it's all academic now anyway as Dhoni crashes through the covers to bring up his fifty and seal the win for India
Sri Lanka vs India, 8th Match at Adelaide, Feb 19 2008 - Match Result
Well, a good contest out there at the Adelaide Oval today, Sangakkara's hundred in a losing cause as India's batsmen got home with two wickets, well marshalled by the resurgent Yuvraj and the sensible Dhoni who made a fifty without a boundary.
Here's Jayawardene: "It was a very good game, we had opportunities but Yuvi came in the middle and played very well. With the tailenders there was a good chance of Lasith doing something special but we were probably 20 short today. We lost a couple of wickets and momentum. Losing two wickets in the first two overs doesn't help the cause either. Once you start winning you get used to doing the right things, not doing things makes it much tougher. But credit to the guys, Indians played very well today. We really need to go all out and try to get those three mathematical wins."
Sangakkara is the Player of the Match and gets a cheque for $2500. "When you score runs you always expect to be in the winning side but when the side loses everyone loses." Quite.
"If you go into bat and you're in form you're expected to get runs and the rest of the guys have to work around you. Once it turns around we will get back on track, it's not for a lack of trying." And on Malinga at the end: "I was thinking, please, please, here's a guy who bowls his heart out, but not to be today. All of our guys tried their hardest to win the game."
Here's Dhoni. "We will take the win it's fine. One day was not enough to recover from the calf injury." He acknowledges it was easier to bat in the cooler conditions.
"The credit goes to Yuvraj, he was one of the batsman who... the sooner he comes to form the better for the side. That's one of the things you should do as a team - enjoy each other's success and that's what we're doing out here."
He made fifty without a boundary of course. "It's more fun when you're teasing the fielder, taking the doubles and cheeky singles, it's more fun than hitting boundaries." Good comment.
So the great and powerful players in Oz have spoken, that's about the best point to wrap things up and say thanks for joining me today, do come back on Friday won't you? See you then.
Close either way
outside off and Dhoni comes out of his crease, chopping a cut right over the ball and the umpire calls wide to the intense approbation of the team and the crowd
Dhoni to face now and it will be Maharoof who has the honours. Three needed remember
So, a wicket maiden for Malinga but the over of course contained those byes
Ishant's done his job, keeping another yorker out with a dig of the bat
outside off, low, and a swish from Ishant with little foot movement gets the ball out towards the gully
Ishant into the cauldron, walks in slowly and then punches gloves with Dhoni
not much wrong with that one! Malinga spears in his favourite inswinging yorker and raps him low and in the middle, Harbhajan is on his way
zeroes in in line with off, but Harbhajan doughtily gets some bat on it
the ball clips the boot and runs on for leg byes and that's about that, three runs needed
Ah, actually, it did hit him from outside off, great decision
a huge yorker booms in on off and Malinga goes up in loud appeal after it swung and hit the pad. Didn't seem to be much wrong with that one in truth
Good over and here's Malinga to take the penultimate over and at least try to take the game into the last over. Lots of "over" there, the word "over" is so over. Malinga warms up now, and here he comes...
There were centimetres in that chop back near the stumps, as the ball went down leg
oh! An inside edge and at first he looked to have chopped on and they take three as Sangakkara drops it having run back to get it, meaning Harbhajan comes back on strike
good ball, up there and Harbhajan is tucked up, but his attacking fence sends the ball towards mid-off
Here's Harbhajan and he should face as the nails-hard Jayawardene immediately pointed out they had not crossed.
Inspired field placing and this makes things a touch more interesting. India should still get home. Should.
outside off, and a well-bowled short ball gets the wicket, the batsman going to hook and the ball's on to him before he's fully played the shot and the top edge goes up and sinks into Jayawardene's hands at first slip
nipped back in from outside off and a touch of rise, the batsman plays back down off the back foot into the covers
Jayawardene goes into the slips now, to apply some pressure
overpitched on leg and clipped to square
good delivery on off, coming back in, and the batsman adjusts a flaying cut to a squeezed out shot down to third man
Four an over exactly required. It should be straightforward
slower ball outside off, edged, but short of Sangakkara who parries it and they scramble through while he's collecting the ball and himself
short on off, tucked forward to the covers
full and slow on off, the batsman defends over it
ah, a wide down leg, can't afford those right now
full toss and pat-scooped up and over the vacant mid-on, but two would be suicidal
oh, a headrush from Dhoni there as he shapes to cover drive, the ball hopping over the bat
Adelaide Oval | |
Toss | Sri Lanka, elected to bat first |
Series | |
Season | 2007/08 |
Player Of The Match | |
Match number | ODI no. 2681 |
Hours of play (local time) | 13.45 start, First Session 13.45-17.15 Interval 17.15-18.00, Second Session 18.00-21.30 |
Match days | 19 February 2008 - daynight (50-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee | |
Points | India 4, Sri Lanka 0 |