ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Bloemfontein

The Preview by Nitin Sundar16-Jan-2012

Match facts

January 17, Bloemfontein
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)Where are the runs Mahela Jayawardene?•AFP

The Big Picture

It is tough to find positives when you are 0-2 down in a five-match series, but Sri Lanka have cause for relief following their show in the second ODI. They stretched South Africa for a fleeting passage of play in the last game, suggesting they had woken up from the 43 all out nightmare. It was a game the visitors conceded with eight balls to spare, leaving in its wake a series of ifs and buts. If Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal had produced 15 more runs in the end overs, if Tillakaratne Dilshan had shown more perceptiveness with his bowling changes, if Lasith Malinga had somehow clung on to a tough return catch off the first ball that Albie Morkel faced, the result could have been different. But South Africa outlasted the best Sri Lanka had to offer, and are a game away from taking the series.Bloemfontein will offer Sri Lanka their best chance of securing a win, if only because they won’t have to contend with Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla. Colin Ingram and Alviro Petersen come in with impressive domestic form – and Test runs in the latter’s case. Still South Africa will be vulnerable without Amla and Kallis, especially given how scratchy Graeme Smith, the other senior in the top order, has been in recent times.Sri Lanka have injury worries of their own, with Dilhara Fernando doubtful for the second game running, and Ajantha Mendis on the flight back home. The three men who matter are still in town, though, and time is running out for all of them. Dilshan is yet to make a run in the series, Mahela Jayawardene is yet to make more than 31 on the tour, and Kumar Sangakkara’s pitiable 3 off 28 balls in East London potentially cost Sri Lanka the extra 20 runs that may have won them the game. Will they turn the tide in Bloemfontein?

Form guide

South Africa WWLWL (Most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLL

Watch out for…

Rangana Herath is not the first-choice limited-overs spinner in Sri Lanka, but the injury to Ajantha Mendis gives him the opportunity to assume that mantle. Herath bowled a wicketless but impressive spell in East London, beating Kallis’ edge repeatedly both with spin and the lack of it. An afternoon start under sunny skies in Bloemfontein could offer him the assistance he needs to make a more telling contribution.South Africa’s renewed focus on rotation gives Colin Ingram a rare opportunity to break into a top order otherwise cast in stone. He’s cracked consecutive hundreds for the Warriors franchise in the SuperSport series, and 521 runs at 57.88 in the Franchise 1-day Cup. He’s already asked for the No. 3 spot, a position that’s likely to be his for the next couple of games at the very least. Runs from him will give South Africa a welcome selection headache in the future.

Team news

Fernando could sit out once again with the knee injury that prevented him from playing in East London. Allrounder Kosala Kulasekara hasn’t contributed in the first two games, and might make way for Thisara Perera. The pitch will be flat, hard and full of runs, and Sri Lanka were reportedly considering playing a second spinner. However, the uncapped Sachithra Senanayake, who was called up to replace Mendis, is yet to reach South Africa due to visa delays.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thisara Perera/Kosala Kulasekara, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Dhammika PrasadIngram and Petersen are almost certain to play. The more interesting selection could be Vernon Philander, who, on Test form, deserves to walk into the XI. However, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Morne Morkel have bowled well enough to retain their spots in the XI. If Philander has to play, Dale Steyn may have to be benched, which won’t be a bad idea given the workload he has endured in recent months. South Africa may wait till the series is won before doing that.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Dale Steyn/Vernon Philander, 10 Lonwabo Tsotsobe, 11 Morne Morkel

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have played five completed games in Bloemfontein, with a 2-3 win-loss record. All three defeats came against the hosts
• With six wickets in two games, Johan Botha has taken more wickets at this venue than any of the other bowlers who might play on Tuesday. The games were against Kenya and Zimbabwe, though.

Quotes

“It’s a very big game for us. We’re not taking it lightly. Even with some of the new guys coming in, we have the foundations in place. We’re starting over again, our feet are firmly on the ground.”

“We know we can beat any team at any given opportunity. We just need to click, the batting and bowling. We are a very good team if we click at the right time.”

