McKay Five-For Delivers CB Series Tite to Australia

Australia v Sri Lanka, CB Series 3rd final, Adelaide

The Report by Daniel Brettig at Adelaide Oval

March 8, 2012

Australia 231 (Wade 49, Warner 48, Herath 3-36, Maharoof 3-40) beat Sri Lanka 215 (Tharanga 71, McKay 5-28) by 16 runs

Unwavering spells from Clint McKay and the stand-in captain Shane Watson delivered the triangular series trophy to Australia in a fittingly tense third final against a doughty Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval.

As the injured captain Michael Clarke watched intently from the boundary's edge, Brett Lee and McKay nipped out Sri Lanka's top four batsmen inside the first 10 overs, after the visitors had threatened to repeat the runaway start they had made in Tuesday's second match.

Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirimanne threatened a recovery, but Watson was stinginess itself in the middle overs and McKay returned to help round up the Sri Lankans 16 runs short, the fitting final chapter of a compelling limited-overs tournament. The visitors' contribution to the summer was underlined by Tillakaratne Dilshan's selection as player of the series.

McKay's figures were his best in international cricket, and followed a critical 28 at the tail-end of Australia's innings. Watson will now take a weary but happy team to the West Indies for the ODI portion of the tour, having delivered the first triangular series contested in Australia since 2008.

Australia's fielding and bowling effort was its best for some weeks, and needed to be after the batsmen had cobbled only 231 on a slowing pitch. Led adroitly in the field by Mahela Jayawardene, the visitors had not been perturbed by an opening stand of 75 at better than five runs an over between David Warner and Matthew Wade, and chipped away diligently at the hosts with a combination of spin and reverse swing. No Australian batsman passed 50 as they were bowled out in the final over.

Rangana Herath and Farveez Maharoof shared six wickets, while Nuwan Kulasekara also contributed to a tidy ensemble, of which only Lasith Malinga struggled to contain.

Herath bowled his best and most incisive spell of the tournament to return 3-36, helped by the use of the same pitch that had hosted Tuesday's second final. As he had done in that match, Dilshan took the new ball and bowled his overs with thrift and direction.

Taking Sri Lanka's lead, Watson opened up with the spin of Xavier Doherty at the other end to Lee, but the initial gambit did not work. Dilshan and Jayawardene capitalised on Doherty's errors of line and length, collecting four boundaries from his first two overs as they swept to 0 for 33 from the first four overs.

Lee was also slipping in a final effort for the home summer, and he gained a critical break when Dilshan tried to work a lifting delivery to the leg side and managed only to loop a catch to cover from the front-edge of his bat. Kumar Sangakkara looked in truly sparkling touch upon his arrival, and had sprinted to 19 from eight balls when Lee coaxed an edge from his ninth - the high chance very well held by Watson.

McKay had replaced Doherty, and was soon settled into a precise spell that exploited the vagaries of a wearing surface to the maximum. Dinesh Chandimal was pinned lbw by a delivery that whirred in at middle stump, before Jayawardene was undone by another that seamed back just enough to beat his forward press and graze off stump.

Extremely unsteady at 4 for 53, Thirimanne and Tharanga fought to keep the chase afloat, but the caution forced by the loss of early wickets forced the required rate back up into awkward territory against the older ball. Watson, Nathan Lyon and Daniel Christian bowled intelligently without a wicket, as the match and series edged towards a nervous finish.

Thirimanne had added 60 with Tharanga and the Australians had grown tense by the time Watson found a way to eke out a wicket. Angling across Thirimanne, he coaxed a sliced drive that flew low into Warner's safe hands at backward point. Kapugedera could manage only 7 before he edged another McKay delivery, the deflection held by a diving Wade.

Kulasekara threatened a repeat of his Gabba heroics, cracking two boundaries in a brief stay, before Lee followed the batsman's retreat outside leg stump to cramp his room and prompt a catch to mid-on. Maharoof had been held back to No. 9, and he would provide a calming presence alongside Tharanga as the target was whittled down.

Watson had led his side well in testing circumstances, but he perhaps erred in his judgement to let Sri Lanka sneak closer. Having bowled five searching overs for only eight runs, Watson nonetheless preferred two overs of Doherty's spin, costing 16 runs. By the time he recalled himself to the attack, Watson had only 30 runs to defend from the final five overs.

This all made Watson's sixth over, the 46th of the innings, crucial. He responded in the best possible fashion, conceding only two runs and finding Tharanga's outside edge. Next over McKay found a way through Herath, and 17 were still required when he yorked Malinga.

In the afternoon, Warner and Wade were conscious of the need for greater impetus at the top of the innings and played their shots early on, though taking more liberties against the pacemen than Dilshan's part-time spin.

Warner cleared the boundary once and looked rather more fluent than he had during most of his century on Tuesday, but on 48 he edged a bouncing delivery from Maharoof to Kumar Sangakkara.

Wade had been struggling physically, vomiting at one point in what appeared an attack of gastro, but it was a surprise when a punchy Watson picked out Herath on the leg-side boundary off Dilshan's bowling, the fielder clasping the sharp chance to his chest.

Michael Hussey's stay was brief, Dilshan's swift gather and throw from short third man finding him short of his ground after he had called Wade through for a single. Sri Lanka's sense of momentum only grew when Wade's dogged stay was ended by Herath, who coaxed an edge that Sangakkara held with a juggle.

Forrest could make only 3 before misreading Herath's length and being bowled by a delivery that straightened just enough to beat his defensive blade and flick off stump. David Hussey was given lbw to a ball that would have passed over the top of the stumps, while Christian was undone by a Maharoof slower ball that he could only punch to mid off.

McKay and Lee did their best to swell the total in the closing overs, and their contributions were ultimately vital to a fighting victory.

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All-Round Dilshan Helps Sri Lanka to Level the CB Series Finals 1-1

Australia v Sri Lanka, CB Series 2nd final, Adelaide

The Report by Daniel Brettig at Adelaide Oval

March 6, 2012

Sri Lanka 2 for 274 (Dilshan 106, Jayawardene 80) beat Australia 6 for 271 (Clarke 117, Warner 100) by eight wickets

Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan took full toll of a wayward Australia as Sri Lanka forced a third triangular series final in Adelaide. Chasing 272, the visitors galloped to the target with 5.4 overs to spare, benefiting greatly from a rollicking start when the first three overs reaped 30 runs.

Dilshan alternated between the brazen and the cheeky, crashing 10 fours and also being struck on the helmet when he attempted his patented Dil-scoop. The captain Jayawardene was more cultured, but outpaced his partner in a princely innings that would have ended in the second over if not for a Clint McKay no-ball.

Such indiscipline summed up Australia's predicament, having struck a horrid patch of form in the field midway through the first final in Brisbane and then being unable to rise above it in Adelaide. The captain Michael Clarke is also in the unenviable position of carrying a left hamstring problem perilously close to the start of the West Indies tour, due to begin almost immediately after the third final.

Clarke had done his best to give his side a decent total. His 117 in Australia's 6 for 271 was the fastest of his limited-overs career and the second of his ODI captaincy. David Warner was more circumspect, but his chanceless 100 demonstrated a range of concentration and focus reserved for the best of batsmen. Famed as a boundary hitter, Warner reached the rope only four times in his innings and cleared it only once, but the value of his effort was reflected in a final total far greater than seemed possible at the innings' midpoint.

