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Singer Akai Nidahas Trophy, 1998, Final,
India v Sri Lanka, R. Premadasa Stadium,
Colombo, 7 July 1998

Transcript of the Commentary - India Innings

Prem Panicker (Tue Jul 7 1998 4:58)

And again. Saurav down teh track, lifts over long on, but the fielder right back on the line there, now, cant clear him, just the single and Indxia 252/0. Jaya, last ball, Sachin making room, stepping to leg, tries to cut, misses as the bowler bowls it wide of the stumps, Kalu collects, takes the bails off, third umpire called in.

And he's gone, third umpire finally givuing the decision, Sachin gone for 128 and the partnership finally broken. By the way, this is Kalu's 42nd stumping -- the highest by a keeper in ODIs.

Meanwhile, that was the last ball of the over. First ball of the next over, Murali, and that must have been loss of concentration, Ganguly just pushed right back at the bowler, another wicket falling here, 44.1 overs, India 254/2.

The thing for India here is that they can really go for broke -- on the flip side, two new batsman at the wicket, Jadeja and Azhar. 252/2 the score.

Jadeja the man on strike, down the track, hits to long on, single, India 253/2.

Funny thing here, the world record holders for the first wicket partnership depart and guess who's batting? tghe record holders for the best partnership of all time. Single to Azhar, that was a really tight one. 254/2.

Jadeja driving to long on, playing wide of the fielder, two more and India 256/2 in 45.

Five overs to go. 46th over to begin, Azhar on strike. Chandana the bowler. Ball one, well spread field, Ranatunga in fact continuing to fine tune it, taking his time, Azhar plays the first one off the wrists, good single, 257/2.

Jadeja on strike, ball two, slogged to long on, one more, 258/2.

Ball three, Azhar off his pads, on the on side, one more, India 259/2.

Both batsmen battingf freely, and a misfield gets two, Jadeja pushing the fielder, running to the danger end, India 262/2.

Now that is a wierd dismissal, quicker ball on leg, Azhar attempting to whip off his pads, full length, Azhar slipping on the stroke, bat onto pad and back onto the stumps, and back goes Azhar, India 262/3.

That ball went from abt onto the back of the left pad, then ricocheted back onto the stumps, strange way to get out, since the legs were pretty well spread out. Brings Robin to the wciket, and now it is Jadeja on strike, single off the first ball, Robin running as the ball was bowled, 263/3.

Robin on strike, the problem being he doesnt have time to settle down now, he has to go for everything, 46.1 overs bowled, Murali the bowler.

Ball two, and a superb sweep, taking it late and lashing it through the on side field, four and that is Robin's first scoring shot, India 267/3.

Antoher sweep, but just the one this time, India 268/3.

Jadeja downt eh wicket, attemtpint to smash through midwicket, but just the one there, India 269/3.

Robin pushes the ball into the covers and that is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, running, two to the sweeper who was coming off the line like lightning. 271/3.

/anjd another sweep, and superbly played too, by Robin, four more, india 275/3 at the end of 47.

Robin hits this superbly. Short backlift, and plenty of power and timing on that hit. Three overs to go/

Robin hits this superbly. Short backlift, and plenty of power and timing on that hit. Three overs to go/

Running between teh wciekts now electric,k Robin taking the second one here with the ball already in midwicket's hands. Next ball, Jadeja off drives, one more, India 278/3.

Robin on strike, Dsena the bowler. four balls left in the over.

Flat, fast, in the blockhole, hard to get away, just the one, India 279/3.

Dsena to Jadeja, fourth ball, run rate now 5.87. Four in the over thus far, three balls to go, Jadeja down the ground and smahses to long on and again, Robin electric, back for two though that ball was reallly hard hit and found the fielder quickly. 281/3.

Jadeja hoists, again, and that is a six over long ion,Dsena bowling full, Jadeja down the wicket to convert the yorker into a clean full toss. 287/3.

The last ball, again, Jadeja down the wicket, this one is swung over midwicket and that is yet another six, a huge one. 293/3.

Two successive sixes, and India now using the platform well, two overs to go and major field placements and discussiosn happening among the Lankans. This is what I like about Jadeja coming right at the end -- one of the best finishers in teh game, clean, classical big hitting. He comes in earlier and tends to play at half throttle, but if he comes in after the 40th over mark, he is lethal.

Jayasuruya to Robin, lofted on the on side, just one though and India 294/3.

Jaya now to Jadeja, 5 balls to go in this over and then another over to be bowled.

Fired into the blockhole, driven to cover, single, India 295/3.

Jaya to Robin, ball three, driven to the off, and again, hectic runniong, this time Jadeja challenging the fielder, easy two, India 297/3.

Jaya to Robin, agakin the clean hit and again, a fast single taken and again, Robin makes his ground after driving staight to the fielder. Stump removed, Jaya appeals, he doesn't have the abll in his hands, the jumpire gives it out and that is a stupid decision.

THAT is a lousy deicision given in haste, I wonder why Jaya even appealed, knwoing he did not have the ball in his hands. The replay clearly shows that Jaya didnt get the ball cleanly in his hands, ti slipped out and rolled onto his boot, Jaya broke the stumps with his hands empty, no way in creation that can be out.

That must have disrupted Jadeja's concentration, next ball, after getting 25 off 15, tries to flick HJaya, plays over the ball and loses his stump. Again, two wickets falling one after teh other, batsmen tending to lose their concentration here.

Last ball, Kanitkar whipsone off his legs, gets one more, India 298/5.

Last over and first ball, Kanitkar swings to long on, two more, India 300/5.

Another single, hitting straight to the fielder, India 301/5.

Dsena to Agarkar, hammered to mid off, playing it wide, two more, India 303/5.

Dsena to Agarkar, down the track, the ondrive again, good running, two more, India 305/5.

Dsena again, and Agarkar slogs it on the on side, one, Idia 306/5 and now the last ball of the over coming up.

Single off the last ball, AGarkar runs the second, Kanitkar sends him back and he fails to make his ground, ends up run out, KLanitkar shouldhave been going for the second, after all, it was the last ball anyway. 307/6 now the score at the end ofthe innings. And we will be back, live, with the Lankan reply in 40 minutes. See you then, leaving now for a meal.

Sri Lanka Innings