Charge of the young blue brigade
World champions India thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets at Cardiff on Thursday to set up a Champions Trophy final against tournament hosts England at Edgbaston on Sunday.
India, chasing a modest target of 182, finished on 182/2 with 15 overs to spare to set up a final against England, who beat South Africa by seven wickets at The Oval on Wednesday.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan, dropped three times, made 68 as he extended his record as the tournament’s leading scorer to 332 runs following innings of 114 against South Africa, 102 not out against the West Indies and 48 against Pakistan.
Virat Kohli was 58 not out, with India now having won seven of their last eight one-day internationals (ODIs) against their Asian rivals.
The course of Thursday’s match, a repeat of the 2011 World Cup final India won by six wickets in Mumbai, was set in the first innings.
After India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss, his seamers exploited the helpful overcast conditions as Sri Lanka were restricted to 181/8.
Ishant Sharma took 3/33 following impressive work by new-ball duo Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav.
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews top scored with 51 in an innings where no other batsman made more than the 38 of Mahela Jayawardene, who two years ago became the only man to score a hundred in a losing cause in a World Cup final.
Sri Lanka were 6/1 when Kusal Perera edged a drive off Kumar and was caught at second slip by Suresh Raina.
Ishant Sharma, with the aid of two excellent second slip catches by Raina, reduced Sri Lanka to 41/3 by removing Lahiru Thirimanne and dangerman Kumar Sangakkara.
It was a deserved reward for Dhoni’s decision to attack the batsmen with two slips and only two men outside the circle.
The 23rd over saw Dhoni pass on wicketkeeping duties to Dinesh Karthik, a specialist gloveman but mainly deployed as a batsman this tournament.
That allowed Dhoni to bowl himself in conditions suited to his medium-pacers. In his 222 previous ODIs, Dhoni had bowled only two overs, yet his decision very nearly proved a master-stroke with just his second ball Thursday.
Post new comment