Matthew Wade departed early to the spin of Dilshan, who opened the bowling and completed a tidy 10 overs, before Shane Watson played a chancy innings in which he was grassed twice. Each dropped catch fell off the bowling of Farveez Maharoof, who ultimately ran out Australia's vice-captain with a direct hit in his follow through. Lasith Malinga was the tightest of Sri Lanka's bowlers and deserved his three wickets.

Two more catches would go down off Clarke's bat later in the innings, while Jayawardene raged against a delayed no-ball call at the height of his opposite number's innings. Debating the point angrily with both umpires after Maharoof had strayed above waist height with a full toss, Jayawardene lost his cool. His fury would be far more controlled when the reply began.

A second-over edge behind by Jayawardene was cancelled out by McKay's overstep, typical of the abject way in which Australia's bowlers began their defence of a less than watertight total. Brett Lee gave up three wides on the way to conceding 12 from the opening over, and James Pattinson's first two overs were taken for 22 despite an abundance of away swing.

No fewer than 11 of the first 30 runs were handed to Sri Lanka via the extras column, as Australia's bowlers maintained the poorly form they had demonstrated in the latter overs in Brisbane. Clarke had taken the field despite his injury, but his presence did not make much of a difference.

Jayawardene and Dilshan did not get too frantic after the start they were given, and slipped into comfortable gears that involved regular singles and the odd boundary whenever the bowlers strayed in search of a first wicket. Australia's mid-innings options were milked for regular runs, Xavier Doherty's first five costing 37.

Dilshan was first to pass 50, and Jayawardene soon followed. Australia's frustration grew when Asad Rauf refused a concerted appeal for caught behind from Dilshan on 77, as replays revealed a substantial edge that Wade gathered while keeping up to Watson.

Jayawardene's sparkling stay was ended by a hint of Pattinson reverse swing and a clear lbw, but Dilshan went on to his second century of the tournament before Dinesh Chandimal and Kumar Sangakkara guided the visitors home.

Clarke had little hesitation batting upon winning the toss, but the early overs were slow going. Jayawardene's imaginative use of Dilshan added to the openers' uncertainty, and Wade's impatience proved terminal when he swung at a ball not quite short enough for the stroke and was bowled.

Watson's innings was halting, and he was dropped by Dilshan in the fielding circle then by Rangana Herath on the long-off boundary - the latter unable to complete an equivalent of his spectacular outfield take in the first final. However Maharoof was not discouraged by the missed chances, and when Watson was 15 he gathered and swivelled from Warner's offside bunt to throw down the stumps and find a diving Watson comfortably short. Clarke helped to build some greater momentum in the company of Warner, who was less conspicuous than he had been at the Gabba.

The pair accumulated steadily, adding a little more impetus with the batting Powerplay, and continuing to benefit from profligate fielding from the tourists. Clarke was turfed on 71 and 77, the second chance falling to Malinga, who managed only to palm the chance over the rope for six.

It set the scene for an explosive over, in which Clarke took Maharoof for six, four, six, four - the last a high full toss swung behind square leg. Initially the umpires did not call it a no-ball, but on reflection Bruce Oxenford raised his arm to hand Australia an extra run and another delivery. Jayawardene was incensed by the delayed call, arguing at length with both officials in a manner that suggested more of the incident would be heard later.

Clarke had blazed past Warner despite the opener having a 23-run start, and he was first to reach his century with a flick through square leg. Though he had made plenty of useful contributions in the interim, it was Clarke's first ODI century since his first innings as the fully-fledged captain, against Bangladesh in Dhaka in April 2011.

Warner's hundred arrived in the next over, an effort of composure and also courage after his groin complaint in Brisbane. He skied a catch without adding another run, leaving an increasingly restricted Clarke to guide the hosts to a total rather less substantial than was ultimately needed.

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Warner Sets Up 15-Run Victory For Australia in 1st Final of CB Series

Australia v Sri Lanka, CB Series 1st final, Brisbane

The Report by Brydon Coverdale

March 4, 2012

Australia 6 for 321 (Warner 163, Wade 64) beat Sri Lanka 306 (Kulasekara 73, Tharanga 60, D Hussey 4-43, Watson 3-33, Lee 3-59) by 15 runs

David Warner chose a fine time to awaken from his one-day international slumber. His first ODI century set up a 15-run victory in the first final for Australia, who will raise the Commonwealth Bank Series trophy if they repeat their success in Adelaide on Tuesday. But Sri Lanka will enter the second final with some confidence after a remarkable, though ultimately futile, fightback in a chase of 322.

Warner made 163, the sixth-highest score by an Australia player in an ODI, and he batted through until the last ball of the innings as they made 321, the second-best one-day international total ever achieved at the Gabba. Sri Lanka's batsmen then struggled against the pace of Brett Lee and the canny spin of David Hussey, and the top order left too much work for those who followed.

Not that those who followed gave up. Far from it. Nuwan Kulasekara and Upul Tharanga came together at 6 for 144, needing another 178 runs at nearly nine an over. It seemed an unrealistic goal, and in the end it was. But only just. They used the batting Powerplay to great effect, taking 68 runs from it and attacking Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson, who both served up too many half-volleys and between them finished the match with 0 for 95 off nine overs.

Though Kulasekara and Tharanga had both fallen in the search for boundaries by the time the last few overs came around, they had left their colleagues with some hope. Sri Lanka needed 20 off the final two overs but they couldn't quite get there and the end came when Lasith Malinga skied a catch to deep square leg off Shane Watson when they needed 16 from five balls, leaving Dhammika Prasad unbeaten on 31.

Watson had also accounted for the important penultimate wicket when Rangana Herath pulled to deep midwicket for 5. If only, Sri Lanka must have been thinking, we hadn't left it all up to the tail. With each boundary struck by Kulasekara and Tharanga - and there were plenty - Sri Lanka gained hope. Australia's bowling at the death in this series has left a lot to be desired and again it was a weakness.

Kulasekara was especially impressive and a pair of consecutive slog-swept sixes off Hussey really brought the crowd alive. But two balls later he sent a catch to extra cover and was out for 73 from 43 deliveries, his best ODI score. Although Tharanga was the specialist batsman in the partnership he had been the quieter of the two, and he followed a few overs later when he holed out to long-on off Watson for 60.

Sri Lanka will rue their top-order struggle. Mahela Jayawardene was caught behind for 14 when he pushed tamely at Lee and his opening partner, Tillakaratne Dilshan, followed in Lee's next over. Dilshan had picked up five boundaries in his 27 from 22 balls, before his innings ended when Lee nipped one through the gate as Dilshan tried for a big drive.

Dinesh Chandimal cut the first ball from David Hussey, who finished with 4 for 43, to backward point and Kumar Sangakkara lobbed a delivery from Lee to mid-off for 42, trying to lift the tempo as the required run-rate increased. Lahiru Thirimanne and Farveez Maharoof both fell to Hussey prior to the partnership that nearly saved Sri Lanka.

Even though they didn't steal the win, Tharanga and Kulasekara still created a wonderful match. If anyone thought one-day internationals were dead, they need only see the past week in Australia for the counterargument. On Tuesday, Virat Kohli set up India's incredible chase of 321 in 37 overs and on Friday, Sri Lanka held on for a tense nine-run win despite the best chasing efforts of David Hussey.

