India vs Sri Lanka, Mohali, October 28, 2005

India dominated Sri Lanka for the second successive game and it looked as if the Lankans were still in bit of a shock after the massacre in the opening game. Second time around they managed only a dismal 122 runs in less than 36 overs and the Indians romped home by 8 wickets in the 21^st over. Sri Lanka appear to have been caught unprepared for this kind of assault from a team that they had only recently beaten three times in a row. India really has pummeled Sri Lanka into a corner and is poised to deliver the knockout punch. It only remains to be seen if the battered Lankans can pick themselves up.

Mohali is a really beautiful modern stadium and Atapattu wouldn’t really have had a problem with losing the toss and being asked to bat first on a pitch that looked full of runs. But, it became an ugly setting for him in the very first over as Pathan swung the ball wide and Jayasuriya chased it right down the throat of Sehwag at thirdman. The new opening partnership had failed and Marvan had to walk out to join Kumara Sangakkara. Agarkar followed up with a maiden in the second over and the pressure was on. Sangakkara tried to take the intiative with a few boundaries, but Atapattu fell to an injudicious drive at a slower outswinger from Agarkar. With both new ball bowlers swinging the ball, Jayawardene and Sangakkara tried to counter attack, but failed with poor choice of strokes. Jayawardene flicked Pathan to square leg and Sangakkara tried an ugly stand deliver pull shot to a ball that wasn’t short enough and the ball ended up in mid on's hands. In between Pathan was on a hatrick as Tilekaratne Dilshan stuck his front foot down the pitch right in line with middle stump and a perfect in swinger. Half the side was gone before the first 15 overs were up, and Irfan Pathan had Man of the Match figures of 4-37.

Russell Arnold was outfoxed by Harbhajan’s over the wicket line and the pressure was maintained by the wicket to wicket line of JP Yadav, who also managed to take 2 wickets in 2 balls. Murali Karthik was miserly in his five overs and the runs were cut down to a trickle. Upul Chandana was super subbed in as a batsman to boost the score, but it was to no avail as the tail collapsed and only Murali provided some entertainment at the end. 122 was a terrible score, and the only thing the Lankans could try and do was to regain some pride by taking a few wickets.

Unfortunately that wasn’t to be as the Sachin-Sehwag show began and they smashed 80 runs in the humiliating 10 overs the Lankans had to bowl before the dinner break. Tendulkar was at his aggressive best again. He started off by smashing Vaas back past a jumping Sehwag and never let up. He was brutal on anything pitched up, and repeatedly smote the ball back past the bowler. There was another cheeky paddle sweep of Vaas, and this shot has surely got to be demoralizing for the bowler. Murali’s first ball was met with a quick dance down the track and lofted over mid off. It was vintage Tendulkar, and it was a sight to see. The Lankans had better come up with a plan to dismiss Tendulkar, because he is taking the game away from them.

Sehwag was in a typically belligerent mood and Nuwan Zoysa’s plan of bowling short to him on leg stump didn’t work as he was pulled and hooked away for 4,6,4. Sehwag gave it away with a tame return catch to Maharoof in the 10^th over. JP Yadav was sent in to gain some batting practice but Murali got the best of him and remains the only bowler who has troubled the Indians. Dravid and Tendulkar easily finished off the game. It was an exhilariting performance by the Indians.

After the match, Marvan Attapatu struggled to explain his team’s performance and frankly said that they have to rediscover their self belief to win. Tom Moody has only a couple of days to motivate his team before the third match in Jaipur. Once again Dravid’s captaincy was astute and at the end he was all praise for his bowlers. With his team responding to him, Dravid and India look ready to apply the finishing touches with or without the selectors meddling.