Kingston, July 3: Handicapped by the absence of their inspirational captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s tri-series campaign was thrown into disarray after a crushing 161-run defeat against Sri Lanka, who rode on Upul Tharanga’s career-best 174, here.
The Indians first allowed Sri Lanka to post a mammoth 348 for one, largely built around huge opening 213-run stand between Tharanga and experienced Mahela Jayawardene (107), and then were shot out for 187 in 44.5 overs to suffer their second successive defeat.
Tharanga’s score was highest by a batsman on the West Indies soil and it was seventh time that he was involved in a double-century partnership, joint-highest along with Ricky Ponting.
Both, Tharanga and Jayawardene enjoyed reprieves from Indian fielders. Jayawardene was dropped on 25 while Tharanga was given life on 2 and 91.
The Indians are yet to open their account and now face the daunting task of winning their remaining two league matches at Port of Spain in Trinidad to remain in contention for a place in the final.
The hosts West Indies are on top of the table with nine points while Sri Lanka have five points. India next play West Indies on Friday and then Sri Lanka on Monday.
India seemed to miss the presence of their ‘captain cool’ Dhoni, who has been ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury.
It was a completely listless show by the Indians, who gave away 180 runs in the last 16 overs and then batted poorly with only Ravindra Jadeja resisting the Lankan bowling well with an unbeaten 49.
The Indians looked a pale shadow of themselves. Suresh Raina (33), Murali Vijay (30), Shikhar Dhawan (24) and Dinesh Karthik (22), all got starts but did not convert those into big knocks.
Chasing the imposing total, India piled up pressure on themselves by scoring just 28 runs for the loss of one wicket in the first 10 overs.
Rohit Sharma was the first to depart, caught by Mathews at short mid-wicket off Nuwan Kulasekara’s bowling.
With a mountain to chase, the Indians found boundaries hard to come by as they dealt mostly in singles and twos. The ever-climbing asking rate took a toll on the Indians as they lost Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli in successive overs.
While trying to break the shackles Dhawan found out Tharanga at deep midwicket off Rangana Herath (3/37), Kohli hooked a Mathews delivery straight to Lasith Malinga at fine-leg in the next over.
Malinga then went through Vijay’s defence two overs later as India slumped to 70 for four after the end of 19 overs.
Wicket-keeper Karthik and Raina added 53 runs off 63 balls for the fifth wicket before the former perished, stumped by Kumar Sangakkara off Herath in the 29th over.
Raina tried hard to get India back on track with a run-a-ball 33 but fell victim of a run out.
Thereafter, the Indian innings fell apart as none other batsmen managed doubled digit scores with only Jadeja showing some teeth before the disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack.
Earlier, Tharanga scored his runs off just 159 deliveries with the help of 19 boundaries and three hits over the fence. Jayawardene, on the other hand, faced 112 balls during his century knock. He hit nine fours and two sixes.
Towards the end, captain Mathews played a 29-ball 49-run cameo to help help Sri Lanka get near the 350-run mark. He struck fours boundaries and one six in the process.
Sent into bat, Sri Lanka made a quiet start to their innings before Jayawardene and Tharanga opened up. Jayawardene and Tharanga mixed caution with aggression to pile up 47 runs in the first 10 overs.
Shami Ahmed, who replaced Bhuveneshwar Kumar, and Umesh Yavad failed to derive any assistance from the low and slow Sabina Park wicket as the Sri Lankan opening duo milked the Indian attack to surge ahead.
Jayawardene, who was dropped by Vijay off Jadeja at the personal score of 25, cashed in on the chance and played sensibly thereafter to reach his fifty in 60 balls.
Tharanga, on the other hand, played second fiddle initially and reached his fifty in 76 balls.
Nothing seemed to have worked in favour of stand-in captain Kohli as his bowling changes came a cropper against the Sri Lankans. Kohli found the going tough as none of his bowlers managed to produce result till the 39th over.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin finally managed to break the deadlock when he dismissed the dangerous-looking Jayawardene. He was caught by a diving Yadav at short third man after the batsman went for reverse sweep.(PTI)
Tharanga, however, went about his business in a quiet fashion and notched up his century in 124 balls during which he hit 11 boundaries.
After Jayawardene’s dismissal, Tharanga took the lead and in skipper Mathews’ company he took Sri Lanka forward. The duo of Tharanga and Mathews pressed on the gas and registered their 50-run stand in just 27 balls.
Jadeja, who was the bowler of the tournament in the ICC Champions Trophy, came in for some harsh treatment as Tharanga and Mathews hit the left-arm spinner for a six each to pile up 15 runs in the 44th over.
Tharanga and Mathews took the ordinary-looking Indian attack for a task and struck boundaries and sixes at will to pile up whopping 124 runs off the last 10 overs. (PTI)
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