da bwin： As birthday bashes go, this was pretty special, with Sanath Jayasuriya bludgeoning Bangladesh into submission as Sri Lanka sauntered into the Asia Cup final
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran30-Jun-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Sanath Jayasuriya helped himself to a century on his 39th birthday © AFP
As birthday bashes go, this was pretty special, with Sanath Jayasuriya bludgeoning Bangladesh into submission as Sri Lanka sauntered into the Asia Cup final. Kumar Sangakkara’s elegant 121, just 24 hours after a century against Pakistan, was the supporting act, and with MuttiahMuralitharan at his supple-wristed best with the ball, Bangladesh werebrushed aside by a massive 158 runs. Nazimuddin and Raqibul Hasan showedsome defiance, but even against an attack missing Lasith Malinga andFarveez Maharoof, 333 was never on.Some of the Bangladesh players were still in diapers when Jayasuriya madehis debut, and they must have felt as helpless as babies when hecelebrated his 39th birthday with the fluent shot-making and power-hittingthat typified his halcyon years. He raced to a century off only 55 balls,and though it turned out to be a two-man show, Sri Lanka still had enough to pull off their fourth successive win of the tournament.Having added 201 with Sangakkara in only 27.5 overs, Jayasuriya finallyran out of puff in the Karachi heat. A poor delivery from Alok Kapali waslofted to deep cover where Tamim Iqbal took the catch. There was scarcelyany joy from the fielders, because by then Jayasuriya had pounded130 off only 88 balls, with a heady rhythm of cuts, pulls and drives.Sangakkara carried on though, having been reprieved by Kapali off his ownbowling on 51. He drove beautifully down the ground and made good use ofboth the orthodox sweep and the slogged version. Occasionally, he wouldalso come down the track and loft the ball over the infield, and Bangladeshappeared bereft of options.When Jayasuriya lashed Mashrafe Mortaza’s opening delivery past point forfour, it appeared to be a sign of things to come, but with ShahadatHossain bowling a maiden first-up, Bangladesh conceded only 20 in thefirst five overs. The trouble started after that, with Jayasuriya dustingoff his pull stroke and driving over the infield with immense power.Sangakkara wasn’t to be left behind, piercing the packed off-side fieldcleverly occasionally, but after a while he gave up trying to keep pace.Jayasuriya was unstoppable. When the bowlers dropped short, he would pullover midwicket. If they were too full, the disdainful flick was unveiled.Too much width and the hoardings behind the point boundary were batteredwith short-arm cuts. And if all that wasn’t punishment enough, he wouldalso jump down the pitch before lashing the ball over the covers.The half-century took only 31 balls, and when Abdur Razzak came on, he wastaken for 19 runs in his second over. Two crisp fours off Farhad Reza anda single to long leg later, he had a century, the 26th of an illustriouscareer. Sangakkara, who had caressed some lovely drives himself, was theperfect foil, and Bangladesh’s cause wasn’t helped when Mushfiqur Rahimfluffed a catch behind the stumps off Razzak right after Jayasuriya hadgot his hundred.Five statsSanath Jayasuriya’s 130 came on his 39th birthday. Only Geoff Boycott has scored a ODI hundred at a more advanced age: his last century came when he was 39 years and 51 days old.Jayasuriya added 201 runs with Kumar Sangakkara, the highest opening stand in the Asia Cup, and only the third partnership of over 200.Jayasuriya and Sangakkara became the 18th opening pair to score centuries in the same innings. Jayasuriya now has five hundreds in the Asia Cup; Sangakkara is joint-second with Shoaib Malik on three. All of Sangakkara’s three have come in this tournament, the best for a single edition.Jayasuriya, though, lost hold of a record. With his ninth five-wicket haul, Muttiah Muralitharan went past Jayasuriya to become the leading wicket-taker in the Asia Cup.Mashrafe Mortaza suffered the brunt of Sri Lanka’s onslaught. He conceded 78 off his ten overs, the most he’s given away in an ODI.His eventual departure, after slamming 16 fours and a mere six sixes, didstem the tide though, with the other batsmen unable to support Sangakkara.Mahela Jayawardene eased to 20 before pulling a long hop from Kapali tomidwicket and neither Chamara, Kapugedera or Silva, could get going.Tillakaratne Dilshan was run out by a direct hit from Raqibul, and whenRazzak finally sneaked one under Sangakkara’s defence, Bangladesh hadmanaged a comeback of sorts. But thanks to their openers becoming only the18th pair to score centuries in the same game, Sri Lanka were nearly outof sight by then.Bangladesh were notionally in the contest till the halfway stage of theirinnings, with Nazimuddin and Raqibul playing some fine strokes in the faceof an imposing asking-rate. Nazimuddin took his time to settle, but thenlaunched into some delightful cuts and drives. AjanthaMendis, who had bamboozled the Pakistanis, was thumped for a four and asix, and only a miscommunication with Raqibul saw him runout when in sight of a half-century.By then, he had already seen Tamim and Mohammad Ashraful, the side’sleading lights, depart. With Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekara givingnothing away early on, Tamim quickly became restless, and a tame nibble ata Vaas delivery was easily taken by Dilshan, deputising for Sangakkara behind the stumps.Ashraful came in and took three fours off a Vaas over, but then had one ofthose brain-fades that he’s become prone to. He was in no sort of positionto try and pull Thilan Thushara, and the top-edge came down into Dilshan’shands.But with Raqibul starting in strokeful fashion and Nazimuddin determinedto tilt at windmills, the run-rate quickly soared, with Thushara coming infor harsh treatment. Nazimuddin’s dismissal, halted the charge though, andafter that it was all about Murali.Mushfiqur edged one to slip and Kapali was trapped in front by a doosra.Raqibul’s brave innings was curtailed by another that went the wrong way,and Razzaq cleaned up going for the sweep. When Mortaza top-edged a sweep,he had five wickets for the ninth time in ODIs. It may sometimes be ayoung man’s game, but it was the old hands that blew the candles out onBangladesh.