India overcame Sri Lanka by 81 runs under the continuous threat of inclement weather at Queen's Park Oval on Tuesday to march in to the final of Celkon Mobile Tri-Nations Series Cup after two days against the same rival.
The World Cup as well as the Champions Trophy holders battled to score 119 for three off 29 overs prior to a torrential downpour just before midday which apparently set the force in the match into a reserve day in a severely rain hit Trinidad.
To the delight of everyone, the conditions improved remarkably in late afternoon. As the Sri Lankans set a revised target of 178 off 26 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis system, Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered an outstanding spell of seaming bowling. He took four for eight off his allotted six overs and ensured that Sri Lanka were routed for 96 in reply.
In fact, India's 81-run margin of victory was also amply sizeable to ensure that while they finished level on nine points with both Sri Lanka and the West Indies, their net run-rate was much better than the Caribbean side's. They have knocked Dwayne Bravo's team out of the competition and awarded the hosts with an unwanted extra two days to prepare for the five-match One-Day International Series with Pakistan which is supposed to begin on Sunday in Guyana.
Notably, Kumar capitalized on the helpful conditions masterfully by extracting pace and bounced off a greenish pitch and moving the ball in both ways. He expressed by reflecting on his match-winning effort--the best by an Indian in ODIs at Queen's Park Oval that he felt proud to put in a performance like this for his country, especially in a match of such importance. He added that he really enjoyed bowling here just like in England, so he just attempted to bowl in good areas consistently. Above all, he accounted for Upul Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara off successive deliveries in his second over, although Sangakkara could call himself unlucky to be adjudged LBW.
Undoubtedly, Mahela Jayawardene sliced a catch to third man while Lahiru Thirimanne drove unerringly to Virat Kohli at cover. India's captain, who earlier appeared thoroughly upset by the challenging conditions, never permitted the Sri Lankans a way out of their dire straits by employing his support to the bowlers effectively. On the other side, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja accounted for skipper Angelo Mathews and apex scorer Dinesh Chandimal (26) to ensure that there was no miraculous revival.
A delighted Kohli after the victory asserted that to bounce back the way they have done and hauled the top position of the table after losing the first two matches, really displays a lot of character. He added that it was all about playing smart cricket when they were batting to ensure they didn't lose wickets slogging. Truly, it worked out well for them with the help of the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Actually, Rohit Sharma's patient plus unbeaten 48 at the pinnacle of the order when India were placed was vital to hold the innings together on a bright but tremendously humid morning. Initially, he lost the attacking Shikhar Dhawan in Mathews' first over while Herath again proved his worth with the ball. The left-arm spinner trapped the struggling Kohli leg-before on the back foot and further bowling Dinesh Karthik. With the fall of that third wicket, it became certain that a rain interruption was just a matter of minutes away.
Meanwhile, Sharma and Suresh Raina ensured that there were no further casualties before the showers occurred and waited with their teammates in a hope that they would have the opportunity later in the day to pull off the victory needed to get to the final. Eventually, as the showers started relenting, their determination and the inspirational bowling of Kumar made them through.
