- BATSMENRBM4s6sSR35.3 Sehwag is the man who does the job for India. Jayasuriya is gone after a superb ton. He went down on his knees to play the slog-sweep but found Ishant at deep midwicket. He is really disappointed as he trudges off, shaking his head. He had slowed down after reaching the ton, as he wanted to stay for the death overs but it hasn't gone according to the plan. India will take it, though. 197/51.4 Suresh Raina has run out Sangakkara. It was pushed towards short mid-off region and Sangakkara set off for the run. Jayasuriya yells at him to get back. Too late. Sanga is already half-way down and Raina swooped on the ball and under-armed a direct hit. Jayasuriya had taken couple of steps after he had played the shot and Sangakkara responded and kept running. Enter the captain Mahela. 11/17.2 Caught by Rohit. Sri Lanka are in a wobble here. Short and climbing outside off, Mahela didn't quite get the room he wanted, still went with the cut but couldn't clear point where Rohit Sharma took a easy catch to his left. No timing and hence no pace off the bat. Ishant had got it to straighten and got a bit of bounce as well. India are running hot here. Can Jayasuriya turn it around for Sri Lanka? 34/211.4 Ishant strikes again for India. Jayasuriya's partners keep deserting him. Again done in by that straightening and some extra bounce. It was on the off and middle line, Kapugedera thought it would come in more than it did, tried to turn it to the on side but got the leading edge and a simple catch to point. 66/311.6 Would you believe it? Ishant has taken out another Sri Lankan. Kirsten pumps his fist at the pavilion. It landed on a length, kicked up even as it straightened outside off and Chamara Silva stabbed it off the inner edge on to the stumps. Again those two variables - straightening and extra bounce - does the trick for the teenager. Can Dilshan stay on with Jayasuriya. 66/438.5 That angle works. He fires it short of length and Dilshan tries to fetch a pull from outside off stump and top edged a dolly to Dhoni. Busy little valuable innings comes to an end at the wrong time for Sri Lanka. India have seized the advantage again. 213/644.5 cleaned up. Fuller, shaping into middle and off, Vaas goes for the big drive that was needed at this time but couldn't connect. Clatter. 236/748.1 trapped in front. The slog across the line didn't work. It struck him in front of middle and leg and would have hit the leg stump. 256/848.5 RP terminates Mendis's innings with a delivery angling in from round the stumps that moves past the swipe across the line to crash into the stumps 264/949.5 length delivery well outside the off stump, Murali attempts a slog across the line and gets a thick outside edge. 273/10Extras9 (lb 8, w 1)TOTAL273 all out (49.5 Overs, RR: 5.47)Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Kumar Sangakkara, 1.4 ov), 2-34 (Mahela Jayawardene, 7.2 ov), 3-66 (Chamara Kapugedera, 11.4 ov), 4-66 (Chamara Silva, 11.6 ov), 5-197 (Sanath Jayasuriya, 35.3 ov), 6-213 (Tillakaratne Dilshan, 38.5 ov), 7-236 (Chaminda Vaas, 44.5 ov), 8-256 (Thilan Thushara, 48.1 ov), 9-264 (Ajantha Mendis, 48.5 ov), 10-273 (Muthiah Muralidaran, 49.5 ov)
- BATSMENRBM4s6sSR4.6 Vaas strikes. A tad slower, from short of length, cutting in from outside off, Gambhir is early into the cut and finds point fielder. Mahela erupts in joy. Gambhir looks ruefully at his bat. 36/19.2 Mendis has done him in. Sehwag charged out, Mendis flicked the ball short of length and cut it away, Sehwag tried to change his shot and cut the ball but missed. Mendis has his man stranded down the wicket. Great moment for the young mystery spinner. The carrom ball has worked. 76/213.3 Mendis you little beauty! Poor shot, though from Raina. It skidded on off a length on the middle and Raina went for the pull shot. Talk about wrong shot selection. 