And then there was this match, which began with 163 from Warner, an innings that threatened to be forgotten by the end of the game. He was bowled off the last ball of Australia's 50th over and by then he had done enough not only to set up Australia's win, but also to ease any pressure over his place in the side following an indifferent series at the top of the order.

Warner and Matthew Wade gave Australia an outstanding start with a 136-run opening partnership and although Wade fell for 64, Warner went on and made the most of the platform. He brought up his century with a fortuitous edge to the third-man boundary from his 111th delivery and celebrated with the now-familiar Warner high-leap and punch of the air.

It was a more restrained innings than many of Warner's limited-overs efforts but that was no bad thing, and he still had the confidence to go for his shots when the bowlers gave him the opportunity. Warner was especially strong with his drives down the ground, which were generally timed to perfection, and he also pulled with power from midwicket to long-on.

His scoring-rate didn't pick up as much as the fans might have liked towards the end of the innings but it was still a wonderful display. He had late support from Michael Clarke, who scored 37 from 25 balls batting at No.6, and Michael Hussey sent a couple of balls over the rope in the final few overs to help Australia to their hefty total.

Michael Hussey had come in at No.7 after a reshuffle in the batting order. Australia had sent in Daniel Christian and David Hussey early, keen to make the most of the strong opening stand, which ended with a spectacular, freakish catch in the outfield from Herath.

Wade seemed to make good contact with a delivery from Kulasekara but it only got as far as long-on; Herath set himself for the catch but seemed to misjudge the trajectory slightly and in a last, desperate attempt thrust his left hand in the air as he fell backwards, plucking the catch one-handed and avoiding the boundary rope as he fell over and held on to the ball. He appeared almost as stunned by his feat as the spectators were.

It wasn't the last remarkable thing achieved by Sri Lanka in this match. But despite their fight, they will enter Tuesday's second final in Adelaide needing a win to force a decider. And, after such a closely fought series, that would be a fitting finale.

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Sri Lanka in Finals of CB Series After Nine-Run Victory Over Australia

Australia v Sri Lanka, CB Series, Melbourne

The Report by Brydon Coverdale at the MCG

March 2, 2012

Sri Lanka 238 (Chandimal 75, Sangakkara 64, Thirimanne 51, Christian 5-31, Pattinson 4-51) beat Australia 229 (D Hussey 74, Watson 65, Malinga 4-49) by nine runs

Sri Lanka entered this match with their fate in their own hands. It turns out those are pretty safe hands. Not even a hat-trick from Daniel Christian, a four-wicket comeback from James Pattinson, a captain's half-century from Shane Watson or a remarkable, late, fighting fifty from David Hussey could prevent Sri Lanka from winning the last qualifying match at the MCG. Lasith Malinga led a strong bowling performance to complete Sri Lanka's nine-run victory, which propelled them into the tri-series finals.

No doubt Australia were disappointed, for they must now enter the best-of-three deciders knowing they have lost their previous three games to their Sri Lankan opponents. But India would have been even more gutted. An Australia win would have sent Sri Lanka packing and secured India a place in the finals. Instead, MS Dhoni's men will now fly home at the weekend, ending a disheartening three-month tour.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have a chance to win a tri-series in Australia for the first time at their ninth attempt. Their total of 238 at the MCG, set up by half-centuries from Dinesh Chandimal, Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne, seemed a fraction skinny on what looked like a reasonable batting surface. But despite losing Thisara Perera to injury during his first over, Sri Lanka's total proved defendable with Malinga in their attack.

Not that it was straightforward. Hussey's run-a-ball 74 nearly snatched victory for Australia. They needed 10 runs from the final over, bowled by Kulasekara, but Hussey holed out to long-off from the first ball of it and Sri Lanka celebrated. They had been on top early, when Australia were 3 for 26 after Malinga and Kulasekara troubled the top order, but then Australia fought back.

Batting at first drop, the stand-in captain Watson - Michael Clarke was not risked ahead of the finals - led Australia's fightback with a solid, composed 65 and he had good support from Michael Hussey (29). But once their 87-run stand was broken, Australia struggled again.

Michael Hussey has proven a handy partnership breaker with his slow-medium bowling recently and this time he was on the receiving end of a similar ploy, as Thirimanne drew an edge behind that was well taken by Sangakkara. It was Thirimanne's first international wicket and his second in all List A cricket, and importantly for Sri Lanka it was followed a few overs later by the departure of Watson.

Watson had brought up his half-century from his 61st delivery with a straight drive off Thirimanne and he had been strong when the bowlers had strayed too straight, but he was in no particular hurry. His innings, an encouraging one in his second match back from a long injury lay-off, ended when he played all around a fast, straight Malinga ball that knocked middle stump out of the ground.

David Hussey kept Australia afloat and did a fine job but his partners gradually dwindled. His fifth half-century of the series shot him to the top of the tournament runs tally but it wasn't quite enough for Australia, whose innings started with the loss of both David Warner and Matthew Wade, who had been reunited as the opening pair. Warner (6) slapped Malinga to short cover, a strange shot to a ball that sat up on him, and Wade was lbw for 9 to Kulasekara, before Peter Forrest tickled a catch behind for 2 when he tried to cut Malinga.

It was just the start Sri Lanka needed in the field after posting 238. Their three half-centuries at the top of the order made for a lopsided scorecard as the lower order struggled, especially against Christian, who collected a career-best 5 for 31 and wrote himself into the record books as the first player from Australia since Brett Lee in 2003 to take an ODI hat-trick, and the fourth overall alongside Lee, Bruce Reid and Anthony Stuart.

Christian was mobbed by his team-mates after completing the feat, which began when Thisara Perera skied a ball and was taken at deep midwicket by Michael Hussey, who caught the ball inside play, tossed it up before he fell over the rope and completed the catch after stepping back in. The ball had gone so high that the batsmen had crossed twice, leaving the new man Sachithra Senanayake on strike instead of the established Thirimanne.

Senanayake was lbw first ball and replays indicated the ball would have gone on to hit leg stump. The same could not have been said for the next delivery. Rod Tucker raised his finger to give Kulasekara lbw but the ball appeared to be sliding down leg side and replays confirmed it was a poor decision. Christian didn't care. It was a hat-trick, and they are rare.

Thirimanne (51) was good enough to help Sri Lanka survive their quota of overs, falling only in the penultimate over when he played on while trying to paddle sweep Pattinson. Rangana Herath remained 14 not out and Malinga was bowled off the last ball of the innings to give Christian his fifth wicket.

By batting out their time Sri Lanka ensured that the efforts of Sangakkara and Chandimal were not wasted. They had put on 123 for the third wicket and Chandimal was the more aggressive partner. He continued his good series and brought up his fifty off his 47th delivery with a glanced single off Clint McKay, before Sangakkara registered his in the same over from his 79th ball. Throughout his innings, Sangakkara had been in no hurry and didn't score a boundary until his 55th delivery, when he punched Ben Hilfenhaus forward of point.

His runs came largely through ones and twos and it was an important stabilising performance after Sri Lanka were 2 for 17. Sangakkara fell for 64 when he top-edged a pull off Pattinson, and his departure slowed Chandimal down. Chandimal was out for 75 from 84 when he too was beaten by the pace of Pattinson, lobbing a ball to mid-off.

