MATCH REPORTS
STAT SHEET
DIARY
OTHER SPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
PEOPLE
DEAR REDIFF
ARCHIVES

Singer Akai Nidahas Trophy, 1998, Final,
India v Sri Lanka, R. Premadasa Stadium,
Colombo, 7 July 1998

Transcript of the Commentary - Sri Lanka Innings

Prem Panicker (Tue Jul 7 1998 6:52)

VP now to Jayasuriya, be interesting to see how the Indian bowler handles the pressure here wiht Jaya making no secret of the fact that he is gunning for him. Ball five, 8th over, full length, palyed to midwicekt, scampered single, Jaya was gone if that had hit. Sachin had the shy, missed by a whisker, Ganguly dived and backed up.

Last ball of teh 8th, on off, slashed by Kalu, finds point, no run, 57/0 in 8,

Agarkar now to Jayasuriya, and after that previous over when he lost it, the young quick bowler's temperament tested here. Quicker ball, Jaya flicks, in the air, lobbing up and just short of the fielder at midwicket, very dangerous shot that, Jaya was looking to chip over the fielder at midwicket, for the four, the greater pace defeated the shot. Two for that. Ball ttwo, full toss, he swings, high catch, easily held by Ganguly and tehre goes Jayasuriya, playing that shot once too often. 59/1.

Jaya hung around for a while, there, hoping that would be called a no ball as it was a full toss, but that was waist length adn dipping into the stumps, no way that call was on. Jaya, in the previous game, kept trying this flick to leg and finally, Prasad did him with a full toss, this time, Agarkar does the job and that is a set back SL didnt need.

The batsmen crossed over there, Kalu on strike, takes a slog at the next ball, no run to mid on.

Agarkar now to Kalu, ball five, again a flat, fast one, bang on line and cramps Kalu, no room for the batsman, pushed to mid wicket, no run.

Ball five, Kalu slashes and Jadeja fields, a stunning bit of work there, diving full length, that would have been four but Jadeja cut off even the single. 59/1 at the end of 9.

Prasad now to Aravinda -- and Prasad really losing his mind here, I would think, that is a bad first ball to bowl, short, outside off, Aravinda onto his toes and a lovely, flowing cvoer drive on te up, four all the way. Ball two is better, on the tumps and fuller length. Played to midwicekt, no run. 63/1.

VP to Aravinda, driven to mid on, Harbajan fields, no run.

VPneeds to keep it right up. Does it again here, ball four, and again, no way Aravinda could hit that, was on the stumps and full in length, you have to play in the V for that and that area is blocked. Ball five, VP, short, slower one, Aravinda spots the change of pace, went into the pull, spotted the change of pace and just knocked it gently down to square leg, single, SL 64/1 and K T FRancis adds insult to inju8ry by calling no for that, since it was bouncing. VP again, again the sloer ball, Kalu slogs, doesnt pick it as well as Aravinda did, hits the toe of the bat and finds midwicket, no run.

That could have been disaster -- Kalu plays to mid on, calls for the single, ARavinda takes off, Kalu says no, Aravinda hopelessly stranded but the throw misses the stumps. That could have been curtains, if ARavinda had left in a mixup like that.

64/1 in 10. And ball one of the 11th, full length but bad line from Agarkr,ar down the leg side and ARavinda superbly off his pads, through midwicket, four.

By way of perspective, INdia were 61/0 in 10. Ball two, short, Aravinda pulls, mistimes, this was the slower ball from Agarkar, played to midwicekt, no run. Ball three, AA to ADS, flicked, off the pads, fielder on the line gets to it, just the one, SL 69/1.

Kalu on strike to AGarkar, full length, Kalu slogs again, he is in awful touch just now, not getting any shot in the middle, finds mid on, no run.

Ball five, short, that was needless, given taht Kalu wasn't getting his drives going, a short ball was a bad idea, Kalu loves the pull, plays it clean, here, four more through midwicket, SL 73/1.

AA, and that is what he had to do all along -- full length, otuside off, getting reverse swing there, Kalu slogs, gets the inner edge, the swing making teh difference, and off the inner edge onto off stump, there goes Kalu, 73/2.

This is what Agarkar needed to do all along. Bowl a very full length, let his natural swing kick in. This ball was actually classic reverse swing, moving in very late, the batsman playing for the straight ball and aiming to blast through cover.

Atapattu the new man in. Takes a single off the first ball he faces. ADS of the next ball, playing off his pads, gets two to midwicket, to the swweper, lots of action out there, wickets falling, runs coming in a heap. All teh ingredients for a great ODI final. 75/2 SL.

VP to ADS, played late, wide of mid on, Harbajan, single, SL 76/2.

VP to MA, over number 12, good length and line, squares the batsman up, plays defensive, no run.

Again the full length on off and again, Atapattu defends. VP to MA, last ball, on middle and leg, played to midwicket, no run, 76/2 in 12 SL.

India, incidentaly, were 76/0 in 12. Kumble now being brought on, for Agarkar. Good idea, he has the experience and by the way, he has 198 ODI wickets in 146 games. Two here and he touches the 200 mark. Ball one though is a full length flipper and D'Silva picking it up perfectly, up and over long on, lovely four. 80/2.

