MUMBAI, Oct 22: Sri Lanka suffered a setback ahead of a one-day cricket series in India when they lost a practice match by three wickets on Saturday.
The tourists scored 267 for nine wickets off their allotted 50 overs before a Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) President’s team posted 268 for seven wickets to win the match with one ball to spare.
Sri Lanka will play seven one-dayers against India, the first starting at Nagpur on Tuesday.
Lower-order batsman Farveez Maharoof top-scored for Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 64 off 44 balls which included four sixes.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (50), Upul Chandana (37), Russel Arnold (35) and Sanath Jayasuriya (34) were the other notable scorers.
Jayasuriya retired with a painful shoulder after hitting seven fours in his 26-ball knock, but should be fit for the first match against India.
Sri Lankan manager Mike Tissera said they did not want to take chances after Jayasuriya had felt pain in his right shoulder.
Jayasuriya, the only Sri Lankan to complete 10,000 runs in one-day cricket, dislocated his shoulder while fielding in a home triangular one-day series in August.
He aggravated the injury earlier this week when he collided with a team-mate while playing water polo.
“He should be fit for the first match against India,” said Tissera.
Vinayak Mane (75), Nishit Shetty (58) and Amol Mazumdar (56) played key roles in the hosts’ victory against the tourists, who rested key bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 267-9 in 50 overs (Farveez Maharoof 64 not out, Tillakaratne Dilshan 50, Upul Chandana 37, Russel Arnold 35, Sanath Jayasuriya 34; Abhishek Nair 3-39).
MCA President’s XI 268-7 in 49.5 overs (Vinayak Mane 75, Nishit Shetty 58, Amol Mazumdar 56; Nuwan Zoysa 2-45, Upul Chandana 2-55).—AFP