Chandimal had been willing to play his strokes and he brought the crowd to life with a muscular hit that sailed straight over the head of the bowler Christian and crashed into the sightscreen. Another followed off the spin of Xavier Doherty, over long-on this time, and Chandimal spent most of his time hovering around the run-a-ball mark.

As it turned out, the Chandimal-Sangakkara combination was just what Sri Lanka needed after Mahela Jayawardene was run out early thanks to a poor call by Tillakaratne Dilshan, who followed by edging Pattinson behind. At that point, Sri Lanka were wobbling. But they will enter the finals with stability, and form against Australia, on their side.

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Kohli Ton Keeps India Alive in CB Series

India v Sri Lanka, CB Series, Hobart

The Report by Siddhartha Talya

February 28, 2012

India 321 for 3 (Kohli 133*) beat Sri Lanka 320 for 4 by seven wickets

Turnarounds don't come any better. Fortunes don't change more dramatically. And emotions don't bear a starker contrast. At the halfway stage, Sri Lanka would have felt they had one foot in the final, having left the India bowlers deflated after a dominating performance with the bat. And they would have been right to think that way, the Indian batting having shown little promise in the series and the team on the brink of elimination.

But Virat Kohli put on an imperious display of strokemaking, his malleable wrists powering an Indian fightback conspicuous by its absence on what had been, until now, two forgettable overseas trips. Kohli's innings made a mockery of an imposing score, kept India's finals hopes alive and left Sri Lanka with the unenviable task of beating the form team in the tournament to knock India out.

Given India's poor outings with the bat in their recent games, one would have expected them to struggle to chase a target of 321 in 50 overs. They achieved it in 36.4 - needing to chase it in 40 to stay alive in the series - and did so with Kohli finishing things off in a blaze of glory. Kohli was, as Nathan Astle said after his whirlwind 222 against England in 2002, "in the zone". He dismissed anything that came his way with clinical precision, found the boundary at will whether the field was in or pushed back, ran swiftly between the wickets to catch the fielders off guard and middled the ball with scarcely believable consistency.

While Kohli was the protagonist in India's successful chase, the other characters played their due part. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar would have wanted to do more but gave India the explosive start they desperately needed to stage a counterattack; Gautam Gambhir continued to be fluent, just four boundaries in a knock of 63 off 64 balls showing the toil behind the runs; and Suresh Raina, under pressure to perform, gave Kohli valuable company in a matchwinning stand.

If India were insipid with their bowling, Sri Lanka were far worse, as wides flowed, gift balls were doled out on the pads with regularity and the fielding buckled under the pressure of an unexpected fightback. Both innings were replete with fumbles, misfields, wayward throws - one of them, had it been on target, could have run Kohli out - making batting even more profitable on the easiest track in the series thus far. The brisk start to the chase and the subsequent consolidation by Gambhir and Kohli meant India were in with a fighting chance with two Powerplays still remaining, and both proved highly lucrative.

Kohli made both his own, first targetting Nuwan Kulasekara in the 31st over, which began with India needing 91 in 10 overs for a bonus point. He carted three consecutive fours as attempted yorkers failed to meet their desired lengths and served as tempting length balls. Two were whipped - in trademark Kohli fashion, a momentary turn of the wrists imparting tremendous force to the ball - and the other sliced over point in an act of improvisation.

The Sri Lanka fast bowlers misfired badly but even when they got it right, like an accurate yorker from Malinga, Kohli was able to shuffle across and expertly work it past the short fine fielder. He took 24 from Malinga in the 35th over, flicking him for six and picking four fours past short fine, and finished the game with two thunderous drives through the off side. A pump of the fists was followed by a roar of elation and relief as a perennially inanimate MS Dhoni calmly trudged on to the field to join in the celebrations.

A win this dominating seemed a distant possibility when Kohli joined Gambhir at the fall of Tendulkar's wicket. Tendulkar had walked across too far to be caught plumb by Malinga, ending an innings in which Tendulkar seemed devoid of pressure and completely uninhibited in his approach. Sehwag and Tendulkar batted with freedom, the former smashing Malinga into the grassbanks behind deep midwicket in a fiery opening stand of 54, and Tendulkar going over the top on the off side, and displaying an adeptness in picking Malinga's variations. But at 86 for 2 in the 10th over, with India's two most experienced batsmen back in the pavilion and the required-rate still very high, Kohli and Gambhir faced a daunting task.

That both took little time to get going was crucial in maintaining the tempo that had been set. Gambhir steered Kulasekara for four off his third delivery before punching one past midwicket, and Kohli warmed up with one of several whips off Malinga off his second ball. The pair didn't get bogged down despite a 35-ball boundary drought, running swiftly between the wickets, converting ones into twos by putting the outfielders under pressure and making the fielders inside the circle appear redundant by stealing quick ones.

Kohli broke that drought with a drive off Thisara Perara past extra cover and later clobbered Angelo Mathews over the wide long-off boundary. At the halfway stage in the chase, the pair had notched up half-centuries, laying a solid foundation for the onslaught to follow with ten Powerplay overs still remaining. After Gambhir fell to an accurate throw while trying to steal a second, Raina infused the innings with greater urgency, providing a quicker partner at the other end to Kohli and indulging in some power play of his own to help hasten the finish.

The Kohli show overshadowed an assured and commanding performance by Sri Lanka with the bat, and centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara, who capitalised on a palpably below-par show from India's bowlers.

Dilshan shrugged off his initial unease against the swinging ball to gradually open up and march towards his 11th ODI century and Sangakkara played an innings as attractive as several of his abruptly terminated cameos this tournament, only longer in duration this time, full of confidence and more pleasing on the eye. The determination and focus of trying to bat India out of the game was unwavering in their innings, and the smiles on their faces and the India players' drooping shoulders suggested a one-sided game. But body-language is not always a reliable indicator, for it had taken an about turn in three hours' time.

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Australia in Finals of CB Series After Beating India By 87 Runs

Australia v India, Commonwealth Bank Series, Sydney

The Report by Daniel Brettig

February 26, 2012

Australia 9 for 252 (Warner 68, Wade 56, D Hussey 54, Sehwag 3-43) beat India 165 (Ashwin 26, Watson 2-9) by 87 runs

India succumbed meekly to the pressure of a chase of 253 - a chase they were required to nail to remain in serious contention in the triangular series - and were bowled out for 165 by an Australia side that eagerly grabbed the chance to seal its own spot in the competition deciders.

Short of a bonus-point victory in their final match against Sri Lanka and a subsequent loss to the hosts by Mahela Jayawardene's flourishing side, India will fly home earlier than desired from an Australia tour that peaked all too early with Rahul Dravid's Bradman Oration and has disintegrated steadily ever since.

Australia's stand-in captain Shane Watson compensated for a poor showing with the bat by nipping out Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, and generally led his team soundly in the field in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke. He had a bonus point victory in front of 33,639 spectators to show for it.

The folding of India's batting was a familiar tale of patterns and misadventures. Virender Sehwag extended his horrid run on tour by punching a return-catch to Ben Hilfenhaus, Sachin Tendulkar found another way to fall short of 100 international centuries when he was run-out after a mid-pitch collision with Brett Lee, and Gautam Gambhir battled for fluency then dragged Clint McKay onto the stumps.

