Two useful partnerships between pairs of different generations reversed the trend of teams losing in run chases at the Premadasa Stadium.
India marked their return to international cricket by not only assuring themselves of a berth in the final of the Compaq tri-series, but also of at least a brief spell at the top of the One Day International rankings, with a convincing six-wicket victory over New Zealand.
Two useful partnerships between pairs of different generations reversed the trend of teams losing in run chases at the Premadasa Stadium. A target of 156 was achieved with 9.3 overs to spare and the Kiwis were dumped out of the tournament as they had lost the opening match to Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Suresh Raina struck 45 and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni 35 in a 72-run unbroken stand. Raina went for his shots as soon as he settled down, hitting three fours and two sixes, while Dhoni was happy to work the ball around as the Kiwis realised they were short of firepower with Daryl Tuffey having to be rested again due to his injury.
Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid gave a glimpse of the vintage to put the team on track. Tendulkar was quick to pick on anything bowled short while Dravid produced a determined even if somewhat dour innings in the middle. The 60-run stand provided stability, Dravid sticking it out in the middle for 14 off 45 deliveries that included an inside-edged four.
At an asking rate of just over three an over, Tendulkar made up for his partner’s slow progress, striking a fluent 46 off 55 deliveries. He hit six fours, most of them off the back-foot, and was particularly severe on Ian Butler, whom he hit for 11 runs off the bowler’s first over.
Tendulkar, who was lucky to get away with an lbw shout off Vettori’s first delivery, was out immediately after Dravid’s dismissal, and that slowed down proceedings a little. A soft dismissal, in which he gave an easy catch at short cover off Vettori, meant India fell from 67 for one to 71 for three in a short time. But the team was back on track soon after Yuvraj’s cheap dismissal.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers, led by the resurgent Ashish Nehra, did what was expected of them. After the Delhi pace bowler trapped openers Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder leg before wicket in the first two overs with deliveries that cut back sharply, Yuvraj broke the back of the middle order.
Yuvraj, of whom Dhoni had spoken of as a useful option on the eve of this match, did much more than what is expected of a part-timer. More important than his return of 3-31 was the fact that he bowled like a specialist spinner, making the batsmen stretch out to reach for the pitch of the ball and grope to keep it off the stumps.
The left-armer removed all three batsmen when they seemed to have played themselves in. He struck in the first over when he had Martin Guptill (22) caught by Dravid at slip. He also removed Grant Elliott (22) and Neil Broom (21) before they could do enough to resurrect the innings.
Ishant Sharma and RP Singh took care of the middle overs pretty well and finished with two scalps each before Nehra came back to remove Butler and wrap up the innings. New Zealand failed to get a single 50-run partnership and that is what ultimately prevented them getting to a fighting total.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}