Sri Lanka on
Tuesday achieved the unique feat of losing just one wicket to post a huge 300+
total while put into bat and India suffered one of its worst defeats in one-day
cricket while chasing. Sri Lanka
outplayed the ICC Champions Trophy-2013 winner in all departments of the game
to win by whopping 161 runs in the third match of the West Indies Tri-Nation
ODI Cricket Series being played in Jamaica
and Trinidad. It was a rank bad day for India with
nothing clicking for them including the changes done in the team. Shami Ahmed
coming into the team out of nowhere and replacing Bhuvaneshwar Kumar—consistently
the main strike bowler for India
in recent matches—was a huge surprise as it was illogical. With captain MS
Dhoni out of the Series due to injury selection of specialist opener Murali Vijay
was another surprise because the hit Shikhar-Rohit opening duo could not at all
be disturbed. As it turned out these changes in a crucial match like this
contributed profusely for the Indian humiliation. For a change stand-in Captain
Virat Kohli won the toss and easily succumbing to the Kingston
‘trend’ put Sri Lanka
in.  |
| Man of the Match Upul Tharanga |
The Kingston ‘trend’ was set
by the fact that the pitch normally remained damp helping the quickies and then
easing out in the afternoon. In the first match West Indies won the toss and
invited Sri Lanka
to bat first. Sri Lanka got all
out for 208 in less than fifty overs and West Indies
won with tremendous ease in the 38th over. In the second match too
toss winning West Indies put India
in and restricted them to 229/7 in fifty overs. But for a flash of West Indian harakiri
tendency they would’ve won the match with tremendous ease again rather than the
thrilling one wicket margin. What Kohli perhaps missed was the fact
that in both matches the ‘trend’ helped only the West
Indies quickies who are naturally enjoying the home advantage too.
It took a spectacular batting display from Sri Lanka with Upul Tharanga (174
not out) in full flow to thoroughly demolish this myth. Opening with captain
Mahela Jayawardene (107) Tharanga had a double century partnership
and then a century partnership with Angelo Mathews (44) coming in to bat at No.3. The
mammoth target of 249 was beyond India as they huffed and puffed to
187 all out. The best fielding side in the Champions Trophy got totally
disoriented on the field this time with various lapses crowning their defeat.
Now for a berth
in the final India must win
its both remaining matches and yet hope West Indies defeat Sri Lanka. Assuming
India win next two matches, a Sri Lanka victory over West Indies would still allow
both Sri Lanka and West Indies go into the final thanks to one bonus point
earned by each. It is highly optimistic at this moment to hope India earn two
bonus points too which would increase their chances in case Sri Lanka defeat
West Indies but fail to earn a bonus point.
Points
Table As Of Now
Teams
|
Mat
|
Won
|
Lost
|
Tied
|
N/R
|
Pts
|
Net
RR
|
For
|
Against
|
West Indies
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
9
|
+0.765
|
439/85.3
|
437/100.0
|
Sri Lanka
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
+1.051
|
556/100.0
|
396/87.5
|
India
|
2
|
0 | 2 |
0
|
0
|
0
|
-1.758
|
416/100.0
|
578/97.4
|
India meet West Indies tomorrow in a do or die
encounter as the action shifts from Kingston, Jamaica to Port of Spain, Trinidad. Fortunately
there will be no ‘trend’ or ‘myths’ to haunt Virat Kohli this time and the toss
might be relatively less significant.