All this rather undercut the efforts of the touring bowlers, who had done well to restrict Australia to 9 for 252. India were given a fine start by the intelligent and miserly bowling of Praveen Kumar, whose opening spell of six overs harvested two wickets at a cost of 14 runs, including only one boundary. Umesh Yadav also made a mark with his speed and aggression.

Praveen's victims included Shane Watson, playing his first international of the summer as Australia's stand-in captain while Michael Clarke recovers from a flare-up of the back trouble that has been an intermittent problem across his career. Australia have now had four captains of the national side in various formats this summer - Clarke, George Bailey, Ricky Ponting and Watson.

David Warner fared the best of the batsmen, striking his way to 68 from 66 balls before skying Ravindra Jadeja. Suresh Raina claimed the catch despite a heavy collision with Irfan Pathan that left both fielders laid out on the outfield. Matthew Wade and Hussey also chimed in, but the latter was perhaps fortunate to get past 17.

Running a single, Hussey held out his hand to block Suresh Raina's return from the edge of the fielding circle - whether this was an attempt to simply prevent getting hit was unclear - and MS Dhoni immediately appealed either for handling the ball or the recently changed laws for obstructing the field, which forbid a batsman from changing his running line to intercept a ball headed for the stumps. After a lengthy television consultation the appeal was rejected, much to the consternation of the visitors. They exchanged plenty of words with Hussey when he was dismissed, 37 runs later.

On a night when a rapid half-century might have set his side on the path to victory, Sehwag's exit in the second over arrived courtesy of a fine Hilfenhaus take, scooping up a low catch near his ankles. Tendulkar and Gambhir prospered briefly against the new ball, but when the former was called through for a single, both he and Lee ran in more or less the same direction. Lee's pursuit of the ball ended when he saw David Warner in better position, and Tendulkar had his path interrupted by the bowler as Warner threw down the stumps.

Kohli again hinted at a decent score, only to be undone when Watson introduced himself to the attack. Following Lee, Watson's seamers were noticeably slower, and the reduction in pace had Kohli playing too early as he looped a catch to Daniel Christian.

McKay ended Gambhir's cussed stay, and Watson struck again when he angled the ball across Raina to induce a simple edge to Matthew Wade. Ravindra Jadeja fell in a similar manner, though his edge from Daniel Christian flew to Watson at first slip, where he held on to the catch having earlier grassed a chance to pouch Dhoni.

For as long as Dhoni remained at the crease India had a chance, however slight, so there was plenty of relief in Australia's huddle when Hilfenhaus pinned him in front of the stumps for a painstaking 14. The rest melted away.

The match appeared destined for a closer contest when Australia's early progress was slowed by Praveen's wiles, though more runs were collected from Pathan at the other end. Watson pulled at a delivery shaping away from him and managed only to spoon a catch to mid-on, while Peter Forrest fell to a slower delivery that he dragged onto the stumps.

Warner's innings provided the hosts with some momentum, but he lost Michael Hussey due to a running mix-up, and his own bright stay was ended by Jadeja. David Hussey's reprieve offered him and Wade the chance to regather the innings, which they did well enough in a stand of 94.

Wade's stay was ended when he steered a swift Yadav delivery into Dhoni's gloves, before Hussey fell to the same combination, snicking behind in his attempt to pull Yadav from outside off stump. The fact that Hussey appeared to walk did little to soothe India's frustration about the earlier incident.

Clint McKay was not long in staying before he wafted at Virender Sehwag and was stumped, and late blows from Christian and Xavier Doherty took the tally past 250. It looked a mediocre total, but then there have been times on this tour when India would have given much to achieve such mediocrity. So it would be again this night.

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Sri Lanka Take Top Spot in CB Series with Record Chase against Australia

Australia v Sri Lanka, CB Series, Hobart

The Report by Brydon Coverdale at Bellerive Oval

February 24, 2012

Sri Lanka 7 for 283 (Jayawardene 85, Chandimal 80, Christian 3-53) beat Australia 6 for 280 (Forrest 104, Clarke 72) by three wickets

Sri Lanka sure know how to keep things interesting. On a day when Peter Forrest announced himself as Australia's new No.3 with his maiden one-day century, Mahela Jayawardene and Dinesh Chandimal helped Sri Lanka complete a record ODI chase in Hobart, where Australia's 6 for 280 wasn't enough to book them a place in the finals. Sri Lanka jumped to the top of the points table with their three-wicket victory, which came with four balls to spare.

In a tense finish, Sri Lanka appeared to be throwing the match away and after Angelo Mathews holed out for 24 they needed 14 off nine balls with only three wickets in hand. But Thisara Perera took on the responsibility himself and struck a boundary followed by a powerful six over midwicket off Daniel Christian's next delivery, which left four needed off seven balls. That was no trouble at all, the winning runs coming when Nuwan Kulasekara thumped Brett Lee through cover for four.

It was Sri Lanka's third consecutive win and they are coming good at the right end of the tournament, after losing their opening two games. They began well with the ball before allowing Australia's score to balloon to seriously challenging proportions, but Jayawardene's outstanding 85 at the top of the order gave Sri Lanka the perfect platform.

With six overs remaining, they needed 39 runs with six wickets in hand, and with Chandimal well set on 80, it seemed like only a formality that they would reach the target. But Chandimal was trapped lbw when he tried an ill-judged paddle off Ryan Harris and in the next over, Farveez Maharoof holed out to Ben Hilfenhaus. Lucky for Sri Lanka they had Perera.

The result means Sri Lanka and Australia are now both one match clear of India, and while both sides can still miss out on the finals, they also know that one more win will be enough to guarantee their place. Sri Lanka earned that position by beating the previous best Hobart ODI chase, the 4 for 282 that Australia scored against Zimbabwe in 2001.

Jayawardene gave them their start and was in fine touch after beginning with a couple of edgy boundaries. In the fifth over he put those behind him and took on the pace of Lee, swinging a magnificent six over midwicket from a fast, straight ball that most batsmen would have been content to defend or drive straight. The runs kept flowing for Jayawardene, the dominant partner in a 55-run opening stand.

When Tillakaratne Dilshan pulled a catch to deep midwicket off Hilfehnaus for 3 from nine balls, Jayawardene had already galloped along to 44 from 39 deliveries. The strike evened up during Jayawardene's partnership with Kumar Sangakkara, who made a run-a-ball 22 before he was caught at point off a leading edge from Christian's bowling.

Jayawardene had already brought up his fifty with a punchy drive down the ground off Christian from his 45th ball. Jayawardene and Chandimal kept the runs coming during a 63-run partnership that featured some fine strokes, including an excellent cover-drive for four from Jayawardene, who enjoyed using the pace of Lee against him.

But on 85, Jayawardene gave Australia a sniff when he advanced to Xavier Doherty and was beaten by a delivery that turned sharply past his outside edge. Australia needed to follow the stumping with another quick wicket, and instead Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne kept their composure and put on 49, including plenty of singles, as the required run-rate hovered below six an over.

The loss of Thirimanne, who paddled Hilfenhaus to short fine leg for 24, could have hurt Sri Lanka, but ultimately their batting was too strong for Australia. Perhaps if Australia had looked for their runs a little faster through the middle of their innings they could have pushed up towards 300, but it is impossible to criticise Forrest and Michael Clarke for an excellent stand that rescued the side from a wobbly start. The loss of both openers had left Australia at 2 for 27 in the seventh over and consolidation was required.

