da betano casino： The Kolkata rain ruined Sanath Jayasuriya’s parade as the opening game ofIndia’s four-match one-day series against Sri Lanka was abandoned aftertorrential rain at the Eden Gardens.
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran08-Feb-200718.2 overs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Sanath Jayasuriya was in usual marauder-mode as he raced to 63 from just 61 balls © Getty Images
The Kolkata rain ruined Sanath Jayasuriya’s parade as the opening game ofIndia’s four-match one-day series against Sri Lanka was abandoned aftertorrential rain at the Eden Gardens. Having been sent in to bat by RahulDravid, Sri Lanka had made 102 for 3 from 18.2 overs when a heavy drizzleforced the players off and though the rain stopped, the outfield was fartoo marshy to risk further play.In the time available, Jayasuriya had raced to 63 from just 61 balls, andonly a fine spell from Munaf Patel prevented it from being all one-waytraffic. Dravid’s intention was probably to make use of early life in abone-dry and flat pitch, but his bowlers took a while to get wise to theconditions.Zaheer Khan started poorly, with Upul Tharanga stroking two beautifulfours in an over that also saw five wides down the legside. And whenMunaf, on his first game back after a pallid performance in the Cape TownTest, was imperiously square-driven for four by Jayasuriya, India hadevery reason to fear the worst.Both bowlers eventually settled on just short of a good length, butJayasuriya continued to punish the slightest transgression in either lineor length. Munaf was clipped over square leg for four and then glancedfine, before India got the breakthrough that they so desperately needed.Tharanga had been kept quiet after his initial flourish, and hisill-judged attempt to pull a delivery far too close to the body onlyricocheted on to the stumps. The loss of his opening partner didn’t crampJayasuriya’s style though as he flicked and cut Zaheer to the ropes.India’s best option was to train their energies at the other end, andMunaf gave them further respite by dismissing the dangerous MahelaJayawardene. A miscue to mid-on did the trick, though it only brought inthe in-form Kumar Sangakkara.
Munaf Patel struck a vital blow early on dismissing Mahela Jayawardene for a duck © Getty Images
Sreesanth, tussling for one World Cup slot with Munaf, came on in the 11thover and suffered straight away at the hands of the rampant Jayasuriya,who cut him for four and then nonchalantly thumped one over mid-off.Sreesanth could have had his revenge, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s dive tothe left didn’t quite carry him as far as the ball which had taken theouter edge of Jayasuriya’s bat.Sangakkara was in no mood to be kind either, and a peachy cover-drive anddeft cut left Sreesanth with figures that would have embarrassed apart-time trundler. Still in the third Power Play, Dravid then turned toHarbhajan Singh, but his very first delivery flew off the edge for four.By then, Jayasuriya had already reached his 62nd half-century, from just48 balls, with a superb swivel-pull for four off a tiring Munaf. And asthe heavens clouded up, India’s day brightened up a touch further withSreesanth inducing an edge from Sangakkara. That reunited the old firm ofJayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu, but the torrential rain that came downsoon after curtailed their chances of making a big impact at this famousold venue.