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has said that Mohammad Amir will be welcomed back to international cricket once he has served his ICC ban and given financial support in the meantime

George Dobell in Dubai03-Feb-2012PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has said that Mohammad Amir, the Pakistan fast bowler who was released from custody in the UK on Wednesday, will be welcomed back to the national team once he has served his ICC ban. Ashraf added that Amir would be given financial support while undergoing rehabilitation.The 19-year-old Amir was released from Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset after serving half of a six-month sentence for his part in a spot-fixing scam. He is currently in London where he will meet his lawyers to draw up an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the five-year ban imposed on him by the ICC for the same offence.”Once he serves the ban, then he could come into the team,” Ashraf said. “He is a young Pakistani, he committed a mistake and it was a case of a huge talent lost.”We will have to see how his appeal goes in the CAS. After serving the ban he can come back in the team, but the final decision will be down to the selectors who will judge his fitness.”I want to see Amir back, but only after considering the legality of the case and only after he serves the ban. We can do the rehab programme while he is serving his ban. We can do the rehab programme and also use him in lectures to other players so that he can be financially helped.”An ICC tribunal banned Amir for five years in February 2011. His team-mate Mohammad Asif was given a seven-year ban – with two years suspended – and the former Pakistan captain Salman Butt was banned for ten years, five suspended. Shortly after the decision Amir announced his intention to appeal the decision to the CAS, an arbitration body set up to settle legal disputes relating to sport.Amir and his two team-mates were give custodial sentences in November 2011 after being convicted at Southwark Crown Court of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling. A plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in a Test against England in 2010 was uncovered in a sting operation. Amir and Butt lost an appeal against the sentence in November in the Court of Appeal in London.The judge, Mr Justice Cooke, ruled at Southwark Crown Court that the affair was “so serious that only imprisonment will suffice”. Butt was sentenced to two-and-a-half years, Asif was jailed for one year, and Amir for six months. Mazhar Majeed, the players’ agent, received a sentence of two years eight months. Majeed had boasted to undercover reporters that he could arrange for Pakistan cricketers to rig elements of games for money and was surreptitiously filmed accepting £150,000 in cash from a journalist.Ashraf blamed Majeed for the players’ involvement in spot-fixing and reiterated that Pakistan cricket would not give up on Amir.”Definitely we will rehabilitate Amir through an education programme,” he said. “Whatever has happened we are sad, not only me but also most of the Pakistani people are sad for this young boy who, with the other players, was trapped by Majeed.”

