It would not be difficult to predict which way the Micromax Cup is headed for after watching India outplay Sri Lanka in the first of the five-match series at the Barabati Stadium here on Sunday.
The Lankans’ fielding looked ordinary, the bowling not threatening and the batting needing a huge improvement to compete with India to achieve any success.
Put in to bat, the host ran up a huge 363 for five with Man-of-the-match Ajinkya Rahane (111) and Shikhar Dhawan (113) excelling at the top. The Lankan chase was a disaster and the visitors folded up for 194 to lose by 169 runs with 10.4 overs remaining. Ishant Sharma took four wickets.
Rahane and Dhawan showed a lot of patience against the early pressure created by Dhammika Prasad and debutant Lahiru Gamage before settling down to indulge in strokeplay of the highest order.
Rahane showed the first sign of aggression, pulling Mathews for a lovely six. Dhawan (10) enjoyed a ‘life’ when ’keeper Kumar Sangakkara failed to hold one off Prasad. Rahane was reprieved by Sangakkara off Thisara Perera when on 38 and the two dropped chances proved very costly. Rahane went past 50 in 61 balls with five fours and a six. Dhawan joined the party by taking on Suraj Randiv in the 21st over. He swept the third ball to the fence, reverse-swept the next for another boundary and jumped out to loft the fifth ball to long on for a huge six to reach his half-century in 64 balls with seven fours and a six. The team’s 100 came in 21 overs and the next 50 in 31 balls.
The openers mixed exquisite shots with daring ones. Dhawan crashed Randiv for a six to long on and Rahane replied with a fierce pull off Mathews over the ropes. The total went past 200 in 31.2 overs with Rahane on 99 and Dhawan also in his 90s.
Rahane soon completed his second ODI hundred (99 balls, 12×4, 2×6).
Dhawan went past his sixth three-figure mark by lifting leg-spinner Seekuge Prasanna for a six over mid-wicket. He completed his century in just 96 balls with 12 boundaries and three sixes.
The opening partnership of 231, which ended with Dhawan’s dismissal, was a record for the venue which was full with 45,000 flocking the galleries. A little later, Rahane got out when he spooned an easy catch to Jayawardene at mid-off.
Suresh Raina, playing his 200th ODI, was lustily cheered to the wicket. The Odisha Cricket Association had felicitated him before the start by presenting him a silver chariot.
Earlier, the two teams observed a minute’s silence in memory of those killed in a landslide in Northern Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
