Suspense after chase thriller

India were given a welcome 10-over spell of empty outfields,out of the last 13 overs of the game.

Responding a tad slowly to his partners call,Gautam Gambhir turned back for the second and was run-out at the bowlers end. Gambhir 63 was Indias top-scorer until then,and he expressed his frustration aloud on his walk back to the dressing room. In hindsight,however,and taking nothing away from his steely knock,Gambhirs dismissal in the 28th over was the moment that flipped over Indias enthralling chase of 321 for the better.

A strike rate of a shade under 100 98.43,to be precise would have been applauded on any other occasion. But on a day when India needed a minimum SR of 160.5 from the very outset,that shade could have cost India,if not the match,then almost certainly the vital bonus point and therefore a place in the series.

At the fall of Gambhirs wicket,India still needed 121 runs from 75 balls a scoring rate of 161.4 runs per 100 balls to win the lifeline. And Suresh Raina did just that as Mahela Jayawardene regretted delaying the bowling powerplay.

Inexplicable powerploy

Inexplicably,the Sri Lankan captain didnt expire his five-over period of field restrictions until the 28th over of the game. It meant that India who were required to finish the game by the 40th over of the chase to claim five points were given a welcome 10-over spell of empty outfields,out of the last 13 overs of the game. Raina,who has earned his stripes for making full use of every convenience designed in a batsman-friendly game,made sure that it didnt go to the last three.

India encashed their batting powerplay immediately after the bowling one,and Raina made a mockery of the Sri Lankan attack by striking 40 unbeaten runs from 24 balls. At the other end,the burden of steadying the ship and scoring quickly lifted from Virat Kohlis shoulders. The fact that he continued to go at well over a run-a-ball only helped,and India accomplished the quickest successful chase of a 300-plus in 36.4 over.

Yes,Kohlis defining knock of 133 was the biggest reason India pulled off a breathtaking win on Tuesday. But it wasnt the only factor. Rainas strike rate of 167,coupled with the knocks played by Sachin Tendulkar,Virender Sehwag and even Gambhir,gave Kohli the license to play without fear and cause Indias greatest win of this three-month long tour on Tuesday. Among them,they scored 172 runs in 134 balls to anchor a greater part of the chase. Kohli chipped in with the enormous rest.

Setting the tone

And it all started when Sehwag hammered Nuwan Kulasekara for a boundary in the second over of the second innings. He lofted him high over mid-off,and never looked back again. During Sehwags 16-ball 30,he set the standard of brisk run scoring,and everyone followed suit without a complaint.

Story continues below this ad

Soon after Sehwags first four,Tendulkar crunched Kulasekara in the same over through point to set his commanding pace. Malinga was taken to the cleaners in the third over by Sehwag,before both openers launched into Kulasekara once again for twin boundaries in the fourth. But Indias defining over came in the fifth,when both Tendulkar and Sehwag ruthlessly tore into Malinga for 15 runs,setting the precedent for his most embarrassing mauling ever.

Tendulkar then fired Malinga through the covers,before giving the strike to Sehwag,who in turn slapped him over midwickets head until he got the maximum right on the second occasion. Sehwag would crack just one more boundary off Ferveez Maharoof before holing out next ball ,but Tendulkar went on without trouble. He plucked a short one over the sweepers grasp to end the wicket-taking over,before brutalising one over long-on off Malinga in the 10th over to reach 39 runs in just 29 balls. Malinga trapped his man with a yorker next ball,but in came Kohli and got off the mark right away by flicking the slinger for a boundary through midwicket to notch his first of 18 boundaries.

The only boundary-less lull that India faced during the entire innings was the five-over period following the mandatory powerplay of the first 10 overs. From over number 10.1 to the end of the 15th,no fence-kissers were unleashed,giving Jayawardene the perfect opportunity to cash in with his bowling restrictions. But he delayed it for 12 overs,ensuring that India scored 58 runs off it,followed immediately by 64 runs in 4.4 overs of the batting one. And quite possibly,none of that would have happened if Gambhir wasnt dismissed in the first place.