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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 - Sri Lanka Innings

Okay, guys, we will be live in a few. Meanwhile, just picking up the threads here... looking forward to the Lankan innigs, they are supposed to be masters of the chase, but it's been a while since they have really been tested in that department.

For Lanka, the big players will of course be the openers Sanath and Kalu, and Aravinda. For India, a lot will depend on how Kumble and Prasad bowl their quota, and on whether Agarkar can strike early, as he so often does.

Another factor will be the wicket -- it was spinning quite dramatically, though the turn was slow, towards the latter part of the Indian innings.

Here we go, Agarkar to open the bowling, to Jayasuriya, ball one played down to the leg side, quick single, India 1/0.

Kaluwitharana now on strike, a slip and leg slip up close, ball two, fired down leg, called wide, AGarkar generated some pace on that one, beat the attempted flick for pace and bounce there.

Ball three, Kalu pushes to point, no run.

32 wickets off 15 ODIs at 18.9 so far for Agarkar which is very good going. Ball three, fuller length, palyed to midwicket, nonrun.

Ball four, the slower one this time, Kalu attempts to pull, beaten by change of pace, no run, misses completely.

Ball five, Kalu swats out to cover, fielded there, thye Indians looking on their toes, thus far, field well in.

Last ball, a beautfiful leg cutter, movement very late, turns Kalu square and beats him outside off, ends the over, 2/0 in 1 SL.

Venkatesh Prasad now to bowl, Jayasuriya the batsman, he's been trying to ill treat Prasad for some time now, kept dancing down the wicekt last time the two teams met. Be interesting to see how he bats here.

Ball one, fired on the leg stump and leaving the left hander, flicking the pad on the way through to Mongia.

Faster ball, down teh leg side, Jaya swings at it, misses completely, beaten for pace, wide called, SL 3/0. Ball two, outside off, square cut, Jadeja at point, no run.

VP to Jaya, played back down the pitch, tight ball on off and middle, no run.

Ball four, on off, played to mid off, wide of Harbajan, single. 4/0.

VP now to Kalu, ball five, over two. Bang on off and middle, huge appeal for LBW, the ball squaring th batsman up but taking the edge on the way to pad.

OPutside off and Kalu slashes, off the edge, backward point boundary and four for it, SL 8/0 in 2.

Agarkar to Jayasuriya, ball one, outside off, cut away, Prasad on the square third man fence, single, SL 9/0.

Agarkar to Kalu, on off and turning him inside out, bangs into his pad, huge appeal, but that looked like the edge, going to first slip but bouncing well in front. Good ball though, beating the bat for pace and movement.

Agarkar here seems to be stretching, bowling flat out. Generating a lot of pace here, and some movement, consistently turning Kalu inside out, the basman not sure whether it is coming in to him or leaving the bat.

OPutisde off, square drive, Harbajan running down on the fence but misfields, the ball going through for four, that was a bad miss, ball going through his hands there, SL 13/0.

AA to RK, again the square drive but this time, just the one, Bajju fields well this time, SL 14/0 in 3.

Prasad continues, bowling to Kalu, holding a line just on off which is a great place to bowl to tghe kjeeper bat, keeping him unsure of whether the ball will leave him, not letting him flow into the stroke./ Ballt wo, again on off, pushed, gently to point, Jaya scamepring downt he pitch, racing the single to the danvger end, SL 15/0.

VP to Jaya, who tucks one off his pads, single behind square, SL 16/0, Kanitkar attacking the abll, not permitting the second to be taken.

That was a bad ball, short, outside off, Kalu got all the room he needed, and smashed it through cover on the rise, four more. VP getting loose on that ball, making the cardinal error of pitching short and letting the batsman hit. Ball five, pushed to mid on, quick single, 21/0.

Jaya now on strike, to Prasad. The first 15 overs here are criticial, and Jaya down the track trying to charge the bowler, Prasad spots it, fires it in short, cramps Jaya, the push the only resort for the batsman, single to cover, 22/0 in 4.

Agarkar now to Jaya, down the track the batsman, bad idea against a bowler with good pace, beaten completely, the ball bouncing over the stumps and into the keeper's gloves.

