ON THE RAMPAGE: Sachin Tendulkar played a match-winning knock in the third ODI at Cuttack on Monday.

Cuttack: The predictions were for runs aplenty, but the wicket at the Barabati Stadium reprised its more traditional role of offering turn. And, India’s spinners perfectly exploited the track to trigger a batting collapse and restrict Sri Lanka to 239 in the third ODI.

And then, Sachin Tendulkar’s classy unbeaten 96 eased India past the target in 42.4 overs. His innings came after Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin saw him finish with career-best figures of four for 32.

Chasing a modest target, Tendulkar began as the more aggressive of the Tendulkar-Virender Sehwag opening combine, dispatching Chanaka Welegedara with a classy cover-drive. But Sehwag was in the mix soon — twirling his wrists for a boundary fine off Nuwan Kulasekara. A backfoot punch and a particularly brutal shot through point made it appear the target overhaul would be a quick job.

Sehwag, true to style, powered a Welegedara delivery straight to Tillakaratne Dilshan at backward point, to depart for 44.

Consolidation

Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir dealt adequately with Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv as they put on a 72-run partnership. But Randiv struck soon by bowling slow loopy deliveries and relying on turn to evoke a dismissal. Gambhir was lucky to make no contact first but in the next delivery the ball turned and found the leading edge for a half chance which Randiv converted.

After that, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh went about patiently awaiting the bad balls in their pursuit of the target. Soon, Yuvraj’s dismissal — inelegantly playing away to a Welegedera delivery — infused a sense of urgency in Tendulkar.

The great man played a few more delectable drives and wristy steers to take India past 200. Dinesh Karthik was perfectly in sync with his illustrious partner, and played a few commanding shots — such as the massive six over long-on.

India was home with plenty to spare.

The Indian batsmen could afford to pace themselves thanks to the efforts of their bowlers.

Sri Lanka had a rousing start after skipper Kumar Sangakkara chose to bat and Dilshan cracked the innings open with a full-throated drive off Zaheer Khan. Ishant Sharma was initiated into life’s cruelties when Dilshan drove, pulled and then scooped, all in a maniacal pursuit of boundaries. Upul Tharanga’s six over long-off went quietly unnoticed in the same over — the fourth — as Sri Lanka brought up its fifty.

Dilshan made 41 runs — with a mere 40 of them from boundaries. But the adventure ended in a rather awkward top-edge off a delivery too short from Ashish Nehra. Karthik, who had missed a simple run-out chance earlier, was fortunate that his redemption came quickly. He was under it and took the catch comfortably.

The left-handed pair of Tharanga and skipper Sangakkara maintained a more plausible run-rate thereafter, with the odd cut and the occasional straight drive. Both batsmen took the path of non-violence when Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh came on. Sehwag tossed it up, threw in a few flat ones and made it difficult for the batsmen to generate pace.

Pitch takes turn

Sceptics suspected that the turn on offer was an illusion created by Karthik’s baseball grill while ’keeping to the spinners. But it turned out the wicket did offer turn.

Harbhajan worked himself into a very good rhythm and got the ball to drift and turn. The Lankans still maintained a healthy run-rate, though nowhere close to where their early momentum could have taken them.

Sangakkara looked promising in his 46, which included a six off Sehwag, and reached his 100-run partnership with Tharanga off 97 balls.

But the Indian skipper had his man soon. Sangakkara went for a similar result but was beaten in the air. He had covered enough ground for Karthik to fumble and still knock the bails off.

Tharanga went about quietly collecting singles and twos and looked set for a semi-sedate hundred; but Ravindra Jadeja brought about his fall with a well flighted delivery that forced the opener into driving against the turn, only, the ball turned a great deal and left the stumps dishevelled. Jadeja was getting drift and soon removed Chamara Kapugedera with another turning delivery.

Ishant came back strongly to ensure Sri Lanka’s innings folded quickly.

Spinners praised

Sehwag was all praise for his spinners for restricting the Lankans.

