Indian
team's batting woes continued in the familiar sub-continental conditions as
they lost their opening warm-up tie of the ICC World T20 against Sri Lanka by
five runs on Monday.
Batting
first, Sri Lanka scored 153 for six and then bowled out India for 148 in
exactly 20 overs.
Needing
12 off the last over bowled by Lasith Malinga, Indians could get only six as
the Lankan slinger finished with figures of 4 for 30 from four overs. Skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not bat in this unofficial match.
India's
inability to finish a close match again came to the fore as the likes of Suresh
Raina (41), Yuvraj Singh (33) and Virat Kohli (17) all failed to convert their
starts.
Ravichandran
Ashwin's all-round show (3 for 22 and 19 runs) was the lone bright spot in the
opening encounter.
India were
off to a disastrous start as Shikhar Dhawan (2) played a lazy shot off
Kulasekara to be holed out at mid-off while Rohit Sharma (4) was caught at the
deep mid-wicket boundary off a Malinga delivery.
Ravichandran
Ashwin's all-round show (3 for 22 and 19 runs) was the lone bright spot in the
opening encounter.
India
were off to a disastrous start as Shikhar Dhawan (2) played a lazy shot off
Kulasekara to be holed out at mid-off while Rohit Sharma (4) was caught at the
deep mid-wicket boundary off a Malinga delivery.
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Raina
looked more comfortable on a low-bounce track as he played those customary
lofted shots in the region between extra cover and mid-off. He also lofted
Kulasekara for a six over mid-wicket.
He was
looking good for a big knock as he reached 41 with the help of five fours and a
six. But the 31st ball he faced saw him fail to reach to the pitch of the
delivery. Ajantha Mendis was the bowler and Raina couldn't clear Rangana Herath
at long off boundary.
Ajinkya
Rahane offered a simple return catch to Sachitra Senanayeke as India were in
deep trouble at 56 for four.
Yuvraj
was having a bit of trouble initially reading Senanayeke's deliveries but he
broke the shackles by coming down the track to hit left-arm spinner Rangana
Herath over long-on for a six. He also picked up Mendis' carom ball early to
hit another six over long on.
Kohli
started off on a promising note smacking 17 off only eight balls as the duo
added 32 runs in quick time before Malinga struck.
Coming
back for his second spell, Malinga got Kohli to play away from his body and he
dragged it back onto the stumps. Yuvraj was gone trying to steer Kulasekara and
Sangakkara took a fine diving catch behind the stumps.
The
left-hander hit two sixes and two fours in his 28-ball stay at the crease. Once
Yuvraj was gone, it was difficult for the others to finish the game.
Earlier,
Ashwin gave a good account of himself as two-time finalists Sri Lanka upped the
ante in the end to put on a competitive total after being sent into bat.
Ashwin
ended with impressive figures of three for 22 in his four-over spell as the
batsmen had lot of trouble playing their strokes on a slowish track at the
Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Amit Mishra
(1 for 38 from four overs) got some stick but also bowled a few good balls
while Raina (1 for 12) was lucky to get a wicket.
Nuwan
Kulasekara with 21 off 14 balls and Thisara Perera with 18 from 11 deliveries
added 30 runs in the last three overs to take the score past 150.
Among
the pacers, Varun Aaron worked up good pace in his three overs to end with one
for 18 as Mahela Jayawardene (30) and skipper Dinesh Chandimal (29) were the
only ones in the top-order, who looked like scoring a few runs.
Bhuvneshwar
Kumar was taken for 17 runs in his final over as he finished with figures of
none for 33 from three overs.
Mohammed
Shami's inspiring effort in the field definitely helped in lifting the spirit
of the team. Having bowled an over at full tilt, the speedster stationed at
mid-off dived full stretched to take a brilliant one-handed catch that
dismissed Kusal Janith Perera (21) off Aaron's bowling.
Dilshan,
on the otherhand, looked ill at ease both against pacers as well as spinners as
he simply could not get off the blocks.
Jayawardene,
however, looked attacking from the start as his mistimed pull shot off Shami
went over Dhoni's head for a boundary. But the very next shot was a beauty as
he bisected the point and gully fielder to find another boundary.
When
Ravindra Jadeja was introduced into the attack, Jayawardene muscled him behind
square leg boundary for a six.
The
veteran right-hander slog swept leggie Amit Mishra over square leg for another
maximum.
But
Mishra had his revenge off the very next ball when he varied the length. He
altered it by a feet and Jayawardene was induced into playing early offering an
easy return catch which Mishra had no problems in pouching.
Finally,
Dilshan's misery ended when he was adjudged leg before after being struck on the
frontfoot trying to flick an Ashwin delivery. Sangakkara played the worst shot
among the top order batsmen as he literally gifted Raina a wicket.