Again, tight on off, and again, the extra pace of Agarkar cramping Jaya and hurrying his shot, no run.

Agarkar following that up with a bouncer -- deliberate ploy of the quick bowler, warning the batsman not to come down the track too freely, giving away the no ball as that one was over head high. And the next ball, outside off, Jaya slashes, typical shot, over point, four. Rather strangely, no fielder on the line at backward point which is a favourite Jayasuriya area, he plays a lot of those slashes outsdie off, and a deep backward point is a good fielder to place for him. Yorker, driven to mid on, single, 28/0 in 4.4,.

IN fact, a backward square leg and a deep backward piont plug two favourite Jaya shots -- the slashed drive outside off, and the flick off the hips over square. AGarkar meanwhile to Kalu, on muiddle, the batsman attempts to play to leg, finds leg slip, no run.

Last ball, thudding into Kalu's pads again, Agarkar going up in appeal, but that could have been a touch high on the pad for the decision to be given, no damage, SL 29/0 in 5.

Correction, that is 28/0 and VP the bowler, Jaya down the track to the first ball, huge swing of the bat, clean strike, the slower pace of Prasad permittingthe liberty, over cover for a six, that was hit with enormous power. SL 34/0.

Good comeback, the slower ball, Jaya goes forward, then realises the change, stays back, tries to cut, ends up missing on all counts, Mongia collects.

VP to SJ, ball three, Down the track again, a huge heave, in the air but wide of the fielder on the line at mid wicket, four more, SL 38/0 and VP now coming under immense pressure here.

VP to SJ, this time he stays back, pushes to mid off, single. About time VP went round the wicket, went wide of the crease and angled the ball sharply in to the left hander -- a line that cuts out the slahsed drive through point and cover, and also the flick behind square on the on side.

Betterball to Kalu, bang on off and fullish length, I suspect VP is feeling the pressure only against Jaya who has treated him pretty harshly in the past. End of the over, 39/0 in 6 SL.

Agarkar to Jaya, moving that one off the seam but Jaya swipes, gets the bottom edge, down to square fine leg fence, four more, that one went like a rocket thanks to the greater pace of Agarkar. ball two, down the rrack, slash, now a fielder in place at backward point and it goes to him one bounce. That fielder shouldhave been there all along, indicated for Jaya. 44/0.

AA to Kalu, played off the back foot, through midwicket, gives the strike back with a single, 45/0. Sensible cricket, Kalu letting Jaya do the work.

Now the backward point is in place, be an idea for Agarkar to bowl outside off and let Jaya slash away. Overstepping here, trying for pace, both bowlers I suspect in hyper-mode here, trying too hard when they really need to concentrate on tying them up. This one drifts to leg and Jaya swings, misses, but off the pad, four more to fine leg. Not sure I like this bowling, they are losing it and ttying too hard. 50 comes up, in quick time, for Lanka, 51/0 in 6.4.

A pushed single to mid off off the fifth ball, sensible work from Jaya, not going completely over the top, 52/0.

Short, lifting ball, Kalu gets it onthe handle but the ball goes to the leg side, single, SL 53/0 in 7 and I am afraid Agarkar has himself to blame for that one, he sprayed it all over the place there, getting a shade too aggressive. Be an idea for the senior players to cool the younger ones down, point out that a tight over is as good as a wicket at this stage.

The crowd coming alive now, with the Lankans taking off from the blocks in good style, going at 7.57 now. Eight over coming up. Jaya on strike, Prasad to bowl and Robin giving him a talk, hopefully reminding him of the virtue of length and line.

ACtually sorry, it is Kalu on strike, ball one on off, drives to cover, fielded, no run.

Ball two, on middle, played off the pads behind square, two for that, SL 55/0. Ball three, fullish length, Kalu slogs, mistimes, finds mid on, no run.

VP needs to bowl a very full length here, that is when he will get the late movement he needs. Pitch short, and on this track, batsmen will murder you. Meanwhile, ball three pushed to Robin at mid off, scampered single, Kalu giving the strike back.

Sri Lanka Innings Continued,