A round-up of the fifth round of Plunket Shield games

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2012Central Districts overcame a first-innings deficit and chased a formidable target to complete a six-wicket victory against Auckland in Napier. Pursuing a target of 340, the highest total of the match, Jamie How made 69, Carl Cachopa 108 and Kieran Noema-Barnett an unbeaten 75 to lead Central Districts home on the final day. Central Districts took 16 points out of the game, while Auckland earned four. It was a result that seemed unlikely after the first three days of the contest at McLean Park.The match began with Central Districts asking Auckland to bat and reducing them to 95 for 7. Gareth Hopkins, however, rescued his team’s first innings, scoring 130 at No. 6, and he had support from Mitchell McClenaghan, who made 34 off 101 balls. They helped prop Auckland up to 234. Kyle Jarvis, Noema-Barnett and Roald Badenhorst took three wickets apiece for Central Districts.Central Districts lost opener Ben Smith for a duck in their reply and most of the second day was lost to rain. They resumed on 23 for 1 on the third morning and progressed to 76 before the slide began. Left-arm spinner Bruce Martin cut through the line-up in 15.4 overs, taking 6 for 38. Central Districts were dismissed for 143 – Matthew Sinclair top scoring with 62 – and conceded a first-innings lead of 91.Auckland did not bat their opponents out of the match in their second innings but their total of 248 for 9 declared, giving them a lead of 339, made them favourites. Auckland had slumped to 89 for 5 before the middle and lower order rallied. Colin Munro top-scored with 54 for Auckland, and Jarvis took 5 for 80 for Central Districts to finish with 8 for 121 in the match. Central Districts’ batsmen had less than a day to chase a stiff target, and they managed to do so with not much damage.The match between Northern Districts and Otago was drawn after a thrilling finish at Seddon Park, where Otago ended four runs short of their target of 312. Otago’s chase on the final day was powered by Hamish Rutherford, who scored 118 off 120 balls, while Craig Cumming and Michael Bracewell made half-centuries. They needed 21 in the final three overs of the match, and then 15 in the last, but could score only 11 off Graeme Aldridge.The game had a close finish despite losing the second day to rain. Only 44 overs were possible on the opening day as well, during which Northern Districts progressed to 143 for 4. When they resumed on the third morning, Joseph Yovich went on to make 89 and Daniel Flynn scored 113 off only 117 deliveries, allowing Northern Districts to declare on 300 for 6.Otago scored quickly in their first innings, racking up 228 for 3 in 50 overs before declaring in the deficit. Rutherford made 107 off 96 balls – he went on to score a second century in the match – and Neil Broom made 72 off 88 balls. In order to accelerate the game towards a result, Otago gave Northern Districts a first-innings lead of 72.Northern Districts failed to build substantially on that advantage, though. They were dismissed for 239 in their second innings on the fourth day, with Anton Devcich making 93. Neil Wagner and James McMillan took three wickets each for Otago.A target of 312 was always going to be difficult on the final day, but Otago chased bravely and fell agonisingly short with five wickets in hand.There was another rain-hit draw atat Basin Reserve, where Wellington held on by three wickets in their second innings to save the game against Canterbury.Canterbury made 283 for 5 on the opening day after they were asked to bat. It was a solid performance, without any outstanding individual contributions. They second day was washed out. Henry Nicholls went on to make 82 when play resumed on the third day, and Canterbury were dismissed for 337.Wellington declared on 188 for 1 in their first innings, Stephen Murdoch making 101 and Michael Papps 72. Building on a first-innings lead of 149, Canterbury scored 192 for 1 in 39 overs and then declared. George Worker contributed 74 and Peter Fulton 86, setting Wellington a target of 342.There was little chance of Wellington chasing the target, and they were in serious danger of defeat after collapsing to 29 for 5. Harry Boam then scored an unbeaten 81 and steading the innings with Craig Cachopa, who made 58. Wellington were 217 for 7 when the game ended in a draw.Edited by George Binoy

Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s Test and ODI captain, has said that his team’s recent record against Sri Lanka gives it the edge leading into the tour slated for June and July

Umar Farooq18-May-2012Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s Test and ODI captain, has said that his team’s recent record against Sri Lanka gives it the edge leading into the tour slated for June and July.”Sri Lanka is always a difficult team to play against, especially in their back yard,” Misbah said on the sidelines of Pakistan’s preparatory camp in Lahore. “Obviously we have to be at our best in all departments, because they always come hard at the opposition. But our record against them gives us the upper hand, and our confidence level is high.”In their last series against Sri Lanka, in the UAE in October-November 2011, Pakistan won in all three formats. In the three-Test series, they won 1-0, took the ODIs 4-1 and won the one-off Twenty20. They also beat Sri Lanka in the one game the teams played against each other in the Asia Cup in March. However, the previous time the two teams played in Sri Lanka, Pakistan lost the Tests 2-0 and the one-dayers 3-2.Misbah said Pakistan’s improvements on the fielding and fitness fronts would help them this time around. “I think we have shown a lot of improvement in fielding and fitness in last couple of years,” he said. “Every coach in the past, whether it was Waqar Younis and Ijaz Ahmed, everyone did a good job [with those disciplines] and now Julien [Fountain, the fielding coach] is doing a great job.”For the Sri Lanka tour, Pakistan have picked specialist players in each format, meaning Misbah has missed out in the Twenty20 squad, and the captaincy was handed over to Mohammad Hafeez. Misbah reiterated that he will be available in the shortest format, should Pakistan require him.”It [Twenty20] is a format that is widely played in the world and I will keep on playing it,” he said. “As far as [ending] my international career is concerned, I think that decision has to be taken by the PCB.””Obviously the burden on me has been eased, and I can now focus on two formats. But if you are enjoying playing cricket, you can easily cope with it [playing all three formats too].”

