Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina hit sparkling half-centuries to take India into the final of the Asia Cup with a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a Super League match on Thursday.
Skipper Dhoni hit a 62-ball 67, while Raina scored 54 off 66 balls to inspire India’s successful run chase of Sri Lanka’s 308-8 with a 99-run third wicket stand in a tight match at the National Stadium.
Yuvraj Singh (36 not out) smashed two successive boundaries off pace man Nuwan Kulasekera to bring up the victory with 3.1 overs to spare. Rohit Sharma remained unbeaten on 22.
PHOTO: AFP
By winning, India also knocked arch-rivals Pakistan out of the tournament, setting up a return clash with Sri Lanka in the final tomorrow.
Sri Lanka and India finished the Super League with six points each from three matches, after both sides had two carry over points from the first round.
India’s opener Gautum Gambhir set the tone for the run-chase with a rapid 61-ball 68 studded with eleven fours, with Dhoni and Raina maintaining the quick tempo.
Dhoni notched five fours and a six, while Raina managed three fours. But with 75 needed, India suffered the first of two setbacks when Raina was run out.
Two overs later, off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan produced a beauty to bowl Dhoni with 56 still needed for victory, but Yuvraj and Rohit saw India through.
Sri Lanka, who rested spearhead Chaminda Vaas and fast rising spinner Ajantah Mendis as they had already qualified for the final, failed to stop Indian openers Virender Sehwag (42) and Gambhir, who smashed a 71-ball 92 opening stand.
Sehwag fell in the 12th over, miscuing a drive off Kulasekera, while Gambhir was trapped leg before wicket by Muralitharan.
Dhoni praised his openers for setting up the victory.
“They [the openers] took the pressure off and gave the middle-order the right kind of platform for a successful run-chase and I am very happy at the win in which everyone contributed,” India’s captain said.
Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene said his team lost momentum in the middle overs.
“We lost [Chamara] Kapugedera when we needed him in the middle and his wicket slowed down the tempo. India had a very good start and we could not get wickets at regular intervals,” Jayawardene said.
Earlier, Sri Lanka were lifted by three half-centuries from Kapugedera, Jayawardene (50) and Chamara Silva (50).
The 24-year-old Kapugedera added 78 for the third wicket with Jayawardene and another 68 with Silva (50) to bolster the Sri Lanka innings after they won the toss and decided to bat.
Kapugedera and Jayawardene steadied the innings through their 89-ball partnership, after Sri Lanka lost opener Kumar Sangakkara (7) and Sanath Jayasuriya (43) with the score reading 71.
The Sri Lanka skipper hit four fours, while Kapugedera hit seven fours and a six during his 78-ball knock.
Silva then took over, hitting two fours and a six off 56 balls, before he was run out with five overs to go.
Jayasuriya batted in the same vein as he did during his 130 against Bangladesh in the Super League match last Saturday, driving and cutting with power.
He hit eight fours during his 37-ball knock, before he was caught behind off Sharma, who finished with 2-55.
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