By Suneer Chowdhary
In the end, statistics lived up to their name. With no team having chased down a total of more than 229 at the Wankhede in Mumbai, Sri Lanka’s 265 would have spelled trouble for New Zealand. In the end, it was 112 more than what New Zealand could manage.
Published: Mar 18, 2011, 10:06 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 18, 2011, 10:06 PM (IST)
Muralitharan is congratulated by teammates after he took a wicket
By Suneer Chowdhary
Mumbai: Mar 18, 2011
In the end, statistics lived up to their name. With no team having chased down a total of more than 229 at the Wankhede in Mumbai, Sri Lanka’s 265 would have spelled trouble for New Zealand. In the end, it was 112 more than what New Zealand could manage.
And with the win, Sri Lanka’s tally of points went up to nine from their group stage engagements. This will put them in contention for the top two slots in the points table depending on who wins the game between Australia and Pakistan at Colombo.
Muttiah Muralitharan was the star bowler for the islanders but it was not only because of his four-wicket haul. There was also a small matter of an ailing hamstring that continued to hurt him ever since he dived to get into his crease while batting, but that did not deter him from sending down those eight overs.
They were New Zealand’s old problems that had come to haunt them yet again in the game. They got starts and they got out. And some, did not even get the starts.
The first wicket stand between Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum added only 29 before the latter edged one from Angelo Mathews to the slips. Five balls and four runs later, Guptill was as plumb as it could get in front of the stumps as the side slumped to 33 for two in the eighth.
Ross Taylor showed glimpses of the form from the previous couple of games which included a dropped catch that was tipped over for a six by Nuwan Kulasekera. His partnership with Jesse Ryder gave the side hope as they accumulated 49 at a fair clip – scoring at almost five an over.
The introduction of spin at this stage changed the complexion of the game. Ajantha Mendis had Ryder (19) failing to pick his carom-ball and the batsman edged it to the wicket-keeper while only six runs later, Kane Williamson was stumped off Muralitharan.
Taylor’s laborious 33 off 55 ended when he played forward to one from Muralitharan but the ball hit his pads. The umpire declared him out lbw. Scott Styris lasted ten balls for his six before Muralitharan sucked him into playing the ball straight back to the bowler.
With the asking rate climbing with every over, there wasn’t much that the tail could do and the Murali-Mendis combination ran through them with an ease contrasting that of enduring the Mumbai weather.
Sri Lanka were in early trouble at 19 for two with both the openers having departed for three each. It was Kumar Sangakkara’s first ODI century since June 2008 and his partnership with Mahela Jayawardene that resurrected the Lankan innings.
Jayawardene was lucky to get away with the third umpire ruling a caught-and-bowled in his favour and he went on to get a 66. The two were involved in a 145-run stand and despite a late collapse that had Sri Lanka scoring only 55 off the last 50 deliveries for the loss of six wickets, 265 looked to be a reasonably tough total.
Especially given the fact that chasing for a side having fielded under some extremely hot and saturating conditions with just a ten-minute break was always going to be difficult.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 265 for 9 in 50 overs (Kumar Sangakkara 111, Mahela Jayawardene 66; Tim Southee 3 for 63, Nathan McCullum 2 for 48) bt New Zealand 153 all out in 35 overs (Ross Taylor 33, Jacob Oram 20*; Muthiah Muralitharan 4 for 25, Ajantha Mendis 2 for 24).
Man of the Match: Kumar Sangakkara.
(Suneer is a Mumbai-based cricket writer and can be contacted at suneerchowdhary@gmail.com and Tweets here @suneerchowdhary)
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