The ECB disciplinary panel hearing into the case against Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan spinner, Mervyn Westfield has been put back until the week beginning June 18

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2012The ECB disciplinary panel hearing into the case against Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan spinner, and Mervyn Westfield has been put back until the week beginning June 18.The hearing, which will address charges relating to alleged breaches of the ECB’s anti-corruption directives by Westfield and Kaneria, was previously scheduled for May 21 but has been adjourned at the request of Kaneria’s lawyers. Gerard Elias QC, chairman of the ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission, will chair the hearing.Both players were charged last month, in the wake of Westfield’s imprisonment, although Kaneria’s legal team have already indicated he intends to fight the charge. Kaneria was implicated in spot-fixing during Westfield’s trial at London’s Central Criminal Court but has denied the allegations.Westfield, a former Essex fast bowler, was jailed for four months in January after he admitted underperforming in a Pro40 match against Durham in September 2009. Kaneria, Essex’s overseas player for several seasons, was named by the judge at the Old Bailey as the orchestrator of the plot but he was never charged by the police, on the grounds of insufficient evidence.If he is found guilty as part of the ECB proceedings, Kaneria could still face a worldwide ban from the game.

In an unexpected result, Afghanistan Under-19s made the semi-finals, knocking Bangladesh under-19s out of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2012In an unexpected result, Afghanistan Under-19s made the semi-finals, knocking Bangladesh under-19s out of the tournament in a group B encounter. Afghanistan successfully chased a revised target of 220 from 42 overs following rain after Bangladesh had made 240 for 9.Afghanistan captain Javed Ahmadi made 71 and Shabir Noori cracked an aggressive 57 to guide the chase that became a little tense towards the end due to a climbing run-rate and two wickets falling for three runs. However, Najibullah Zadran smashed three sixes and two fours in 18 balls to take his side into the semi-finals with nine deliveries to spare.Bangladesh, led by opener Soumya Sarkar and No. 3 Salman Hossain, were going well at 159 for 4 but then collapsed to 185 for 8. A ninth-wicket stand of 49 runs in 4.3 overs provided them a competitive total to defend. Afghanistan achieved it eventually but not without glimpses of hope for Bangladesh.In the other group B match, Qatar Under-19s lost by 87 runs to Sri Lanka Under-19s in a match reduced to 26 overs due to rain. Pabasara Waduge scored 71 to guide Sri Lanka to 124 for 2 in 26 overs before rain intervened. Facing a revised target of 188, Qatar were kept on a tight leash by the Sri Lanka bowlers, led by offspinner Tharindu Kaushal who took three wickets. A 45-run partnership for the eighth wicket was the only resistance Qatar could muster as they ended on 100 for 8.Pakistan Under-19s followed up a thrilling one-run win over India by bowling Malaysia Under-19s out for 53 after amassing 302 in a group A game. Only Malaysia No. 7 Pavithren Nadaesan got into double figures as a combined effort by Mohammad Nawaz, Mir Hamza and Azizullah reduced the hosts to 36 for 9 before a last-wicket partnership of 17, the highest in the innings, took them past 50.Malaysia’s middle order crumbled as they slipped from 21 for 2 in the ninth over to 25 for 7 in the 19th. Nawaz, who scored a quick half-century and claimed three wickets, was adjudged the Man of the Match.Pakistan’s commanding batting performance was led by an 85-run opening stand between Sami Aslam, who had scored a century against India, and captain Babar Azam. A 69-run partnership for the second wicket and a 116-run partnership in 63 balls for the fourth wicket seemed to put the game beyond Malaysia’s reach. Umar Waheed was the highest scorer of the match with 76 off 52.India Under-19s had to struggle to reach 176 against Nepal Under-19s, before bowling them out for 91 in another group A match. The bowling performance was led by Delhi left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra, who took four wickets. Nepal were reduced to 20 for 5 at one stage after the target was reduced to 173 from 47 overs due to rain. A bit of a recovery ensued but proved insufficient.The bowling covered up India’s faults in batting, as besides Baba Aparajith (55) and captain Unmukt Chand (47), no one contributed anything of note. Left-arm spinner Rahul Vishwakarma, after a match-winning performance in Nepal’s previous game against Malaysia, proved effective again with three wickets. Bhuvan Karki also struck thrice as India lost their last five wickets for 23 runs after having been 83 for 1 earlier.In the semi-finals, Afghanistan will meet Pakistan on June 28 while India will take on Sri Lanka the next day.