Especially impressive was the way Forrest batted in his first match at No.3, carrying the pressure of replacing a champion in the position. But in Australia's first match of the post-Ricky Ponting ODI era they might just have found a man who can fill his spot for some time. Forrest's hundred was his not only his first for Australia but also in any List A match, and no Australian has scored more in his first four ODIs than Forrest's tally of 238.

He brought up his century by dropping the ball into the off side and haring off for a quick single from his 136th delivery, and it brought fist-pumps from Forrest and a hug from his partner Michael Hussey. He was caught at deep cover off Mathews in the next over for 104 as he tried to keep the tempo rising and it ended a fine innings, and one that has boosted his chances of winning a place on the Test tour of the West Indies.

He struck 10 fours and two sixes but avoided risks wherever he could, generally preferring to force the ball through gaps instead of over fielders. When he did go for the aerial route it nearly brought about his downfall - he was lucky deep midwicket was a couple of paces wide of where one shot landed. A cover-driven boundary off Kulasekara was especially impressive, zipping off the bat with speed and perfect placement.

For much of his innings, Forrest had the support of Clarke during a 154-run stand. The partnership ended when Clarke lifted Mathews to deep midwicket and was well taken by a tumbling Perera. Clarke had played well for his 72 from 79 balls, including two sixes over midwicket, one a fearsome, flat pull early in his innings off Maharoof, who had been impressive early.

Maharoof had claimed David Warner caught behind for 7 after Matthew Wade lobbed a catch to mid-off to give Sri Lanka a strong start. In the end, the Clarke-Forrest partnership and some valuable late runs from David Hussey (40 not out off 28 balls), Michael Hussey (21) and Lee (20 not out) helped Australia to a strong total.

It wasn't enough for Australia, but it has kept all three sides in the race for the finals. And it has made Sri Lanka clearly the form team in the tournament.

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Sri Lanka Beat India By 51 Runs in 8th ODI of CB Series

India v Sri Lanka, CB Series, Brisbane

The Report by Abhishek Purohit

February 21, 2012

Sri Lanka 289 for 6 (Thirimanne 62, Dilshan 51, Mathews 49*) beat India 238 (Kohli 66, Irfan 47, Kulasekara 3-40) by 51 runs

India abandoned their rotation policy and played all three senior batsmen. They also brought in a spinner in place of a fast bowler. They still leaked runs at the death. Their heavyweight top order still caved in cheaply.

Sri Lanka were on a different plane. Their old guard provided the base and the new order built on it to boost them to a substantial total. Their disciplined bowlers, led by Nuwan Kulasekara, dismantled a shaky India line-up, minus the in-form MS Dhoni, to take Sri Lanka into second position behind Australia with a game in hand. Parthiv Patel, Dhoni's replacement, lasted seven deliveries and made 4.

Faced with a stiff chase, Virender Sehwag threw away his wicket yet again, Sachin Tendulkar wasted another start and Gautam Gambhir guided one straight to gully.

Sehwag had missed the previous two games and was stand-in captain today but that did not bring about any change in his approach. He went after the second delivery of the chase, a short and wide one from Lasith Malinga, reaching out to slice it tamely to third man.

Tendulkar and Gambhir played some pleasing strokes but Kulasekara snapped up both batsmen, a reward for disciplined line and full lengths. He kept Tendulkar guessing with a few that came in and some that moved away. The batsman was a little late in deciding to leave a good length delivery and edged it onto his stumps.

With two 90s as an opener in his previous three games, Gambhir dropped down to No. 3 to allow Sehwag and Tendulkar to open. He lasted longer than the two but ended up dabbing Kulasekara to gully after walking down the pitch.

Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina struggled initially but benefited from three dropped catches to keep India in the game with a 92-run partnership. Raina's leading edge off Angelo Mathews was put down at point by Tillakaratne Dilshan. He was on 4 at the time. Kolhi was let off twice, both times by Dinesh Chandimal at deep midwicket, first on 14 off Thisara Perera, then on 32 off Malinga.

Raina could not capitalise, though, and, on 32, popped another leading edge, off Farveez Maharoof this time, straight to cover. Kohli carried on for a while longer but he was always battling against the climbing asking-rate and the thin batting. After having taken six runs off the first two balls of a Perera over, Kohli, on 66, looked to smash the third one and ended up slogging it to mid-on. Kohli's departure left India 172 for 5, and with no chance against an asking-rate of over eight an over.

Irfan Pathan cracked a few boundaries to reduce the margin of defeat and deny Sri Lanka the bonus point, but the match had been decided much earlier, with Sri Lanka in control right from their opening partnership.

Mahela Jayawardene started the innings again, and gave Sri Lanka another strong start along with Tillakaratne Dilshan. Lahiru Thirimanne led the young middle order's charge as Sri Lanka shrugged off the successive departures of their three senior batsmen in the middle overs.

India's bowling followed a characteristic route, the spinners bringing them back in the middle of the innings before the fast bowlers and part-timers leaked runs at the death. Sri Lanka took 81 off the last eight overs, including 24 off two from Vinay Kumar, and 24 off two from Kohli and Raina.

Thirimanne kept the runs coming with some enterprising strokes to ensure 124 for 3 did not turn into something worse. Mathews, who backs himself to score from any position and in any situation, smashed 49 off 37 deliveries at No. 6 as India's bowling came apart.

With Vinay and Umesh Yadav each having two overs left, Sehwag showed scant confidence in his quicks and turned to the part-time bowling of Raina and Kohli for the 49th and 50th overs respectively. The result was the same, as Mathews plundered more runs.

Sri Lanka's final score was a reflection of the kind of start that their former captain and his replacement had given them. Jayawardene and Dilshan batted with assurance for 95 runs at over five an over and India did not look like making a breakthrough till Sehwag pulled off a stunning catch to send back Jayawardene. Dilshan punished the slightest width outside the off stump for boundaries.

India sneaked back through a double-strike. On 45, Jayawardene swung Pathan hard into the on side, but Sehwag got in the way with a big dive at midwicket, and held on to a sharp catch. Dilshan fell for 51 on the cut when R Ashwin got one to bounce.

Kumar Sangakkara came in and swung Yadav straight to fine leg, and at 124 for 3 Sri Lanka were in danger of frittering away an excellent start. Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal did not allow that to happen with a 71-run stand that came at a run-a-ball.

Thirimanne did not hold back with the big strokes. He favoured the off side, mostly point and third man, as he steered and dabbed for boundaries. Irfan ended Chandimal's stay with a yorker on leg stump but India ran into Mathews next. The scoring-rate picked up, as the pair added 49 in seven overs.

Thirimanne's batting was classy but the same could not be said about his backing up. Despite the changed law on run-outs while backing up, he repeatedly left his crease even before the bowlers were into their delivery stride. Ashwin was well within his rights to remove the bails in the 40th over as Thirimanne went walking early again, but India decided to withdraw the appeal in good spirit after a discussion with the umpires. It made no difference to Thirimanne, though, as he continued to take an early start at the non-striker's end.

He eventually fell chipping Ashwin to sweeper cover but Mathews was around to lift Sri Lanka to a big total, which proved to be well beyond India's reach.

