed another superb century before Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner still classed as a slow-medium bowler, bamboozled a highly rated batting line-up to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran06-Jul-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Yuvraj Singh was one of Ajantha Mendis’ six victims © AFP
Eight years ago, in Sharjah, Sanath Jayasuriya scored a magnificent 189 before Sri Lanka’s bowlers sent India tumbling to 54 all out, and a humiliating 245-run defeat. At Karachi’s National Stadium, Jayasuriya, now39, smashed another superb century before Ajantha Mendis, the mysteryspinner still classed as a slow-medium bowler, bamboozled a highly ratedbatting line-up to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13.Virender Sehwag’s blistering early onslaught was rendered irrelevant as Sri Lankastormed to a 100-run victory, retaining the Asia Cup and extending India’smiserable record in tournament finals.With Sehwag hammering an exhilarating 60 from just 35 balls, India hadromped to 76 from just nine overs. Muttiah Muralitharan prefers not tobowl during the Powerplays, and it was to Mendis, who the Indians hadnever faced before, that Mahela Jayawardene turned as he sought to staunchthe flow of runs.Even he couldn’t have predicted the impact that Mendis would have. Like acombine harvester scything through a field of corn, Mendis sliced througha line-up that has quite a reputation when it comes to playing spin.Sehwag charged his second delivery and watched helplessly as it driftedaway from him. Kumar Sangakkara did the rest. Two balls later, YuvrajSingh was utterly befuddled by one that skidded on. Suddenly, 274 appeareda long way away.That Sri Lanka got anywhere near that was down to a man who refuses to bowto Father Time. India picked up four wickets in the first 12 overs, withIshant claiming three of them, but Jayasuriya’s 114-ball 125, and a131-run partnership with Tillakaratne Dilshan utterly changed thecomplexion of the game.It’s perhaps no coincidence that India haven’t won the Asia Cup sinceJayasuriya became a regular at the top of the Sri Lankan order, and hismastery over the opposition was best revealed in the 16th over, bowled byRP Singh. RP had managed to escape relatively unscathed in his opening spell,conceding 24 from five overs, but when he returned, Jayasuriya took to himlike a bull that had been riled by the matador’s cape.Sixes on either side of the sightscreen were followed by two wallops overcover, and after a one-ball lull, he pulled one over midwicket for sixmore. With Dilshan then taking three successive fours off Irfan Pathan, MahendraSingh Dhoni had no option but to turn to spin, with Pragyan Ojha andSehwag managing to have something of a fire-extinguishing effect.India had started poorly, with RP conceding two boundaries to fine leg inthe opening over, but a mix-up between two experienced hands gave them theopening they so desperately needed. Jayasuriya tapped one to shortmid-off, and Sangakkara had already hared halfway down the pitch before herealised the striker had no interest in a single. Suresh Raina’sunderarm flick was the ultimate punishment.
Ajantha Mendis got a career-best 6 for 13 © AFP
But with two maiden overs bowled in the first five, India wrested back ameasure of control, despite Jayasuriya’s sporadic bursts of aggression.With the pressure building, it was Ishant who struck, as Jayawardeneslapped one straight to Rohit at point. No bother for Jayasuriya though. Aswivel pull sent an Ishant delivery for six, and Pathan’s introduction wasgreeted with three fours in the over.The problem was at the other end, where Ishant was wreaking havoc with theextra bounce he extracted from a comatose pitch. Bounce and a hint oflateral movement had Chamara Kapugedera playing one off the leading edgeto point, and two balls later, the other Chamara – Silva – inside-edgedone back on to the stumps.Jayasuriya’s version of consolidation involved a pull for six off Ishantand a slice of luck as a as a miscue off Pathan evaded RP, who ran aroundin circles and failed to get his hands to the ball. Dilshan contributedonly four to the first 50 the pair added, from 30 balls, but he didhis part, turning the strike over to allow Jayasuriya to inflict maximumdamage.With Sehwag and Ojha – Rohit contributed three tidy overs too – taking thepace off the ball, it was a different story. With the field spread, theboundaries dried up and the runs came mainly in singles. India missed acouple of run-out opportunities and Dhoni put down a sharp chance offeredby Dilshan when he was on 37, but the helter-skelter pace of the Powerplayovers soon gave way to relative calm.Eventually, the lack of action got to Jayasuriya and a flat slog-sweep offSehwag only found Ishant at deep midwicket. After that, Sri Lanka losttheir way. Dilshan eased to 50 from 68 balls, but when Pathan returned tobowl round the wicket, he popped a catch to Dhoni. Vaas, back in the frayafter missing the last game, square-drove Ishant for the first four inmore than 20 overs, but was castled by RP soon after.Nuwan Kulasekara flailed the bat to finish with an unbeaten 29, but a target of274 was expected to be well within reach for an Indian side that hadincluded seven specialist batsmen. But after his extraordinary first over,Mendis soon set about making a mockery of the predictions.Raina had been fortunate to survive a vociferous leg-before shout beforehe decided to play the worst shot of the evening, an ugly pull to adelivery that pitched on middle stump. Rohit soon followed, struck on theback pad by one that deviated away a touch, and by the time Jayawardenedecided to take him out of the attack, Mendis had stunning figures of 4for 8.No one including the umpires knew quite what to expect, and the batsmenappeared unsure whether to play him as a slow bowler or a medium-pace one.That indecision was to prove fatal, especially against the carrom ballthat was being propelled by a flick of the middle finger. As eye-catchingwas his accuracy. There was no width for the batsmen to work with, andhardly a loose delivery. Only Dhoni, who played the ball as late as hepossibly could, showed any signs of coming to grips with him.
Sanath Jayasuriya is unstoppable even at 39 © AFP
With Mendis casting such a spell, Murali’s introduction went almostunnoticed, but with him in parsimonious mood, the tourniquet wastightening around India. Robin Uthappa and Dhoni added 38 in attritionalfashion before Murali struck from round the wicket. Uthappa missed aflick, and the appeal from the bowler was just a formality.Jayawardene waited a while longer and then brought back Mendis for the30th over. India somehow survived that, but the game was up in his next.Pathan’s attempt to flick through the leg side ended up at slip, andRP walked off bemused after one deviated away to take offstump. He should have had the hat-trick too, only Simon Taufel was asperplexed by a ball that pitched in line as Ojha was.Dhoni had watched it all from the other end, defending stoutly andstriking the odd four when he could. But once he inside-edged Chaminda Vaas to the keeper, the Sri Lankan dressing room readied for the celebrations. When Kulasekara cleaned up Ishant with 63 balls still to be bowled, they could begin in earnest. The combination of the six-hitting veteran and the six-wicket carrom-ball spinner had been far too much for India to handle.