Sri Lanka's Tour in India - Update

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The Canadian Press: India beats Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in 4th ODI, taking 3-1 lead in 5-match series

India beats Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in 4th ODI, taking 3-1 lead in 5-match series

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 5 hours ago

CALCUTTA, India — Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli struck a century each to guide India to a seven-wicket victory Thursday in the fourth one-day international against Sri Lanka.

The victory clinched the series for the hosts who now hold a 3-1 lead in the five-match tournament.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first, reaching 315-6 but could not hold off India's pursuit of the target. The hosts eventually reached 317-3 in 48.1 overs.

India was forced to fight off an early onslaught when openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were dismissed with just 23 runs on the board but Gambhir and Kohli rebuilt the innings with a 224-run partnership for the third wicket.

"It's a great victory, especially ahead of 2011 World Cup," said India captain Sehwag, standing in for Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "It's great experience for the young stars before the World Cup."

Gambhir finished the match on 150 not out, a knock that included 14 boundaries, and Kohli scored 107 with 11 fours and a six.

"I have played many ODIs. But this was very satisfying as I could finish the match," Gambhir said.

It was the highest run chase in a one-day international at Eden Gardens.

Earlier, Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga scored 118 and Kumar Sangakkara 60 as Sri Lanka set the hosts the imposing target of 316 runs in its 50 overs.

Mahela Jayawardene and Thissara Perera also chipped in with 33 and 31, respectively.

The hosts struck early when Ashish Nehra removed opener Tillakaratne Dilshan for nine as he went for a big hit and was caught by Virat Kohli.

Sanath Jayasuriya was also dismissed cheaply, for just 15, when he was caught by Tendulkar off Zaheer Khan, before Sangakkara came in to steady the ship.

Together with Tharanga, Sri Lanka's captain put on 126 for the third wicket before Sangakkara was stumped by Dinesh Karthik off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh.

Tharanga was finally bowled by Khan in the 43rd over after smashing 14 boundaries and two sixes.

Play was held up for 26 minutes when the floodlights failed with just four balls remaining of Sri Lanka's innings.
 

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Unsure of Delhi track, Sehwag wanted to seal series in Kolkata - Top Stories - Sri Lanka in India, 2009 - Series & Tournaments - Cricket - Sports - The Times of India

Unsure of Delhi track, Sehwag wanted to seal series in Kolkata
PTI 25 December 2009, 12:47am IST

KOLKATA: India's stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag on Thursday said he is happy to seal the series here itself, for he doesn't know how the pitch in Delhi -- venue of the fifth and final ODI against Sri Lanka -- would behave.

"We wanted to win the game here and finish it off as I am not sure of the wicket in Delhi," Sehwag after India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the fourth ODI to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

With the series in the hosts' pocket, Sehwag reckoned the pressure would now be on Sri Lanka.

"We are happy for the last match in Delhi as we know the pressure would be on Lankans," Sehwag said.

Leading the side in absence of regular skipper MS Dhoni, who is serving a two-match ban, Sehwag said the success of youngsters like Virat Kohli, who struck his maiden ODI century, augured well for India's 2011 World Cup prospects.

"It's very important that youngsters like Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja get going and play 18-19 matches ahead of the World Cup in 2011. If we get the full strength side we can win the World Cup," Sehwag said.

"Virat is very talented. It's good to see him play such a knock. And thank to Gautam Gambhir for guiding Virat Kohli," he added.

Sehwag said it was heart-warming to see so many Delhi batsmen doing well with the bat.

"We the batsmen from Delhi are always hungry for runs. These are the cricketers who are scoring lot of runs in domestic circuit and now they are converting those to good performance here. Gambhir, myself and now Virat is also scoring runs. It's great to have so many players from Delhi scoring runs," Sehwag said.

According to him, Sri Lanka's 315 for six was not an intimidating total at all.

"I did not think much of it. I knew we can chase down the total if we have wickets in hand. Also, dew played a role here as the ball was getting neither spin nor swing," he said.

Sehwag also threw his weight behind off-colour bowlers like Ishant Sharma, saying, "I don't want to blame the bowlers as they are working hard."
 