17 off 12, ADS, and ball two, leans back, tries to cut, that could be the danger shot, Kumble's flippers just outside off dont give you much room for the shot. Finds short cover. Ball three, on off, played defensively. Ball four, AK to ADS, too much of flight, comes as a full toss, bad ball and ADS puts it away, slamming it through midwicket, four more, SL 84/2.

Ball five, better one, the top spinner on off, finds the edge, goes to square leg, good running gets one. Atapattu, last ball, plays to cover, single, 10 int eh first over of Kumble, and SL after 13, 86/2.

Prasad continues, bowls middle and leg, Atapattu waiting on that one, closing the bat face on it with a flick of the wrist, gets the four fine, on the leg side, beating fine leg. 90/2. Next ball, on off, played defensively.

A one handed drive to ball three, finds point, Ganguly, no run.

VP to MA, again the cut, again finds point, no run.

This is a danverous shot but MA pulls it off, ball on middle, MA moving across the stumpsk converting the line, and playing bhehind square, Agarkar has a long chase, two more to the batsman, SL 92/2. The danger there was if he missed, he was plumb in front. End of 14, SL 92/2.

India after 15, had got to 104/0. SL behind in runs and wickets at this point, 92/2 in 14, and needing a good, solid partnership from these two to pull back into the reckoning. Then again, these are the guys to do it, classical batsmen both.

Kumble will continue, one over to go before teh field restrickts go off. Ball one, to ADS and teh clinical sweep,k through square leg, four for that the minute he conceived the shot. Remarkable batsman this guy, has every shot in the book and incredible temperament. 96/2. Ball two, onto the front foot and this time, a flowing on drive and Kumble getting taken big time, another four, 100/2.

That ball was not bad, actually, was on off, fullish length, typical Kumble ball but ADS for now is in incredible touch. Kneesl to ball three and smashes over midwicket, taking it on the half volley,that was muscle and timing combined, savage pull-sweep forthe third successive four, so hey, we have a real game on now. 104/2.

Ball four, this time the pull mistimked, lucky for ADS it is out of reach of Tendulkar at backward square, one for it, the ball landing to the right of Tendulakr as he raced along the line. End of 15, SL 105/2, India at this stage 104/0 so a dead heat here in terms of runs, India sending the openers back early.

Drinks on the field, taking a break there, folks.

And now the real fun begins -- field restrictions off, Harbajan on, the guy likes to attazck and flight, these batsmen will be looking to hit. Atapattu taking the single, first ball, ADS off driving the ingle, second ball, SL 107/2. Ball three, flighted, attempted sweep misses, off the pad, to third man, two leg byes, the appeal turned down because the ball was on line outside off, 109/2.

End of 16 overs and SL 111/2, Bajju's first over going for six.

The catch wont be the singles -- it is if Bajju gets hit big time that Azhar will have a problem as he runs out of bowling options. Kumble meanwhile to continue, SL still 197 away from the target. Kumble to continue, facing him is ADS.

Sorry, guys, brief break in the relay here, the visuals not coming through... waiting for it to be put right... will resume live soonest, hang in there.

Sorry for the break, as the DD cards say... still waiting for resumption of coverage. Okay, we got the feed back, and picking up again with ADS on strike, to Harbajan, driving to midwicket, no run. Give up the scores in just a minute.

ADS sweeping, finds the sweeper at midwicket, single, 119/2 in 17.2. Atampattu drives through the covers, finds the fielder, single, 121/2.

Goiod ball that, ADS looking to play to leg, the floater, with a lot of overspin, takes the edge, goes to backward point, single, 122/2. Last ball of the 18th, MA whips to leg, finds midwicket, no run. 122/2 in 18.

The ask rate now 5.81 for SL, over the next 32 overs, Kumble to ADS, the sweep, straight to the feilder in the deep, one more, SL 123/2 and ADS hell bent, apparently, on not letting Kumble settle. That ball as outside off, ADS had to really lunge to make that sweep. Atapattu drives to point, finds the fielder, no run. Ball three, Kumble, flipper, Atapattu off the inner edge, back tot he bowler, first sign there of the ball slowing down a shade. Ball four, driven, finds long off, single, SL 124/2.

Again the D'Silva sweep from oustisde off, fetches one. I wonder if Kumble, to counter this, shouldnt be bowling wider of the crease, spearing it in at an angle so that the diagonal line beats the sweep. Atapattu drive to mid on, single to end the over. SL after 19, 126/2.

Harbajan continues. Lost the visuals for three balls, ball four is outside off, Atapattu trying to cut, misses, huge appeal for caught behind -- uh oh, that one went off the edge but the umpire thinks otherwise, appeal turned down. Next ball, down the track and driven over wide long on, four.

Bit of bad luck there for Harbajan, the edge faint but clear off the top of the bat into the keeper's gloves, SL 133/2. And Robin takes over from Anil Kumble.

47 runs off 33 balls for ADS, matching Sachin's innings shot for shot. Robin, ball one, flicked by Atapattu to fine leg, Atapattu running the first hard, it is Prasad out tehre and he cant throw hard and flat, so the batsmen challenge him on the second and get it easily. 135/2. Ball two, defensive stroke on off.

Sri Lanka Innings Continued