Sealed with a Six!
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni dragged his side to a pulsating one-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the final of the Tri-Nation Series at Queen’s Park Oval on Thursday.
Returning to the team after seeming to be ruled out from the rest of the tournament with a hamstring injury eleven days ago, the inspirational wicketkeeper-batsman smashed 16 runs off three deliveries in the final over, bowled by Shaminda Eranga, to take the tournament favourites to 203/9 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 201 off 48.5 overs.
Less than three weeks after lifting the Champions Trophy to add to the World Cup title of 2011, Dhoni held a rapidly imploding innings together in compiling an unbeaten 45, carting the hapless Eranga for a six, a four and then a six off successive deliveries.
Last-man Ishant Sharma was only required to survive at the other end and managed to achieve just that, although there were a few anxious moments between his arrival at the crease at 182/9 and when the captain took responsibility to win the match on his own in the final over.
India were actually cruising along at 139/3 in the 32nd over in the best weather of the tournament. But the dismissal of Suresh Raina triggered a collapse which saw four wickets falling for 13 runs, left-arm spinner Rangana Herath turning the screws with two wickets in two balls to finish with the best figures of 4/20.
Opening batsman Rohit Sharma’s top score of 58 was inevitably overshadowed by Dhoni’s heroics. Sri Lanka endured an even more calamitous collapse after they were put in at the start of the day, losing their last eight wickets for 30 runs after at one stage being promisingly poised at 171/2 in the 38th over.
A 122-run second-wicket partnership between Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Lahiru Thirimanne (46) had placed their side in that excellent position. However, a succession of injudicious shots saw batsman after batsman gifting his wicket away.
SCORECARD
Sri Lanka: 201 in 48.5 overs
India: R. Sharma b Herath 58, S. Dhawan c Sangakkara b Eranga 16, V. Kohli c Sangakkara b Eranga 2, D. Karthik c Jayawardene b Herath 23, S. Raina c Sangakkara b Lakmal 32, M. Dhoni (not out) 45, R. Jadeja lbw b Herath 5, R. Ashwin lbw b Herath 0, B. Kumar lbw b Malinga 0, R. Kumar c sub (Senanayake) b Mathews 5, I. Sharma (not out) 2. Extras (b2, lb2, w11) 15. Total (for 9 wkts, in 49.4 overs) 203.
FoW: 1-23, 2-27, 3-77, 4-139, 5-145, 6-152, 7-152, 8-167, 9-182.
Bowling: Eranga 9.4-2-50-2 (w1), Lakmal 10-1-33-1 (w3), Mathews 10-1-38-1, Malinga 10-1-58-1 (w3), Herath 10-2-20-4.
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