LEADING FROM THE FRONT: Skipper Kumar Sangakkara’s belligerent knock set up Sri Lanka’s big total in the first T20 International against India in Nagpur on Wednesday.

Nagpur: Kumar Sangakkara was inspirational for Sri Lanka at the VCA Stadium here on Wednesday. His astonishing 37-ball 78 (11x4, 2x6) and astute captaincy guided Sri Lanka to a 29-run win over India in the first Royal Stag Twenty20 game of the two-match series.

Sangakkara was slick with the willow and strategically smart under the lights. And his men responded; after the pounding in the Test series the island nation has displayed resolve to fight back in the shortest format.

Poor fielding

India elected to field but conceded 215 runs. The host was let down by the quality of its fielding and catching. There were misfields close to the ropes and at least three catches were spilled.

Despite chasing its highest target in this format, India promised early with Virender Sehwag launching into paceman Nuwan Kulasekra.

Shrewd captaincy

An intelligent piece of captaincy by Sangakkara - he signalled Kulasekara to switch to round the wicket and shifted the man at point further back - led to Sehwag’s (26 off 14 balls) dismissal.

However, Gautam Gambhir slipping effortlessly to the Twenty20 mode after his exploits in the Test arena, threatened to swing the match India’s way.

The left-hander’s onslaught on Lasith Malinga in the sixth over was breathtaking. Gambhir pulled the speedy slinger, thumped him over cover, glided past point and essayed the cut for four boundaries.

Quick of mind and feet, Gambhir (55, 26b, 11x4) pierced the off-side ring with ridiculous ease. Paceman Angelo Matthews eventually castled the left-hander when Gambhir attempted an ambitious sweep.

Moments later, Sanath Jayasuriya, shifting to over-the-wicket, had M.S. Dhoni pouched at deep mid-wicket with his left-arm spin. India lost ground rapidly.

Rohit Sharma, attempting a second run, was done in by a precise throw from Malinga to ’keeper Sangakkara. The Indian seemed to injure his shoulder as he dived desperately to regain the crease.

Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina were all held at long-on, unable to clear the field. The Sri Lankans, swift on the field, held the outfield catches smartly.

From 93 for two in 8.2 overs, India slumped to 129 for seven in 13.4. There was going to be only one winner in the contest.

Quickest fifty

Earlier, Sangakkara held centre-stage. His batsmanship has all the attributes – footwork, balance, timing and placement. He raced to his half-century off only 21 balls – equalling the quickest fifty by a Sri Lankan in this format – with clean and correct cricketing shots. Without slogging, he was inventive in his stroke-play.

Light on his feet, Sangakkara was picking the length in a flash. Watching the Sri Lankan captain advance, Ishant Sharma shortened his length. Sangakkara still pulled him past the ropes.

Getting into position early, he was either stroking through the gaps on either side, stepping down to strike over the in-field, or clearing the ropes with extraordinary poise.

The straight six off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha after skipping down the track was a clean strike by Sangakkara. The ace left-hander drove, swept and lofted Ojha to disrupt his line.

Sangakkara was creating room to crash the ball through the off-side with subtle footwork; he deliberately played besides the line on occasions. He moved towards leg-side to pick the ball from the middle-and-leg and beat the man at short fine-leg. He whipped bowlers to the mid-wicket fence.

On other occasions, he just transferred weight on to his backfoot and crashed the ball through covers.

While the spinners suffered, Sangakkara dismissed pacemen Ashish Nehra, Ishant and debutant Ashok Dinda ruthlessly. Chamara Kapugedera sizzled with a 20-ball 47 of bold and often exhilarating strokeplay, The fourth wicket pair of Sangakkara and Kapugedara rattled up 69 runs in only 33 balls.

When Nehra erred in length and line, Kapugedara took full toll in the 19th over with four successive boundaries; a lofted cover-drive was the pick. He struck the ball with immense power before being castled by a slower delivery from Nehra.

In the final over, Matthews biffed Yusuf Pathan for two sixes – one of them a huge blow into the stands beyond mid-wicket – and Sri Lanka had put a daunting total on the board.

Ishant impresses

Earlier, Ishant Sharma, running in with rhythm, operated with exemplary control. His wrist position appeared to be straighter; this was a direct consequence of Ishant’s bowling elbow not opening out as he loaded up.

There was good carry for the lanky paceman too. He ripped one across Jayasuriya’s off-stump, getting one to dart across from over-the-wicket.

Creating the pressure, Ishant should have prised out Jayasuriya (on four then) but Yuvraj Singh spilled a regulation catch at cover-point. The paceman then almost consumed Dilshan (on 13) but grassed a return catch after juggling with the ball.

At the other end, Ashish Nehra, striving for pace, went for 22 runs in the fifth over. Jayasuriya cut loose with five boundaries. The Sri Lankan smashed the left-arm paceman over covers, unleashed short-arm pulls, and flicked the bowler when Nehra, with fine-leg up, strayed on the leg-stump. Nehra struggled to switch his line to the punishing southpaw.

Dinda dismissed Jayasuriya, pouched by Ishant at third-man, but the quick-thinking Tillakaratne Dilshan cut and drove fiercely to ensure Sri Lanka maintained the momentum. His 33-ball 34 was ended by a fuller length ball from occasional off-spinner Rohit Sharma. Soon, Mahela Jayawardene, attempting to cut Yusuf Pathan, saw the ball brushing the stumps.

But then, it was an evening when the Sri Lankan batsmen blitzed away.

India’s catching and fielding let the side down. The last five overs yielded Sri Lanka a whopping 73 runs.
SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka: T. Dilshan b Rohit 34, S. Jayasuriya c Ishant b Dinda 26, K. Sangakkara (run out) 78, M. Jayawardene b Yusuf 9, C. Kapugedera b Nehra 47, A. Mathews (not out) 15; Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-2): 6; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 215.

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-117, 3- 126, 4-195, 5-215.

India bowling: Nehra 4-0-52-1, Ishant 4-0-22-0, Dinda 3-0-34-1, Yusuf 4-0-54-1, Ojha 2-0-27-0, Rohit 3-0- 22-1.

India: G. Gambhir b Mathews 55, V. Sehwag c Mathews b Kulasekara 26, M.S. Dhoni c Pushpakumara b Jayasuriya 9, Yuvraj c Kulasekara b Mathews 6, Rohit (run out) 3, S. Raina c Dilshan b Pushpakumara 21, Yusuf c Malinga b Jayasuriya 0, A. Dinda b Dilshan 19, A. Nehra (run out) 22, P. Ojha (not out) 10, Ishant (not out) 5; Extras (b-2, lb-3, w-5): 10; Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 186.

Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-93, 3-99, 4-104, 5-105, 6-115, 7-129, 8-167, 9- 173.

Sri Lanka bowling: Kulasekera 3- 0-36-1, Fernando 3-0-26-0, Malinga 2-0-29-0, Mathews 4-0-30-2, Jayasuriya 4-0-19-2, Pushpakumara 3-0- 27-1, Dilshan 1-0-14-1. - AP

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