Sri Lanka Lifts I-Cup, Beat Pakistan Again

CALCUTTA: World Champions Sri Lanka added the Indian Independence Cup title by making a formidable 309 and beating Pakistan by 85 runs in the second match of the best-of-three finals, May 27.

Sri Lanka won the first match by 115 runs in Mohali, May 24 (reported last week).

Pakistan’s batsmen succumbed to the pressure of chasing an asking rate of over six runs an over on a turning Calcutta pitch and the side folded up for just 224 runs in 43.1 overs.

Their hopes of overhauling the Sri Lankan total were jolted when they lost bothrs in the first six overs with only 34 runs on the board.

Saeed Anwar, who scored a world record 194 runs earlier in the tournament, was brilliantly caught by Muthiah Muralitharan at mid-off off the bowling of Chaminda Vaas while Shahid Afridi was caught by Aravinda de Silva in the covers off the bowling of Sajeeva de Silva.

Skipper Rameez Raja’s 98-run stand with hard-hitting Ijaz Ahmed, in 110 balls, was the only major partnership of the Pakistan innings.

Left arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya provided the vital breakthrough by having Ijaz stumped by wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana.

Ijaz had earlier plundered 19 runs - three fours, one six and a single - off seamer Sajeeva de Silva's sixth over. His 55 runs came off 59 balls and included six boundaries and a six.

Raja top-scored with 76 runs from 101 balls with eight fours before he was bowled by offspinner Kumara Dharmasena.

Pakistan collapsed after the fall of Raja at 193 and lost their last five wickets for a meagre 31 runs.

Muralitharan claimed three wickets for 40 runs in his 10 overs.

Earlier Sri Lanka amassed 309 in 49.4 overs following a breezy start aided by a middle order onslaught.

Sri Lanka were led by Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, who played some judicious shots and top-scored with 59 runs off 78 balls with three fours and one six.

He shared steady partnerships of 67 runs with Aravinda de Silva for the fourth wicket and 73 runs with Hashan Tillekeratne for the fifth.

"We have been playing well...we had good starts and good support from the middle order," an elated Ranatunga said.

Ranatunga was run out by offspinner Saqlain Mushtaq while trying to steal a single off his bowling.

The left-handed Jayasuriya, who was dropped by Saeed Anwar on 21 at cover point off the bowling of Aqib Javed, went on to score 55 runs off 40 balls, aided by seven fours and two sixes.

Aravinda de Silva, who came in after the fall of Jayasuriya’s wicket, pushed the score along with his Captain.

De Silva, who made 57 runs off 49 balls, had his middle stump uprooted by a ball from Mushtaq which went through his bat and pad. He hit eight fours in his exuberant knock.

Sri Lanka lost their last three wickets in five balls.

"The toss made the difference. It is very difficult to chase a target of 300 plus," Pakistan’s Raja said.

Aravinda de Silva was adjudged Man-of-the-Match with Jayasuriya the Man-of-the-Series. (Reuter)

Score Board

Sri Lanka

 S.Jayasuriya c sub (A.Mahmood) b Khan    55

 M.Atapattu c sub (H.Raza) b Khan         29

 R.Kaluwitharana lbw b Afridi              5

 A.De Silva b Saqlain                     57

 A.Ranatunga run out                      59

 H.Tillekeratne c sub (H.Raza) b Malik    38

 C.Vaas c Ijaaz Ahmad b Saqlain            3

 R.Mahanama b Malik                       27

 K.Dharmasena b Saqlain                   16

 S.De Silva lbw b Saqlain                  0

 M.Muralitharan not out                    0

 Extras (lb-6 w-13 nb-

 Total (all out - 49.4 overs)            309

Fall of wickets 4 7-276


Bowling: A.Javed w), A.Khan w),

S.Afridi 5-0-40-1, Saqlain w), M.Hussain 9-0-46-0,

Malik w 1nb)

Pakistan

 S.Anwar c Muralitharan b Vaas             6

 S.Afridi c A.De Silva b S.De Silva       17

 R.Raja b Dharmasena                      76

 I.Ahmed st Kaluwitharana b Jayasuriya    55

 S.Malik lbw b Muralitharan                2

 M.Wasim st Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan  20

 M.Khan c Atapattu b Muralitharan          2

 M.Hussain not out                        18

 S.Mushtaq b A.De Silva                    0

 A.Khan run out                            0

 A.Javed run out                           4

 Extras (b-4 lb-8 w-10 nb-

 Total (all out - 43.1 overs)            224

Fall of wickets: 5 7-204


Bowling: Vaas w), S.De Silva w 1nb),

Dharmasena w), Muralitharan w 1nb),

A.De Silva w), Jayasuriya 7-0-42-1

Result: Sri Lanka won by 85 runs.

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