What a difference a day makes. After losing badly in the first game, India has bounced back to level the five match series. It wasn’t as convincing as Sri Lanka’s win in Game 1 but a win is a win is a win.
India’s captain and keeper showed how much he was missed in the recent Test series. Dhoni top scored with 39 and had the highest Indian run rate. He is a fine cricketer and could be the difference between India taking this series or not.
As was predicted by this correspondent, the first two games were indeed low-scoring affairs. When Sri Lanka was restricted to a paltry 142 thanks mainly to the excellent swing bowling of Zaheer Khan – 4 for 21 at just over 2 runs per over, India seemed the likely winner but boy oh boy did they make heavy weather of it. Sri Lanka cruised to victory in the first match, India limped across the line today.
Sri Lanka’s top order went missing and at one stage, the locals were 4 for 11 and later 6 for 44. Only some excellent lower order batting from Kulasekara 25 and Thushara 44 at almost a run a ball prevented Sri Lanka from making an embarrassing score.
India’s batsmen didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory and remember they have lost both Tendulkar and Sehwag to injury. Furthermore India has tried 12 different opening combinations in the last year or so. Kohli and the debutant Badrinath were solid but without newly-arrived skipper, Dhoni, Sri Lanka may well have won the game and gone two up. As it is the series is finely balanced with three games in Colombo to play.
So much has been said about Ajantha Mendis and his record-breaking haul of wickets in his Test debut. Not only did he take 26 wickets, most were of recognized batsmen. But limited over cricket is a different kettle of fish. Restricted field placings, only a few overs per bowler each and it’s so often a game for batsmen. Well on today’s form, Mendis is here to stay. He was Sri Lanka’s best bowler claiming 2 for 22 at a miserly rate of just over 2 runs an over.
Yuvraj Singh looked in fine form until Mendis brought the Indian undone with this so-called carrom ball. Mendis bowled his full complement of 10. His vastly experienced twin spin compatriot was only in his 8th over when the game finished. Murali was wicketless and went for almost twice as many runs as Mendis. Is this the changing of the guard?
Confidence is a vital ingredient to any player and yet it is hard to define. Winning form is said to be good form and maybe the confidence India so desperately needs is just one good win away. But it needs to be remembered that the current Indian batting side is one of its least experienced for many a year. Senior batsmen are missing in droves and whilst the series score line reads one all, if the inexperienced Indian batsmen can help their country win this series, they will have grown enormously in stature. Roll on Colombo.
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