India steal a 3-run thriller in the high scoring 1st ODI played at Rajkot

Over 800 runs were scored in the first of the 5-match ODI series between India and Sri Lanka played in Rajkot, from the time when Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and put India to bat. Like many other Indian pitches where the stage is set mainly for batting this one in Rajkot was no exception. Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were at their blistering best as the in-form Sehwag smashed a 64-ball century – his 12th and Sachin got out scoring 69 runs off 63 deliveries, and Sehwag went on to make his highest individual ODI score of 146 runs in just 102 balls which included 17 boundaries and 6 sixes. After a 153 run opening stand Sachin got out which led to skipper MS Dhoni joining the party and starting off his innings in style scoring 18 runs in a Sanath Jayasuriya over. Even at the age of 40 this effective, momentum breaking veteran was shown no mercy. Dhoni and Sehwag added 156 runs for the 2nd wicket and just after Sehwag departure which came off an outside edge, Dhoni didn’t last for long either. The Indian captain made his way back to the pavilion scoring 72 runs off just 53 balls. Meanwhile India crossed the 300 run mark in just the 35th over. The rest of the lineup didn’t make much of an impression, with Gambhir, Raina and Harbhajan Singh (who was promoted up the order ahead of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja) falling cheaply. Kohli and Jadeja though were able to provide some entertainment in the end as they hit a few boundaries and couple of sixes. However it was clear that the momentum of the whole innings slowed down in the last 10 overs as only 70 odd runs came off it. India posted a mammoth total of 414/7 – being the team’s highest ever total in ODIs, the highest total scored by any team against Sri Lanka in ODI cricket, the highest scored at Rajkot cricket ground and only the second instance where they posted a total of 400 plus in ODIs.

A determined Sri Lankan opening pair came out to bat as Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga lead the team’s fightback adding 188 runs for the opening wicket. Dilshan went on to score 160 runs in merely 124 balls and as India continued their recent tradition of poor fielding and dropping simple catches, Tharanga went on to score his fifty before he got out for 67 runs to Suresh Raina. The Indian bowlers got tormented all around the park and as runs kept flowing, at one stage Sri Lanka were cruising at a run rate of more than 10 per over (similar to India’s innings) and the required rate never exceeded their current run rate for a long time. With Tharanga’s departure captain Kumar Sangakkara came out to bat and he started off his innings in a most ferocious way, hitting the weak Indian bowling for sixes and fours every over. He eventually got out scoring 90 runs of just 43 balls with 10 fours and 5 sixes. The runs kept flowing even after his departure and eventually Harbhajan Singh was able to provide the valuable wicket of Dilshan who was losing concentration. Sanath Jayasuriya who was pushed down the order got out cheaply and so did a couple of batsmen after him. Though Zaheer Khan got the record of the highest ever runs conceded by an Indian bowler in an ODI innings (88 runs, 0 wickets off his 10 overs) a crucial 49th over put pressure on the Sri Lankans for the first time. It led to 2 run outs and a series of excellent bowling by Zaheer frustrated and worried the Sri Lankan lower order. The last over didn’t do them much good either as Ashish Nehra bowled a pressurizing spell which led to 5 runs being required off the last ball. They could get only a single and India managed to win this nail-biting thriller where for a long time supporters thought only a miracle could save India from the mighty Sri Lankan fightback. Sri Lanka’s total of 411/8 in their 50 overs became the highest ever score posted by any team against India.