COLOMBO, July 27: Pakistan's hopes of retaining the Asia Cup were dashed on Tuesday night after India carved out a thrilling four-run victory over Sri Lanka to reach Sunday's final against the hosts.
Sri Lanka, who had nothing to gain from the game having already made it to the final with two straight wins, nearly won the match but the departure of Sanath Jayasuriya, for a splendid 130 off 132 balls, at the start of the 48th over turned the tide India's way. Needing 18 at run-a-ball, Sri Lanka lost two further wickets before finishing at 267 for nine after being set a target of 272.
Pakistan were depending on the Sri Lankans to qualify for the final. A Sri Lankan victory on Tuesday would have been enough for Inzamamul Haq's side to go through but it was not to be.
The Pakistanis, still ruing the fact that they allowed India to pocket a bonus point on Sunday, will now meet Bangladesh in the last Super League fixture with nothing but their pride at stake.
At one stage, India were cruising towards an easy victory after Sri Lanka lost the first five wickets for 134 runs. But Jayasuriya, the 35-year-old left-hander, kept his side on track until he played a reckless stroke.
The departure of Jayasuriya, who struck 14 fours and one six, pressed the panic button in the Sri Lankan camp as the remaining batsmen found the pressure too much to bear.
Sri Lanka required 11 runs off the final over. Zaheer Khan, the left-arm paceman who had been hit for five successive boundaries in his fifth over by Jayasuriya, clean bowled Farveez Maharoof and allowed Nuwan Zoysa and Lasith Malinga only a handful of runs in the last over of the game.
Sri Lanka, in some ways, also helped the Indians' cause by going into the match without their best bowlers - Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan. While Vaas was rested for Sunday's final, Muralitharan was in Kandy, mourning the death of his grandfather.
India, batting first after Saurav Ganguly had won the toss, managed a challenging total of 271 for six. Virender Sehwag, who had looked out of touch in the competition prior to this match, led the way with a 92-ball 81, and put on 134 for the second-wicket with Ganguly after Sachin Tendulkar departed for 18 in the seventh over of the Indian innings.
To cap a fine day's work, Sehwag, who stroked six fours and two sixes, chipped in with three crucial wickets in the Sri Lankan innings - including the key scalp of Jayasuriya - with his occasional off-spin and was deservingly adjudged Man-of-the-Match.
Ganguly too made a vital contribution as he helped himself to a circumspect 79 off 120 balls while striking nine boundaries. The Indian skipper was involved in another useful partnership of 71 for the fourth wicket with fellow left-hander Yuvraj Singh who scored 50 off 46 balls.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA:
S.R. Tendulkar lbw b Zoysa 18
V. Sehwag c S'kkara b Jayasuriya 81
S.C. Ganguly c Chandana b Malinga 79
R. Dravid c S'kkara b Maharoof 1
Yuvraj Singh c G'wardene b Malinga 50
Mohammad Kaif run out 1
P.A. Patel not out 13
Irfan Pathan not out 8
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-14, NB-4) 20
TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 271
FALL OF WKTS: 1-34, 2-168, 3-169, 4-240, 5-248, 6-255.
DID NOT BAT: Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, A. Kumble.
BOWLING: Zoysa 8-0-49-1 (7w); Malinga 10-0-56-2 (2nb, 3w); Dilshan 10-0-49-0 (2w); Maharoof 8-0-37-1 (2nb, 1w); Chandana 7-0-42-0 (1w); Jayasuriya 4-0-17-1; Jayantha 3-0-19-0.
SRI LANKA:
D.A. Gunawardene c Pathan b Zaheer 7
S.T. Jayasuriya c and b Sehwag 130
W.S. Jayantha c Patel b Pathan 5
M.S. Atapattu c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 8
K.C. Sangakkara c Tendulkar b Sehwag 15
D.P.M.D. Jayawardene b Tendulkar 18
T.M. Dilshan b Sehwag 39
U.D.U. Chandana c Yuvraj b Pathan 11
M.F. Maharoof b Zaheer 4
D.N.T. Zoysa not out 3
L.S. Malinga not out 1
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-14, W-8) 26
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 267
FALL OF WKTS: 1-20, 2-36, 3-76, 4-103, 5-134, 6-237, 7-254, 8-261, 9-266
BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 9-0-34-2 (2w); Zaheer Khan 9-1-63-2 (4w); Harbhajan Singh 10-0-41-1 (1w); Sehwag 9-0-37-3 (1w); Kumble 10-0-51-0; Tendulkar 3-0-23-1.
RESULT: India won by four runs.
UMPIRES: B. Doctrove (West Indies) and D.R. Shepherd (England).
TV UMPIRE: A.F.M. Akhtaruddin (Bangladesh).
MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Virender Sehwag.
POINTS TABLE
Points table after the Asia Cup Super League match between Sri Lanka and India on Tuesday (tabulated under played, won, lost, points, net run-rate):
Sri Lanka 3 2 1 13 +1.14
India 3 2 1 12 +0.02
Pakistan 2 1 1 5 -0.22
Bangladesh 2 0 2 0 -1.46