The batsmen were back at their best on a passive surface, the pacers found the right length and offie R Ashwin got the ball to turn as India registered a 50-run win to open their Asia Cup campaign on a high. The ball wasn't rising over waist-height, there was no lateral progress in the track and Lasith Malinga and Angelo Matthews were not there in the Sri Lankan line-up. The runs were there for the taking, and barring Sachin Tendulkar, all the other big boys had a nice afternoon.
The toxic duo of Virat Kohli (108 off 120 balls) and Gautam Gambhir (100 off 118 balls) were in their elements, both finishing their 10th ODI centuries, as India raced away to 304-3. It was a sheer chase to begin with but Mahela Jayawardene (78 off 59 balls) and Kumar Sangakkara (65) were in their element. Runs were flowing for the second-wicket partnership when the captain tried to glide one down to third man and Dhoni finished the catch. Sangakkara was still fighting it out with Lahiru Thiramanne for company, but Dhoni's smart captaincy did the trick.
He had noticed that Sangakkara was looking to play over mid-wicket and put the fielder back the moment the third Power play began. Ashwin gave some flight, Sangakkara fell into the trap, and Jadeja concluded the catch at deep midwicket. That left Sri Lanka with 110 to get off 89 balls and the lower middle-order just couldn't make a fight of it. Even though the bowlers did their job, it was the 205-run second-wicket partnership between Gambhir and Kohli that set up the win.
The toxic duo of Virat Kohli (108 off 120 balls) and Gautam Gambhir (100 off 118 balls) were in their elements, both finishing their 10th ODI centuries, as India raced away to 304-3. It was a sheer chase to begin with but Mahela Jayawardene (78 off 59 balls) and Kumar Sangakkara (65) were in their element. Runs were flowing for the second-wicket partnership when the captain tried to glide one down to third man and Dhoni finished the catch. Sangakkara was still fighting it out with Lahiru Thiramanne for company, but Dhoni's smart captaincy did the trick.
He had noticed that Sangakkara was looking to play over mid-wicket and put the fielder back the moment the third Power play began. Ashwin gave some flight, Sangakkara fell into the trap, and Jadeja concluded the catch at deep midwicket. That left Sri Lanka with 110 to get off 89 balls and the lower middle-order just couldn't make a fight of it. Even though the bowlers did their job, it was the 205-run second-wicket partnership between Gambhir and Kohli that set up the win.
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