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Delhi duo leads India to victory - dnaindia.com

Delhi duo leads India to victory

DNA Correspondent
Friday, December 25, 2009 0:22 IST

Kolkata: Dilip Vengsarkar was, perhaps, the happiest man on Thursday. Not only because India won the ODI series against Sri Lanka. It may not also be because he was present at Eden Gardens to watch the proceedings. But surely because one of his hand-picked players proved him right.

When Vengsarkar's selection committee picked Virat Kohli for the first time for the tour of Sri Lanka in August 2008, many a eyebrow was raised. His colleagues in the committee were sceptical about the Delhi lad's ability to perform at the highest level. Even skipper MS Dhoni was believed to be astonished with the chairman's choice. Kohli was picked ahead of S Badrinath and some Board officials were not too amused either.

It later came to light that Vengsarkar was questioned about Kohli's selection and the former India captain, who had seen him during an Emerging Players' tournament in Australia, stuck to his guns.

Vengsarkar was not immediately available for comments but Kohli showed that he has arrived in the big league. His 107 off 114 balls (224-run third-wicket partnership with Delhi mate Gautam Gambhir) was crucial in India's seven-wicket victory.

Chasing 316 to win the tie, India found themselves in a spot of bother at 23 for two before Kohli, in the company of Gambhir (unbeaten 150) resurrected the innings. The hosts went on to win the match in 48.1 overs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Gambhir, who became the newest member of the 3000-run club, faced 137 balls in his controlled knock, hitting 14 fours. Kohli's mature 114-ball innings was studded with 11 boundaries and a six.

Earlier, Upul Tharanga (118) hit his seventh ODI century and starred in a 126-run stand with captain Kumar Sangakkara (60) as Sri Lanka posted 315 for six, the highest score at Eden till India overwhelmed it.

After Tharanga and Sangakkara had laid the platform for a late charge, debutant Thissara Perera hit a 14-ball 31 to make the most of the batting powerplay and helped the visitors cross the 300-run mark.

Both teams now move to Delhi for the fifth and final ODI on Sunday. India's chase got off to a wobbly start and Eden Gardens crowd watched in horror as the home side lost both their openers inside four overs with Suranga Lakmal, playing only his second ODI, being the party-pooper.

Stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag (10) had begun with a bang, sending the first ball of the innings from Perera to the rope, a treatment he repeated four balls later. Lakmal, however, had other ideas and his fourth delivery took an edge off Sehwag's blade and nestled into point fielder Tillakaratne Dilshan's hands.

In his next over, Lakmal induced Sachin Tendulkar (8) for a doomed cut and Suraj Randiv sent groans across the stadium when he took the catch at cover point.

-- With inputs from agencies
 

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AFP: India holds one-dayer without gate money

India holds one-dayer without gate money

(AFP) – 17 hours ago

KOLKATA — For the first time in India, perhaps anywhere in the world, ordinary fans were kept out of a one-day international cricket match on Thursday because no tickets were available.

Organisers of the fourth one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka did not sell tickets since renovation work at the Eden Gardens had reduced the capacity of the famous cricket stadium by half.

With four major stands at the ground being re-built for the 2011 World Cup, just 44,702 seats of the 83,685 were available for the match, Kolkata's first one-dayer in two years.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), headed by the sport's former global chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, decided to distribute the available seats to its members and affiliated clubs -- free of cost.

"We are obliged to reserve seats for our members and clubs," CAB official Biswarup Dey was quoted as saying by local media.

"Even all of them were not accommodated because there was just not enough space. So we decided not to sell tickets for the game."

Media reports estimated the CAB could lose around 20.5 million rupees (half a million dollars) in gate money from the match.

India's stand-in captain Virender Sehwag said it was strange to be playing at the Eden Gardens without 80,000 fans in attendance.

"But there will be a better, bigger stadium for the World Cup," Sehwag had told reporters at a pre-match briefing on Wednesday.

"Still, 40,000 is more than what we get at many grounds around the world."

Cricket fan Shamit Roy, 24, said he was disappointed he was forced to watch the match at home on television, instead of cheering his favourite stars from the stands.