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Hilfenhaus and Lee Seal Victory For Australia

Australia v India, CB Series, Brisbane

The Report by Daniel Brettig

February 19, 2012

Australia 5 for 288 (M Hussey 59, Forrest 52, Irfan 3-61) beat India 178 (Dhoni 56, Hilfenhaus 5-33, Lee 3-49) by 110 runs

Ben Hilfenhaus and Brett Lee splintered India to return Australia to the top of the table with a 110-run victory that reaped a bonus point at the Gabba. On a day when Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar both glimpsed their mortality in the limited-overs game, Australia's 5 for 288 proved far too tall a target for India's batsmen, who looked as uncomfortable as ever when faced by Brisbane's bounce and a home side recovering from two straight losses.

Making use of a hard, fast pitch and the early swing offered by the new ball, Lee and Hilfenhaus nipped out four wickets between them to slide India to 4 for 36, and had snared eight by the end of the night. Hilfenhaus was playing his first ODI since November 2009, in place of the ill Clint McKay, and made a strong case for his retention by moving the ball at good pace on a disciplined line to take five wickets for the first time. He had an ideal counterpoint in Lee, who offered slippery pace and plenty of aggression.

Tendulkar played a particularly fretful innings, struck on the helmet by Lee, caught at third man off Hilfenhaus. Soon after, Kohli lingered unhappily at the crease after video evidence was used to confirm he had been caught at slip by David Hussey. MS Dhoni's innings proved merely a parting shot as the match faded out.

Ponting won the toss in what is expected to be his last match in charge before Michael Clarke returns. David Warner made a wasteful exit for a swift 43, Ponting struggled badly for placement and occupied 26 balls for 7, and Matthew Wade fought his way to 45 only to give it up with a tame return catch.

Peter Forrest and Michael Hussey righted the ship with a century partnership, but Christian and David Hussey made equally vital contributions with a stand of 65 in the final six overs. Michael Hussey's innings might have been over on 1, when MS Dhoni appealed for a stumping. Replays showed Hussey may have had some of his back foot safely behind the line, and there was some surprise when the red "out" signal flashed on the big screen. However Hussey's trudge off the field was swiftly aborted by the umpires, as it emerged that the wrong verdict from the third umpire Bruce Oxenford had somehow been relayed.

Needing close to six runs per over, India needed a strong start, but were unlikely to get one from the moment Lee found a way past Gautam Gambhir. In the Tests Gambhir had often been out fencing at deliveries going across him, but Lee's delivery gave him little choice, starting to bend in before seaming the other way off the track to clip the outside edge.

Tendulkar's unhappy tour gained another chapter of discontent against the new ball. Struck a hefty blow on the head by a Lee bouncer, he struggled to lay a bat on Hilfenhaus' away swing, and when he did connect, the ball floated down to Xavier Doherty, who had dropped Kohli the ball before. Tendulkar seems even further away from the barrier of 100 international centuries than he had been at the start of the summer.

Not for the first time, Kohli had looked distracted by crowd chants in the field, and he carried that anger with him to the crease. He watched Rohit Sharma's undoing, waving his bat at Lee's bounce and away movement, then took his dismissal for 12, via Hussey's low catch, as something approaching a personal slight. He waited for some time after the verdict to leave the field.

Suresh Raina sallied forth to deposit Mitchell Starc into the stands. However Christian was delivering a neat spell, and he gained the break with a delivery running across Raina that caught a nick.

Dhoni went on to 56 as the required rate climbed, but his dismissal, pulling Hilfenhaus to midwicket, signalled the end of formal resistance.

During the Australian innings, Wade and Warner found the early going slow against tight bowling from Vinay Kumar and Zaheer Khan. Wade enjoyed an escape off the second ball of the match, edging Zaheer towards Tendulkar at first slip, only for Rohit to dive across from second and knock the ball away from the man best placed to catch it. Warner began to look fluent, but he was to curse himself with some venom when he chipped the last ball of the 13th over to a waiting midwicket.

The ensuing passage was dominated by Ponting's struggles. He made a deliberate start, defending staunchly against Raina's modest offerings, then found himself struggling to find the boundaries to counterbalance this early conservatism. One charge down the wicket resulted in an edge to third man, and Ponting was still searching for momentum when he picked up a Zaheer delivery and sent it looping into deep midwicket's hands. His scores for the series now read 2, 1, 6, 2 and 7.

Hussey and Forrest fought with determination and intelligence, finding the odd boundary but mainly keeping the innings going with their running between the wickets. Apart from his stumping reprieve, Hussey was also dropped twice, while Forrest endured numerous periods without free-scoring but lifted his rate as he went.

Their stand was worth 100 when Hussey fell to combination of urgency and fatigue, swinging Irfan into the deep, and in the same over Forrest did likewise, ending another innings of promise by the prospective Test batsman. David Hussey and Christian added some clean blows to swell the total in the final overs, distorting Vinay's figures by taking his last over for 18 runs. Another 15 were spirited away from the last, leaving India with a chase that proved well beyond their means.

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Sri Lanka Beat Australia By 8 Wickets to Clinch First Victory in CB Series

Australia v Sri Lanka, CB Series, Sydney

The Report by Daniel Brettig at the SCG

February 17, 2012

Sri Lanka 152 for 2 (Jayawardene 61*, Dilshan 45) beat Australia 158 (David Hussey 58, Maharoof 2-18, Perera 2-29) by eight wickets according to D-L method

A rejuvenated Sri Lanka excelled with the ball and in the field to cut down Australia's batting and then raced impudently to their rain-reduced target for an eight-wicket victory and a bonus point in a lopsided encounter at the SCG.

Despite the best efforts of David Hussey, the hosts were rumbled out for 158, their lowest at the ground since 1997 and fourth-lowest in all ODIs in Sydney, in a match reduced to 41 overs-per-side by a two-hour rain delay that took place when Australia were a punch-drunk 6 for 88. Tillakaratne Dilshan and the captain Mahela Jayawardene then removed all doubt about the contest with a stand of 74 inside 12 overs.

Jayawardene was still there when the winning runs were collected with 16.5 overs to spare, surprising a crowd of 22,365 and pushing Sri Lanka back into finals contention with seven points after four matches. India lead the table on 10, while a suddenly wobbly Australia have nine.

It was an unhappy return to captaincy for Ricky Ponting, who could rouse neither himself from an ODI batting slumber nor his team from the flat patch they have slipped into following a successful Test summer. Ponting is likely to still have the job on Sunday against India at the Gabba as Michael Clarke struggles to recover from a hamstring strain. The hosts' batting was inattentive and wasteful in the afternoon, and there was precious little spark with the ball or in the field, thus maintaining the unsettling form line begun in Adelaide on Sunday.

Farveez Maharoof bowled intelligently for the visitors on his recall to the team, while Lasith Malinga struck a key early blow by defeating David Warner with a slower ball. Thisara Perera engineered two run-outs and claimed two wickets at the bowling crease, and Angelo Mathews maintained his strong form in this series by accounting for Michael Hussey.

David Hussey was left to salvage something from the innings, though he was fortunate to survive a dropped chance from Malinga at third man when on eight. After the rain cleared he went on to a meritorious 58, maintaining his strongest summer yet for Australia. His efforts ensured some kind of chase for Sri Lanka, a prospect that looked grim at 8 for 104.

Given a chance to add a sixth win from their last eight matches at the ground, Dilshan and Jayawardene wasted little time setting about the target. Jayawardene pinged a perfect off-drive in Mitchell Starc's first over, and Dilshan added a flatly-pulled six in the left-armer's second.

