39 & still going strong

Sanath Jayasuriya showed the way, Kumar Sangakkara took the cue and Sri Lanka ran out a handsome winner. K. C. Vijaya Kumar reports.

A day prior to the match, Mahela Jayawardene said, “it is tough but we are fit and I am sure we will recover in time for the game against Bangladesh.” The Sri Lankan skipper was reacting to the challenge of playing back-to-back matches, minutes after his team had defeated Pakistan in the STAR Cricket Asia Cup tournament’s semifinal league.

True to his words, the next day, the Sri Lankans were buzzing all over the place during the course of their 158-run victory over Bangladesh at the National Stadium in Karachi. And the loudest vindication of fitness and form came from a gentleman, who turned 39 on that day.

Sanath Jayasuriya could not have timed his 26th ODI hundred better and while scoring a belligerent 130 (88b, 16x4, 6x6), he slammed the sixth fastest hundred (off 55 deliveries) in ODIs. Incidentally he also holds the record for the fifth fastest century (off 48 balls).

Jayasuriya’s ton along with fellow-opener Kumar Sangakkara’s 121 (128b, 16x4, 1x6) fuelled a Sri Lankan run-spree and the duo’s 201-run partnership justified Jayawardene’s decision to bat. Sri Lanka posted 332 for eight in 50 overs after the middle order failed to encash on the riches gifted by the openers. In reply, Bangladesh mustered 174 in 38.3 overs with Muttiah Muralitharan’s five-wicket haul driving the final nails in.

‘Man of the Match’ Jayasuriya warmed his forearms pulling Shahadat for six in the day’s fourth over while Sangakkara, running hot with his third century of the tournament and 10th overall, threaded a few down the ground and also flicked the bowlers to distraction.

Jayasuriya’s power and Sangakkara’s finesse was too potent a combine and the Bangladeshi bowlers struggled to cope. Width and a fuller length undid their efforts as Jayasuriya cut and pulled while Sangakkara drove on the up with ease.

“Sanath played an outstanding innings and he showed the value he adds to our team and Sanga is in tremendous form,” Jayawardene said.

The openers breezed to their 201-run stand in just 169 deliveries but after their dismissals, the rest failed to enhance the momentum though the Sri Lankans managed to finish with 300 plus.

The Bangladesh chase was a mix of one foot on the accelerator and an eye on the exit door. The confusion reflected in the batting as poor shot selection against the Sri Lankan spinners, led by the redoubtable Muralitharan, forced a meltdown against a required rate of 6.66 per over that kept climbing up and even perhaps put India’s inflation indices to shame.

Raqibul Hassan’s 52 and Nazimuddin’s 47 were lone glimmers of hope, but in the end they turned out to be consolation knocks in a doomed clash.

“It is a big step backwards,” said Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons after his team suffered its second loss in the semifinal league and lost all hopes of making it to the final.

The Scores

Asia Cup Super Four: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, National Stadium, Karachi, June 30, 2008.

Result: Sri Lanka won by 158 runs.

Sri Lanka: S. Jayasuriya c Tamim b Alok Kapali 130, K. Sangakkara b Razzak 121, M. Jayawardene c Ashraful b Kapali 20, C. Kapugedera c Kapali b Shahadat 1, C. Silva lbw b Farhad Reza 5, T. Dilshan (run out) 2, C. Vaas c Raqibul b Farhad 7, T. Thushara b Mortaza 10, N. Kulasekara (not out) 18, A. Mendis (not out) 8. Extras (lb-3, w-5, nb-2) 10. Total (for eight wkts. in 50 overs): 332.

Fall of wickets: 1-201, 2-235, 3-243, 4-263, 5-267, 6-292, 7-304, 8-310.

Bangladesh bowling: Mortaza 10-0-78-1, Shahadat 7-1-46-1, Razzak 10-0-71-1, Farhad 9-1-51-2, Mahmudullah 8-0-43-0, Kapali 6-0-40-2.

Bangladesh: Tamim c Dilshan b Vaas 8, Nazimuddin (run out) 47, Md. Ashraful c Dilshan b Thushara 14, Raqibul c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 52, Mushfiqur c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 8, A. Kapali lbw b Muralitharan 9, Mahmudullah c (sub) Jehan b Mendis 8, Razzak b Muralitharan 7, Farhad c Jayawardene b Mendis 5, Mortaza c Silva b Muralitharan 2, Shahadat (not out) 0. Extras (lb-6, w-7, nb-1): 14. Total (in 38.3 overs): 174.

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-53, 3-96, 4-116, 5-135, 6-158, 7-162, 8-168, 9-172.

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 5-0-21-1, Kulasekara 6-1-26-0, Thushara 5-0-36-1, Mendis 7.3-0-29-2, Muralitharan 10-1-31-5, Kapugedera 5-0-25-0.