Geoffrey Boycott thinks it is time for Steven Finn to be given a run in the England team and has tipped him to replace Tim Bresnan in the side

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2012Geoffrey Boycott believes it is time for Steven Finn to be given a run in the England team even though that could mean fellow Yorkshireman, Tim Bresnan, missing out on playing on his home ground in the second Test against South Africa at Headingley.England’s bowling attack flopped in their innings-and-12-run defeat to South Africa at The Oval, as the visitors piled up 637 for 2, and Boycott told ESPNcricinfo he feels changes need to be made.After making his debut in 2010 against Bangladesh, Finn played 11 consecutive Tests before being dropped for Bresnan in Melbourne. Boycott believes it is now time to reverse that selection and for Finn to be given another run of games.”Finn will be in the squad for Headingley and he deserves to have a run in the side,” Boycott said. “He’s been carrying the drinks for far too long. He’s been playing well for his county and we need to find out if he can play well at Test level.”Finn has been in contention for selection in every Test since being left out for the fourth Ashes Test but has only played three more times – once in series home and away against Sri Lanka, and against West Indies at Edgbaston when James Anderson and Stuart Broad were rested.Finn has been in fine form for Middlesex this season, taking 22 first-class wickets at 20.04 and was also a key part of England’s ODI attack that beat Australia 4-0; Finn claimed eight wickets at 19.37.Bresnan’s place in the side has been much debated with his batting ability seen as the justification for his selection. He averages 39.00 from his 15 Tests and scored a best of 91 against India last year. With the ball he has claimed 56 wickets at 28.12 and took eight wickets at Trent Bridge against West Indies in May. Despite his record, and the fact that until The Oval defeat, England had won all but one of the Tests Bresnan had played in, Boycott feels Finn deserves a run in the side.”You have to find out if he can play well at Test level and you don’t get that by dropping somebody after one or two Tests,” Boycott said. “Eoin Morgan got a good chance and now Finn has to have a proper chance.”Through the same reasoning, Boycott feels Ravi Bopara is the man to occupy England’s other debated position – the No. 6 slot. Bopara was in line for a recall against Sri Lanka in April and West Indies in May but injuries on both occasions meant he was left out. He finally returned to the Test XI at The Oval but made 0 and 22, being dismissed with poor strokes in both innings.”Bopara is the right man to play,” Boycott said. “Whether he’s good enough is a different matter, but he has to have a proper go.”

Jacques Kallis has made a return to the South Africa Twenty20 squad, having been selected in the final 15 that will travel to Sri Lanka for the World Twenty20 in September

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2012

South Africa’s World T20 squad

AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Jacques Kallis is set to make a Twenty20 international comeback, having been selected in the South Africa squad that will travel to Sri Lanka for the World Twenty20 in September. Kallis was last a regular member of the side in mid-2010, during South Africa’s tour of the West Indies.AB de Villiers will lead the squad. Graeme Smith, who was picked in the 30 probables, has not made the final 15. Fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, who were rested for the triangular Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in June, return for the marquee tournament.Marchant de Lange, the 21-year-old quick, has not made the squad due to injury. He had sustained a lower back injury during the Twenty20 triangular series, missing the ongoing Test series in England as a result.”We have had basically the same squad together for the past year and many of them also produced stand-out performances at the Indian Premier League,” Cricket South Africa’s selection convener, Andrew Hudson, said. “[They] will have excellent preparation for the World Twenty20 by finishing the England tour with three [Twenty20] matches there. They may be playing on a different surface to that they will find in Sri Lanka, but they will be able to hone their Twenty20-specific skills.”Kallis was part of the IPL-winning Kolkata Knight Riders this year, scoring 409 runs in 17 games. He provided the team with solidity at the top of the order all through their successful campaign, and produced a vital 69 off 49 in the final, to help Knight Riders chase down 191 against Chennai Super Kings. He also put in a solid showing with the ball, aggregating 15 wickets in the tournament, to finish second on Knight Riders’ bowling charts.