"What can I do? I am not a CAB member nor do I play for any club," said Roy. "Those who have passes are lucky."

It was the first one-dayer at the Eden Gardens since February 2007, when a match against Sri Lanka was washed out after 18.2 overs. The stadium hosted a Test match against Pakistan in November later that year.
 

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The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Frontpage | Won: series and countless hearts

Won: series and countless hearts

LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI



Gautam Gambhir (right in first
picture) and Virat Kohli, who
shared a 224-run partnership, wait
for the presentation ceremony.
Adjudged Man of the Match,
Gambhir walks up to anchor Ravi
Shastri. Gambhir says he cannot
receive the award without Kohli.
Shastri then calls Kohli to the
platform. Kohli steps up and
accepts the cheque for Rs 1 lakh.
Pictures by Santosh Ghosh


Dec. 24: Many walked out of the Eden Gardens after Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal, for eight, but those who stayed back were witness to the emergence of a young Turk, Virat Kohli, and the confirmation that Gautam Gambhir truly is a class act.

The early dismissals of stand-in captain Virender Sehwag and Sachin, coupled with the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, did present a bleak picture this evening, but the two Delhi’ites wrested the initiative superbly.

Kohli (a U-19 World Cup-winning captain) was the more aggressive to begin with, showing the fearlessness which has come to symbolise the new generation of our cricketers.

Not that Gambhir, currently the No.1-ranked batsman in Tests, was outshone for long.

Later, in a gesture which speaks volumes for the spirit within the Team India dressing room, Gambhir decided to share his MoM award with Kohli, who has largely worn the ‘Replacement Man’ label. Gambhir, in fact, made Kohli collect the cheque for Rs 1 lakh and the trophy.

The selectors, according to The Telegraph’s sources, are looking at Gambhir as a future captain and such acts of camaraderie are bound to raise his stock in the quarters that matter.

Nobody is in a hurry, though.

Gambhir (150 not out) and Kohli (107, his maiden hundred) added a record 224 runs for the third wicket and, after that, there was no way India could be denied in the ODI.

Eventually, the target of 316, in itself a first at the Eden, was overhauled with 11 balls to spare.

The win helped India claim the Karbonn Mobiles Cup, the 3-1 scoreline rendering Sunday’s match at the Kotla of little consequence.

Sehwag was lucky that his bowlers didn’t have to bowl in conditions where the dew was pronounced.

“The thought of losing never crossed my mind. I knew that if Gautam and Virat were around for 10 overs, we would win,” Sehwag said in his seedha style.

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, didn’t hide his displeasure over the profligacy of key bowlers like Lasith Malinga (none for 75). “Once you have 315 on the board, you expect your bowlers to do the job…. We bowled either too full or too short on either side,” is how he put it.

Sangakkara did pat the inexperienced bowlers in his XI, but the reality is that this bowling unit is short on a few things, class being one.

The visitors tried to give it their best shot, which included bringing Sanath Jayasuriya back, but their best wasn’t enough.

Sehwag, on the other hand, had reason to smile broader than he usually does: he won both ODIs (the first in Cuttack) as the stand-in captain.

No wonder, then, he has “absolutely enjoyed” leading the home team.

The wicket played true, ensuring that memories of the 1996 World Cup semi-final, featuring the same teams, didn’t come back in a flood.

Glitches were seen at the Eden, which hosted its first international match in over two years, most notably the 26-minute stoppage owing to power going off in one of the four towers.

This was Jagmohan Dalmiya’s first test since his return at the Cricket Association of Bengal, 17 months ago, and there are lessons to learn for even this seasoned administrator.
 

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AFP: Vicious wicket halts India-Sri Lanka one-dayer

Vicious wicket halts India-Sri Lanka one-dayer

(AFP) – 3 hours ago

NEW DELHI — The fifth and final one-day international between India and Sri Lanka was halted on Sunday due to a treacherous uneven wicket at the Ferozeshah Kotla.

Sri Lanka, sent in to bat, were 83-5 in the 24th over when the umpires stopped play after a ball from debutant seamer Sudeep Tyagi bounced alarmingly before going to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Match referee Alan Hurst of Australia walked to the middle to speak to the umpires after Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara gestured from the sidelines to stop play.

