SPORT-T20-IND 2LST

Mathews and Kapugedara kept getting boundaries and the
latter's two sixes off Piyush Chawla in the penultimate over
brought Sri Lanka close to win.
India captain Dhoni handed the ball to Nehra and Mathews
swung the bat splendidly and the result was a six over
long-off in the first ball. A few runs came from singles and
twos.
Mathews ran himself out in the fifth ball, leaving
Kapugedara to score three runs off the final ball and his
colleague finished it in style, smashing a six over covers.
In the last World Cup also, India had failed to win any
match in the Super Eights stage.
Earlier, Raina, Gambhir and Dhoni (23 not out) batted
well for India.
India were 90 for one at the half-way mark but could not
accelerate much afterwords due to the slow nature of the
wicket and some good bowling by Lankan bowlers, particularly
Lasith Malinga (2/25) and Thissara Perera (2/44).
Dinesh Karthik, who replaced Murali Vijay, started with a
bang by dispatching the first ball of the innings by Angelo
Mathews to the point boundary.
Karthik (13) looked in good touch as he was striking the
ball well but a leading edge off Malinga ended his stay at the
crease.
In came Raina and the diminutive southpaw, who had hit
his maiden Twenty20 century at this very ground on May 2, hit
Thilan Thushara for three fours in the sixth over.
Gambhir, dropped on five by Sangakkara, was happy playing
the second fiddle.
India were 96 for one in 11 overs when Gambhir was snared
behind the wicket by Sangakkara off Malinga, ending the 66-run
partnership ended.
Gambhir's fall brought Dhoni into the simmering cauldron
and the Indian captain made an unbeaten 19-ball 23.
Raina, named captain for the tri-series in Zimbabwe,
tucked, back cut and swung with gay abandon, bringing up his
50 in just 33 balls, interspersed with five boundaries and a
six off Suraj Randiv.
It was in the look out for runs that Raina fell, holing
out to Jayawardene in the deep off Thilan Thushara, who bled
42 runs in his four overs.
Malinga and Perera did well in the end for their side as
Sri Lanka conceded just 37 runs in the last five overs. PTI JH
AHM


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