Brett Lee's return to the team after a broken toe was rushed, and Dilshan made him pay for it by cracking a hat-trick of boundaries through the leg side as the bowler dropped short. Dilshan edged Clint McKay to slip when still five short of his half century, but by that point nearly half the target had been swallowed up in quick time and the rest of the runs - including Kumar Sangakkara's 10,000th in ODIs - were collected without fuss.

Ponting was happy to bat first on what looked a pitch for batting, but soon the clouds had closed in on both the ground and the Australian batsmen. Warner struck a pair of crisp boundaries but struggled to read Malinga's changes of pace, and ultimately lobbed a catch to mid-on when trying to get down the pitch.

Maharoof took note of Malinga's craftiness, and used a similar ruse to account for Ponting. Nicely disguised, a slower ball had Ponting too far into the stroke to avoid pushing back a simple return catch, and departing for another slim score this series.

Matthew Wade's demise occurred after Perera swooped from short cover to turn a possible single into a horrid run-out, the wicketkeeper and Peter Forrest both at the same end before Wade elected to sacrifice his wicket. Sri Lanka's alertness in the field had been apparent, it was justly rewarded here.

Michael Hussey struck one six from Mathews but next ball he fenced at a delivery too close to his body for the shot and edged behind. Forrest fiddled at Maharoof's exemplary length and line to offer a catch to slip, and Christian shuffled across to be lbw to Perera. The rain then arrived, leaving Australia in a parlous position.

Two hours of showers swept across the ground, reducing the allotted number of overs. The hosts had only 15 to bat when they resumed, and soon lost another two wickets. McKay was fooled by Rangana Herath's straight ball, then Lee was the victim of another Perera swoop, this time for a direct hit from wide mid-off.

David Hussey was in dire need of any kind of support, and for 49 runs he received it from Starc. Hussey cracked boundaries through point, midwicket and down the ground, but on 33 was again reprieved, this time when Mathews shelled a difficult chance at short cover. Perera ultimately claimed Hussey, and Starc was run out to complete a most unsatisfactory innings for the hosts. Things would only get worse as day gave way to night.

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Dhoni Guides India to a Thrilling Tie Over Sri Lanka in Match 5 of CB Series

India v Sri Lanka, CB Series, Adelaide

The Report by Nitin Sundar

February 14, 2012

Sri Lanka 236 for 9 (Chandimal 81, Jayawardene 43, Vinay 3-46, Ashwin 2-30) tied with India 236 for 9 (Gambhir 91, Dhoni 58*, Thisara 2-45)

The best death-overs bowler in the game went up against the best finisher in the business with four to defend off the last ball. It was only fair that neither Lasith Malinga nor MS Dhoni ended up on the losing side of that contest. Malinga's wide full-length ball would have hoodwinked most batsmen who would have been setting themselves up for the swing to the leg side. Not the fleet-footed Dhoni, though, who calmly stretched across and carved high over the covers even as he teetered on one foot. The ball didn't have the strength to beat Sachithra Senanayake on the boundary, but Dhoni and last-man Umesh Yadav bounded through for three runs to tie a nerve-wracking classic at the Adelaide Oval.

The beauty of the ODI format shone throughout the duration of the chase, with the best minds in the game feeling the pressure of a close finish. India were coasting on the back of another polished effort from Gautam Gambhir, whose faultless 91 showed he has moved on well from his Test-match woes. Dhoni had added 60 runs with Gambhir off 12.5 overs, leaving India needing 59 off 58. At that stage, Dhoni made the first decisive error, when he sold Gambhir dear after calling him for a single. Gambhir was caught short by a direct hit from Nuwan Kulasekara, and his fall gave Sri Lanka an opening; Dhoni would later say it cost India victory.

The wicket was followed by a 28-ball phase that yielded only 13 runs for the loss of Ravindra Jadeja's wicket. Sri Lanka's seamers bowled out of their skins, backed by enterprising field placements from Mahela Jayawardene that cut off the singles. With two overs of Malinga left, Dhoni went after Thisara Perera in the 46th, dumping him for a huge six down the ground, before R Ashwin skimmed another four over the covers. Malinga returned after a quiet over from Kulasekara, with India needing 28 off 18. Mistakes began to sprout from every corner now.

Malinga got Ashwin to sky a slower ball, and Kumar Sangakkara called for, and clanged the chance as he ran towards point. Ashwin continued blundering against the slower ball, heaving and missing one, before chipping straight to cover. With 24 needed off 12, Jayawardene turned to Angelo Mathews who trotted in from round the stumps to cut Dhoni's swinging angle. Mathews lost the plot against Irfan Pathan, though, delivering a high no-ball that Irfan deposited over square leg for six. Irfan was run out next ball, sacrificing his wicket after failing to get a slower ball away. India needed a boundary, and Mathews obliged with another full toss that Dhoni swiped through midwicket to reach 50. Nine was needed off the last over, from Malinga.

In the previous game, Dhoni chose to take the game to the very end. This time, he was forced to do so by Malinga's unhittable lengths. While he bowled impeccably, Malinga's fielding was ordinary, and he missed a couple of returns that would have yielded run outs in the last over. A couple off the first ball was followed by three singles before Vinay sacrificed his wicket to give Dhoni strike for the final ball. One could argue that Malinga should have gone full and straight, but the counter-argument would be that even a fractional error in length would have allowed Dhoni a free swing over the short square boundary. As it transpired, Malinga went wide, Dhoni went high and there was poetic justice in the denouement.

Sri Lanka were left ruing a collapse in their batting Powerplay, that left them at least 20 runs short. They stumbled from a heady 168 for 3 in 35 overs, losing 18 for 3 in the Powerplay, including the two set batsmen - Dinesh Chandimal and Jayawardene - who had added 94 runs without a fuss. The complexion of the game changed so drastically in that block, that Ashwin bowled with two slips in the 40th over.

Until then, Chandimal ran the show with admirable poise, imposing himself with a series of pulls and whips through the leg side, imparted with a flourish that was once the trademark of Marvan Atapattu. In his company, Jayawardene shrugged away the poor form that had dogged him since the South Africa tour, as Sri Lanka recovered from their sluggish start.

India made three crucial early strikes, which meant they were only one wicket away from the lower order even during the Chandimal-Jayawardene association. Vinay Kumar preyed on Upul Tharanga's unending troubles outside the off stump, before Irfan celebrated his return to the venue where he made his international debut in 2003 with pleasing swing, and the wicket of Tillakaratne Dilshan. Ashwin then worked over Sangakkara with spin and variety to peg Sri Lanka back. Chandimal and Jayawardene fought hard to revive the innings, but India were the happier side after 50 overs.

Gambhir took charge of the chase with assurance, and it will be interesting if India will continue their rotation policy and bench him for the next game. Sachin Tendulkar's rustiness, too, suggested the break from Sunday's game didn't do him much good. Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma all perished after scoring 15 runs apiece, as Sri Lanka made timely dents. Suresh Raina's failure meant India were wobbling at 122 for 4 in the 28th over. But they had just the right man coming in at that stage.

It wasn't just the players that erred on the tense night. Umpire Nigel Llong's miscounting meant Malinga only bowled five balls in the 30th over. India will believe they would have got the winning run off the ball that was missed. Sri Lanka will believe they could have got the tenth Indian wicket off it. How perfect then, that we will never know how it could have ended.

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