Some 40,000 spectators looked on as the players came off the field and match officials discussed the matter with local organisers.

It was not clear if the match will continue.

Two Sri Lankan batsmen, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya, were hit on the body by balls that rose after pitching, while some other deliveries kept low.

The match holds only academic interest as India enjoy an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.
 

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http://www.ptinews.com/news/441958_Dangerous-pitch-condition--final-ODI-suspended

Dangerous pitch condition; final ODI suspended

STAFF WRITER 11:46 HRS IST

New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) Play was suspended in the fifth and final one-day international between India and Sri Lanka after the pitch at the Ferozeshah Kotla was deemed dangerous here today.

Right from the start, occasional deliveries alarmingly reared up and one such hit Tillakaratne Dilshan on his forearm, leaving him in pain and needing on-field treatment.

But play continued till the 24th over when a Sudeep Tyagi delivery kicked off the pitch and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni struggled to collect it.

Sri Lankan batsman Thilan Kandamby first had a word with Dhoni before he approached the umpires. Umpires Marais Erasmus and Shavir Tarapore soon conferred and Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara was seen gesturing to his teammates from the dressing room.

Subsequently, Match Referee Alan Hurst also walked in and they were joined by Kotla curator Vijay Bahadur Mishra and BCCI Pitch and Grounds Committee chairman Daljit Singh.
 

S.A.T.A

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The Lankans are real pussies,Indian bowlers handed it down to them early this morning.Lanka has real attitude problem and we shouldn't host them in the future until they get it right.

Congratulations to Indian cricket team for an emphatic series victory,coming in the wake of crushing victory of test series.Seriously Dhoni's boys are good.
 

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Yes, agreed SATA , it shows that the team has happened to be the team , showing their spirit in the days under 'Dada's' Captaincy. Hope they continue with their urge of kill.

Regards
 

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http://www.ptinews.com/news/442333_DDCA-to-form-inquiry-committe-to-probe-pitch-fiasco

DDCA to form inquiry committe to probe pitch fiasco


STAFF WRITER 16:43 HRS IST

New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) The Delhi and District Cricket Association will form a two-member inquiry committee to look into the pitch fiasco which resulted in the abandonment of the fifth and final India-Sri Lanka ODI here today.

Vibhakar Shashtri, the government nominee to DDCA, told PTI that he has been told by the association that they would put in place a committee to probe the matter.

"I have spoken to (DDCA secretary) S P Bansal and he has assured me that the association will form an inquiry committe which will submit report within one week. The guilty will be brought to the book," Shashtri said.

The fifth ODI was into its 24th over when the match was abandoned because of a pitch that was not fit for play and irate fans hurled water bottles and broken chairs to give vent to their anger.
 

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AFP: New Delhi's World Cup in balance over unfit pitch

New Delhi's World Cup in balance over unfit pitch

(AFP) – 3 hours ago

NEW DELHI — India's cricket chiefs were Monday awaiting a report on the pitch fiasco in New Delhi which led to a match being abandoned, as fears grew for World Cup matches being held in the Indian capital in 2011.

The fifth and final one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka was called off after 23.3 overs on Sunday due to what match referee Alan Hurst said was a "dangerous" wicket at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium.

Hurst, a former Australian fast bowler, will send a confidential report to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that could determine New Delhi's fate as a World Cup venue.

The Kotla, a regular Test venue, is scheduled to host four matches of the showpiece event that is being jointly organised by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in February-April, 2011.

"It's too early to say anything," Indian cricket board spokesman Rajiv Shukla told reporters. "We are waiting to hear from the ICC."

The Kotla's future as an international venue will depend on whether Hurst rates the wicket as "poor" or "unfit" in his report to the ICC.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) could escape with a warning or a fine not exceeding 15,000 dollars if Hurst terms the pitch "poor".

But if the verdict is "unfit", ICC rules state that the venue will be suspended from hosting international matches for a period between 12 and 24 months.

Further, the venue will need an ICC inspection before it is granted hosting rights again.