New South Wales rounded up Western Australia’s batsmen for 217 on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield for 2012-13

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2012
ScorecardMichael Clarke had reason to smile on day one of the Sheffield Shield for 2012-13•Getty Images

If New South Wales did not quite erase the scar of being bowled out for 91 on the first day of the corresponding match last season, then the rounding up of Western Australia’s batsmen for 217 was a sound start to their bid for a victory to start the Sheffield Shield for 2012-13.Led for the first time in a Shield match by Australia’s captain Michael Clarke, the Blues bowlers made the most of their leader’s successful call at the coin toss, limiting the Warriors to 3 for 61 at lunch then chipping away across a rain-speckled afternoon despite the efforts of Mitchell Marsh and Adam Voges (44).Scott Henry and Peter Nevill, fit again after missing Sunday’s limited overs match with food poisoning, then survived 1.5 overs without loss before bad light called a halt to play.As he had done in the one-dayer, Doug Bollinger returned the best figures for NSW, though it was an ensemble effort as Trent Copeland, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Hanriques and the spinner Steve O’Keefe all contributed.The wicketkeeper Brad Haddin claimed a trio of catches behind the stumps as lateral movement and outside edges accounted for three of the first four wickets, Marcus North upset to have given away the other when he hooked at Hazlewood and offered a catch to Bollinger at fine leg shortly before lunch.Marsh’s afternoon innings was a patient follow-up to the 78 he managed in the one-day match, but he and the rest of the bowlers will now have to redouble their efforts on day two if they are to regather the ground lost by the batsmen.

A 78-run recovery stand and a belligerent finish from MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma paved the way for India’s 26-run win over Sri Lanka

The Report by Andrew Fernando in Colombo15-Sep-2012
ScorecardMS Dhoni’s aggressive half-century helped India post a competitive score•AFP

A 78-run recovery stand and a belligerent finish from MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma paved the way for India’s 26-run win over Sri Lanka in a warm up match on a P Sara surface with plenty of bounce.Sri Lanka’s seamers reduced India to 51 for 4 after 8.3 overs, with Gautam Gambhir having retired hurt, but Dhoni and Rohit first steadied the innings, before reaping 62 runs from the last four wayward overs to reach 146 for 5. Sri Lanka never had their chase on track, losing wickets throughout their innings as the required rate ballooned. However, they were effectively without their best Twenty20 batsman, Mahela Jayawardene, who only came in to bat in the 19th over, having had time in the middle against West Indies in Sri Lanka’s first warm up match.At the end of the 16th over in the first innings, India were only on 84 and Dhoni had scored 14 from 28 balls. However, with three boundaries behind square off Nuwan Kulasekara in the 17th, Dhoni launched the salvo India had carefully built towards. Lasith Malinga’s abysmal run against India continued in the 18th and 20th overs – both of which cost 17 – as Rohit and Dhoni employed aerial square-drives to flay Malinga’s wide yorkers over backward point. Rohit was dismissed attempting that stroke in the last over, but with the helicopter shot whirring nicely, Dhoni launched a six to finish the innings and propelled India to a formidable total on a difficult track.The recovery had come after Gautam Gambhir had been struck on the wrist by Malinga in the first over, and though he retired hurt as a precautionary measure, Gambhir did not sustain anything worse than a bruise. Kulasekara removed Suresh Raina and Virender Sehwag, but was expensive again, having also bled runs in Sri Lanka’s first practice match.India’s collapse called for caution early in Dhoni and Rohit’s association, and the pair were content to accumulate, as a disciplined Sri Lanka attack allowed few chances for risk-free hitting. With Ajantha Mendis and Akila Dananjaya rested – perhaps to give India as little exposure to the pair as possible, should the teams meet in the knockout stages – Rangana Herath fired in three overs for eight runs, having earlier picked up the scalp of Yuvraj Singh with a doosra.Sri Lanka’s seamers continued to exploit the bounce in the surface, but unlike the top-order batsmen, Dhoni and Rohit were not tempted to attack the short ball until the late charge came.In reply, Dilshan Munaweera missed a straight one from Irfan Pathan to begin Sri Lanka’s own top-order decline, before Tillakaratne Dilshan and Angelo Mathews also departed before the Powerplay overs were through. Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne played at firefighting, attempting the same recovery-then-explosion that Dhoni and Rohit had provided, but neither could make their expansive strokes stick when the time for acceleration came.Jeevan Mendis offered Sri Lanka some hope with a busy 26, but tight bowling from India’s seamers ensured Sri Lanka had too much to do in the final few overs. Five Sri Lanka wickets fell in a heap in the last two overs, as they attempted their belated surge.