93/49.4 What a little bundle of talent. Pocketful of mystery. Yuvraj is castled. It was flicked on a length on the middle stump line and skidded on straight. Yuvraj played all around it. Gone! And Sri Lanka roar back into the game. Thrilling stuff. Finger-flicking good! 76/334.2 Sharp catch by Sanga, standing up to the stumps. Full in length outside off stump and Dhoni went for a extra-cover drive and inside-edged to Sanga who pouched it safely. All the Sri Lankans converge near the centre pitch and are in a huddle of a joy. The game is all but over. Sri Lanka will win another Asia Cup. 160/915.2 Don't you mess with Mendis. Rohit has no clue either. One by one he is flicking them out. This one landed on a length on the middle, Rohit shaped to work it across the line. Mistake. The ball cut in towards middle and hit his back leg. I wonder how good he was as a kid at carrom. Take the "red" boy! 97/526.6 Trapped in front. It landed full, from round the stumps, on the middle and off, turns in to evade the forward prod and strikes the pad in front of the middle. Sri Lanka are perched on top. What a evening it has been. Mendis flicked away the top order and now Murali has started to spin his way into the second half. 135/631.3 googly - fuller and going away from Pathan, who got on his front foot to defend and just managed to edge it to first slip. 154/731.4 What a little champion! They are not reading him at all. RP lunges forward, the ball lands on a length on the middle, the bat goes down the line but it was flicked away and it cut quickly towards the off stump. Clatter! Oh boy they are going to be at the video guy before the series in Sri Lanka next month. 154/839.3 Sri Lanka win the Asia Cup. Kulasekara cleans up Ishant with a full and straight delivery that beats the big drive. Mahela pumps his fist and turns to hug Jayasuriya. One by one, they all troop in and get into a huddle. They break away now. Congratulations to the champions. The Indian team stand on the staircase and shake hands with the Sri Lankans. 173/10Extras3 (b 2, w 1)TOTAL173 all out (39.3 Overs, RR: 4.37)Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Gautam Gambhir, 4.6 ov), 2-76 (Virender Sehwag, 9.2 ov), 3-76 (Yuvraj Singh, 9.4 ov), 4-93 (Suresh Raina, 13.3 ov), 5-97 (Rohit Sharma, 15.2 ov), 6-135 (Robin Uthappa, 26.6 ov), 7-154 (Irfan Pathan, 31.3 ov), 8-154 (RP Singh, 31.4 ov), 9-160 (MS Dhoni, 34.2 ov), 10-173 (Ishant Sharma, 39.3 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ 0s 4s 6s WD NB WPUJC Vaas 9 0 55 2 6.11 33 11 0 0 0 KMDN Kulasekara 6.3 0 26 1 4 24 3 0 0 0 T Thushara 8 0 51 0 6.37 21 7 0 1 0 BAW Mendis 8 1 13 6 1.62 36 0 0 0 0 M Muralidaran 8 0 26 1 3.25 30 2 0 0 0
Match Details
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Match Notes
- Sri Lanka: 50 runs in 9.5 overs (59 balls), Extras 0
- Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0
- ST Jayasuriya: 50 off 43 balls (6 x 4, 2 x 6)
- Drinks: Sri Lanka - 87/4 in 15.0 overs (ST Jayasuriya 61, TM Dilshan 2)
- Power Play 3: Overs 15.1 - 20.0
- Sri Lanka: 100 runs in 15.3 overs (93 balls), Extras 4
- 5th Wicket: 50 runs in 30 balls (ST Jayasuriya 46, TM Dilshan 4, Ex 0)
- Sri Lanka: 150 runs in 23.3 overs (141 balls), Extras 6
- ST Jayasuriya: 100 off 79 balls (9 x 4, 5 x 6)
- 5th Wicket: 100 runs in 89 balls (ST Jayasuriya 67, TM Dilshan 31, Ex 2)
- Drinks: Sri Lanka - 192/4 in 34.0 overs (ST Jayasuriya 123, TM Dilshan 42)
- Sri Lanka: 200 runs in 36.1 overs (217 balls), Extras 7
- TM Dilshan: 50 off 68 balls (3 x 4)
- Sri Lanka: 250 runs in 47.3 overs (286 balls), Extras 9
- Innings Break: Sri Lanka - 273/10 in 49.5 overs (KMDN Kulasekara 29)
- India: 50 runs in 6.6 overs (42 balls), Extras 2
- V Sehwag: 50 off 26 balls (10 x 4)
- Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0
- Drinks: India - 93/4 in 13.3 overs (MS Dhoni 9)
- Power Play 3: Overs 15.1 - 20.0
- India: 100 runs in 17.2 overs (104 balls), Extras 2
- India: 150 runs in 30.4 overs (185 balls), Extras 3
- Drinks: India - 154/7 in 31.3 overs (MS Dhoni 44)
Match Coverage
All Match NewsMendis' challenge begins now
The mystery is now out in the open and every batsman is out to solve it. The real challenge for Ajantha Mendis, of uncertain categorisation, to maintain that secrecy, begins now
The old hand shows how it's done
A great knock is one that can be seen independent of the situation, irrespective of the result, yet one that contributes to the team cause. Some times a great knock looks effortless compared to batsmen. Jayasuirya, today, satisfied all the above criteria
India v Sri Lanka, Asia Cup final, Karachi
Match home for the 2008 Asia Cup final between India and Sri Lanka
A veteran and a rookie steal the show
Sri Lanka equalled India's mark of four Asia Cup wins with their 100-run triumph in the final in Karachi. A few statistical highlights from the game
We never had a reply for Mendis - Dhoni
Dhoni was mesmerised even at the press-conference. For every question demanding explanations for the defeat, he the same answer: Mendis