Indian officials said they were hoping Hurst will not stick to his initial statement on Sunday that "the pitch had extremely variable bounce and was too dangerous for further play".

The ICC rules say a pitch will be rated unfit "only if it is dangerous."

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, in Delhi to give an award to the Indian team for ending the year as the number one Test side, said it was too early to predict the capital's World Cup fate.

"We can't jump to conclusions," Lorgat said. "It would be inappropriate and unfair to say it hangs in the balance because you cannot comment till you know what the facts are."

The four World Cup matches awarded to Delhi are South Africa v West Indies (February 24), West Indies v the Netherlands (Feb 28), Kenya v Canada (March 7) and India v the Netherlands (March 9).

On Sunday, Sri Lanka were 83-5 in the 24th over after being sent in to bat when the match was abandoned.

Two batsmen, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya, were repeatedly hit on the body with deliveries that rose alarmingly, while some others kept low.

It was the second time a one-day international was abandoned in India due to bad pitch conditions. A match between India and Sri Lanka in Indore in 1997 was called off after three overs.
 

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The Press Association: BCCI response required over perilous pitch

BCCI response required over perilous pitch

(UKPA) – 47 minutes ago

The Board of Control for Cricket in India have been given 14 days to respond to match referee Alan Hurst's report after Sunday's fifth and final one-day international between India and Sri Lanka was abandoned.

The wicket at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in Delhi was deemed "too dangerous" and a switch to a second pitch labelled "impractical".

The International Cricket Council sought an explanation from the Indian board, with four matches in the 2011 World Cup scheduled to be held at the stadium.

Play was temporarily suspended midway through Sri Lanka's innings yesterday, following a midfield conference between Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, his India counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the on-field umpires and match referee Hurst.

The officials, who were joined by members of the staging association, headed for the pavilion for a closed-room discussion before the match was eventually called off.
 

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A blot on Kotla's rich cricket heritage - Top Stories - Sri Lanka in India, 2009 - Series & Tournaments - Cricket - Sports - The Times of India

A blot on Kotla's rich cricket heritage
IANS 28 December 2009, 07:26pm IST

NEW DELHI: A day after the One-Day International between India and Sri Lanka was abandoned due to a pitch dangerous to bat on, Ferozshah Kotla looked a haunted place on Monday.

The security guards manning the gates were strictly instructed to keep the media out of bounds and the gate for the administrative building was locked from inside.

"The office is closed on Monday, no officials are inside," was the parroted reply of the guard.

He would direct all those inquiring about ticket refunds to the notice outside the gate that read: The refund of tickets bought from the Union Bank of India, ticket counters at the Ambedkar Stadium and online can be had from the 10 branches of the bank from December 29 to January 5.

"Our Sunday was in any case spoiled as we could not watch the match. I hope at least they refund the ticket money without any hassles," said a fan.

Crews of a couple of television channels waited for a byte or clip as to what was happening on the morning after Sunday's fiasco, but there was no luck. The historic Kotla venue, which hosted its first Test in 1948-49 against West Indies, now has a blot that cannot be erased easily.

An old-timer talked of Kotla's glory and the excellent cricket people of his generation watched.

"For years, it has been a sheer pleasure watching cricket at Kotla, basking under the wintry sun. Never has one felt the necessity of a covered stadium. The tradition and history is slowly getting destroyed by those who do not know the fame of Kotla.

"There have been some memorable performances here, like Geoffrey Boycott surpassing Gary Sobers' world record Test aggregate, Sunil Gavaskar scoring his 29th century to equal Don Bradman's record for the highest number of Test centuries, Sachin Tendulkar going past Gavaskar's record of most centuries with his 35th Test ton and Anil Kumble taking 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan. How could we reconcile to Sunday's happenings? It is not easy to forget the terrible thing," he added.

The farce in front of 45,000 people in a renovated stadium will forever remain a thorn alongside these records of roses.

The stadium went through a complete facelift a couple of years back with Rs.1 billion spent to make it a model stadium but it was destroyed by an unprofessional officialdom.

With four matches of the 2011 cricket World Cup scheduled to be hosted, the DDCA will have plenty of catching up to do before it is cleared to be a venue.
 

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