 Virendra Sehwag blistering unbeaten 99 runs of 100 balls helped India to beat Sri LankaIndia is tied with New Zealand with five points and Sri Lanka is at the bottom of the table with four points in same number of games. handsomely by six wickets to register their first win in the tournament. After an embarrassing defeat in the first game against New Zealand by 200 runs, India bounce back with an all-round performance both with bat and ball to register a win with bonus point. Now needing 5 runs for victory in the 35th over when Sehwag was on 99 and needed just 1 runs for his well deserved 13th ODI hundred, however Suraj Randiv first ball in that over skid through and went for four byes which brings the required run to 1 run and Sehwag was also needed 1 run to complete his century, however Suraj Randiv who never bowled a no-ball in his international career deliberately bowled a massive no-ball which proved to be the winning run and left Virender Sehwag stranded on 99, though the batsman slammed it over long-off for a six. However as per the MCC rule if win is achieved then runs scored after that is not counted, but rule is little bit contradictory since the ball faced by batsmen is counted but runs scored will be not. Hundred or no hundred, it was a superb innings from Sehwag. At the end of the game Sehwag also made the statement that it was bowled deliberately, he also added that no teams want someone scoring hundred against them. Chris Harris in the studio has no doubt it was a deliberate no-ball. Well it didn't look accidental. That back foot was where his front foot usually is. Although Sri Lankan Captain Kumar Sangakkara denied playing any role in the incident. "I hope it was not deliberate," he said. "That's not the way I would like to play cricket. If that was intentional, and I have to find out about that, it has got no place on the field of cricket. I will also have to see if there was any talk about it on the field prior to that delivery." This is big technical question to MCC, though. The ball is counted as one faced by Sehwag. Why so, when the match was over even before it was played and especially when the runs scored are not granted to Sehwag? Earlier, once again Dhoni failed to win the toss but a dream start by Praveen Kumar bowling U.Tharanga out for first ball duck bring smile in a big way to Indian players. Soon after Sangakkara paid the penalty for pulling too soon to at Ashish Nehra third ball of his second over. As for the Jayawardene dismissal, it was a brave decision by Asad Rauf, as nine out if 10 it would not have been given. At 44/4 in the 14th over, Sri Lanka only hope was T.Dilshan (45 runs of 62 balls) but he too fell in the 22nd over giving P.Ojha his first wicket of the day. In the end they bowled out for just 170 runs in the 47th over. Virendra Sehwag was declared Player of The Match.
Match Summary (India Won by 6 WIckets) Sri Lanka– 170/10 in 46.1 Overs T.Dilshan- 45 S.Randiv– 43 P.Ojha- 9.1-0-36-3 P.Kumar– 8-2-20-2 India– 171/4 in 34.3 Overs V.Sehwag- 99* M.S.Dhoni– 23* A.Mathews- 7-1-32-2 D.Fernando– 8-0-33-2 |
