Chasing a small total of 142, Indian cricket team registered a mere 3-wicket win against Sri Lanka to level the five-match one day series 1-1 at Rangiri international stadium in Dambulla on Wednesday. However, the batting is yet under scrutiny particularly the top order which again failed to overcome Sri Lankan spin wizard.
Skipper MS Dhoni (39) and Virat Kohli (37) managed somehow to hold the innings after losing two quick wickets in the first five overs when the score was just 17.
Irfan Pathan (5), yet another experiment by Indian team management in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag resulted none in the opening stand. Suresh Raina (1) too failed at number three though Yuvraj Singh added 20 before trapped lbw by the tricky spinner Ajantha Mendis for the second time in the series.
However, it was new man Subramaniam Badrinath (27) who remained not out and put up half century partnership along with captain Dhoni. India eventually achieved the target in the 40th over after losing seven wickets.
Earlier opting to bowl first, the Indian blowers did their best; especially strike bowler Zaheer Khan who grabbed four valuable wickets which helped India to restrict the Lankan at 142. Thilan Thushara (44) was the top scorer in Sri Lankan innings.
But India is yet to find an effective solution for its long pending opening woe and an answer to bowlers like Mendis who can swivel well in any low scoring matches.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka: 142 in 38.3 overs. (Thilan Thushara 44, Nuwan Kulasekara 25; Zaheer Khan 4/21, Praveen Kumar 3/34).
India: 143 for seven in 39.4 overs (M S Dhoni 39, Virat Kohli 37, S Badrinath 27 not out; Kulasekara 2/26, Thushara 2/32, Mendis 2/22).
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