“I think (Ravindra) Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh bowled really well. The wicket was good to bat on, but our spinners did a great job in restricting them to a low total. Even Ishant (Sharma) bowled well in his second spell after giving away some runs in the first three overs,” he said.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja’s career-best four-wicket haul earned him the Man-of-the-match award. “He was very impressive today. As a captain you can’t ask for more. I mean if you look at the series, bowlers have been going for a lot of runs and to come and do a job like this is fantastic,” remarked Sehwag.

Sehwag revealed that his decision to bowl was to maintain the over-rate. “We were three overs short after 20 overs, so I bowled in between. I just wanted to send down four quick overs to maintain the over-rate, but it was because of Jadeja that we could restrict them,” he pointed out.

Losing the plot

Sangakkara blamed his batsmen’s failure for the loss.

“I think it was just poor batting. We were 165 for one after 22 overs and after that we just lost our way. We were going in with a batsman short and the specialists had to step up and perform. I think it was some good bowling and bad batting that did us in,” he said.

Sangakkara praised the way Sehwag led the side in M.S. Dhoni’s absence.

“I think he captained really well. He kept his cool on the field and his no-nonsense approach to batting was good for India today.”

The skipper admitted losing all-rounder Angelo Matthews was a blow and made a difference.

“Definitely, it’s a big loss. He was the one guy who could have balanced the whole side, but unfortunately we didn’t have him.

“But one can’t do much about these things. At the end of the day, one guy doesn’t make the entire side, even though he is an important player. We have to overcome these things,” he added.

SCOREBOARD

 Sri Lanka: U. Tharanga b Jadeja 73 (81b, 6x4, 1x6), T. Dilshan c Karthik b Nehra 41 (18b, 10x4), K. Sangakkara st. Karthik b Sehwag 46 (41b, 3x4, 1x6), M. Jayawardene c Raina b Harbhajan 2 (12b), T. Kandamby b Ishant 22 (29b, 3x4), C. Kapugedera b Jadeja 15 (28b), N. Kulasekara lbw b Jadeja 10 (14b, 1x4), S. Randiv c Karthik b Ishant 0 (1b), L. Malinga b Nehra 13 (24b, 1x4, 1x6), A. Mendis b Jadeja 6 (14b), C. Welegedara (not out) 2 (4b); Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-6): 9; Total (in 44.2 overs): 239.

Fall of wickets: 1-65 (Dilshan), 2-165 (Sangakkara), 3-169 (Tharanga), 4-173 (Jayawardene), 5-204 (Kapugedera), 6-210 (Kandamby), 7-210 (Randiv), 8-218 (Kulasekara), 9-236 (Mendis).

India bowling: Zaheer 7-0-49-0, Ishant 7-0-63-2, Nehra 6.2-0-32-2, Harbhajan 9-0-29-1, Sehwag 4-0-26-1, Jadeja 10-0-32-4, Yuvraj 1-0-5-0.

Powerplays: One (Overs 1-10): 86/1; Bowling (11-15): 36/0; Batting (44-45.2): 3/1.

India: V. Sehwag c Dilshan b Welegedara 44 (28b, 9x4), S. Tendulkar (not out) 96 (104b, 13x4), G. Gambhir c & b Randiv 32 (52b, 3x4), Yuvraj c Sangakkara b Welegedara 23 (40b, 3x4), D. Karthik (not out) 36 (32b, 5x4, 1x6); Extras (lb-5, w-6): 11, Total (for three wkts. in 42.4 overs) 242.

Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Sehwag), 2-127 (Gambhir), 3-169 (Yuvraj).

Sri Lanka bowling: Welegedara 8-1-35-2, Kulasekara 8-0-47-0, Malinga 9.4-1-55-0, Mendis 9-0-67-0, Randiv 8-1-33-1.

Powerplays : One (Overs 1-10): 66/1; Bowling (Overs 11-15): 35/0.

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