What will happen to cricket of the five-day variety with the emergence of T20? Is the marketing buck going to be channelised more towards this form of new cricket?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Super-instant cricket
What will happen to cricket of the five-day variety with the emergence of T20? Is the marketing buck going to be channelised more towards this form of new cricket?
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The IPL Story
Squads as of now:
Jaipur Shane Warne (US$ 450,000), Graeme Smith (US$ 475,000), Younis Khan (US$ 225,000), Kamran Akmal (US$ 150,000), Yusuf (US$ 475,000)
Chennai MS Dhoni (US$ 1.5 million), Muttiah Muralitharan (US$ 600,00), Matthew Hayden (US$ 375,000), Jacob Oram (US$ 675,000), Stephen Fleming (US$ 350,000), Parthiv Patel (US$ 325,000), Joginder Sharma (US$ 225,000), Albie Morkel (US$ 675,000)
Mumbai Sachin Tendulkar (icon), Sanath Jayasuriya (US$ 975,000), Harbhajan Singh (US$ 850,000), Shaun Pollock (US$ 550,000)
Bangalore Rahul Dravid (icon), Anil Kumble (US$ 500,000), Jacques Kallis (US$ 900,000), Zaheer Khan (US$ 450,000), Mark Boucher (US$ 450,000), Cameron White (US$ 500,000)
Hyderabad Adam Gilchrist (US$ 700,000), Andrew Symonds (US$ 1.35 million), Herschelle Gibbs (US$ 575,000), Shahid Afridi (US$ 675,000), Scott Styris (US$ 175,000)
Mohali Yuvraj Singh (icon), Mahela Jayawardene (US$ 475,000), Kumar Sangakkara (US$ 700,000), Brett Lee (US$ 900,000), Sreesanth (US$ 625,000), Irfan Pathan (US$ 925,000)
Kolkata Sourav Ganguly (icon), Shoaib Akhtar (US$ 425,000), Ricky Ponting (US$ 400,000), Brendon McCullum (US$ 700,000), Chris Gayle (US$ 800,000), Ajit Agarkar (US$ 330,000)
Delhi Virender Sehwag (icon), Daniel Vettori (US$ 625,000), Shoaib Malik (US$ 500,000), Mohammad Asif (US$ 650,000), AB de Villiers (US$ 300,000), Dinesh Karthik (US$ 525,000), Farveez Maharoof (US$ 225,000), Tillakaratne Dilshan (US$ 250,000)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Cricket(Preview CB series 7th odi aus vs ind)
Australia play india tomorrow in adelaide oval.With sri lanka snatching a win against india the series is nicely poised.India have showed some good batting form recently.So there are lots of positives for them.
In the other hand aussie batting is disappointing.Captain Ricky Ponting is in poor form.Its a nightmare new year for the aussie captain.So it will be a good contest tomorrow in adelaide
oval.
Australia have a good record in this ground and it favours the team that bats first.In the last 8 games the team batted first have won 5 times.so toss will be crucial for the outcome of the game.
David Hussey is expected toplay in place of injured micheal clarke.It will be debut for him.
Brett lee is 50-50.
India: Plus................... The main boost for india is the good form of young prospect Rohit sharma .He is in excellent form.He has to do his job correctly to give any chance for india.
India:Minus................. The bowling department is a concern for india.except young ishant sharma there is no one to tell in specific.Sreesanth is very expensive.So the other opening bowlers have to help ishant sharma to give india a good chance.
Australia: Plus.............. Veteran gilchrist scored a good ton in his home ground two days back which will give aussies a boost.Mitchell johnson and Nathan bracken are performing well for the aussies.
Australia: Minus........... Their slip fielding is terrible.i haven't seen a worse fielding from the aussies in the past.They have to improve in that department and have to stop gifting lives for the opposing team.
AtoZ prediction............ A close contest.will be a good match.But aussies will clinch it
In the other hand aussie batting is disappointing.Captain Ricky Ponting is in poor form.Its a nightmare new year for the aussie captain.So it will be a good contest tomorrow in adelaide
oval.
Australia have a good record in this ground and it favours the team that bats first.In the last 8 games the team batted first have won 5 times.so toss will be crucial for the outcome of the game.
David Hussey is expected toplay in place of injured micheal clarke.It will be debut for him.
Brett lee is 50-50.
India: Plus................... The main boost for india is the good form of young prospect Rohit sharma .He is in excellent form.He has to do his job correctly to give any chance for india.
India:Minus................. The bowling department is a concern for india.except young ishant sharma there is no one to tell in specific.Sreesanth is very expensive.So the other opening bowlers have to help ishant sharma to give india a good chance.
Australia: Plus.............. Veteran gilchrist scored a good ton in his home ground two days back which will give aussies a boost.Mitchell johnson and Nathan bracken are performing well for the aussies.
Australia: Minus........... Their slip fielding is terrible.i haven't seen a worse fielding from the aussies in the past.They have to improve in that department and have to stop gifting lives for the opposing team.
AtoZ prediction............ A close contest.will be a good match.But aussies will clinch it
IPL kick off on April 18
IPL is expected to kick off on April 18 2008, with the first matches expected between Sharukh Khan’s Kolkata franchise and Vijay Mallya’s Bangalore team at the Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bangalore. IPL will feature eight franchises and will run for 44 days. Each franchise will play all others on a home and away basis with 7 matches at home. The top 4 franchises in the league will contest the semi finals and the victorious semi finalists will meet in the grand final all over one weekend, which will be played out in Mumbai.
The inaugural season of the IPL will showcase a grand total of 59 matches providing broadcasters and in-stadia spectators with 177 hours of live entertainment, which will also be viewed by a significant international audience. All matches will be during late afternoon and evening to coincide with prime time for television and providing a convenient time for the stadium audience.
The inaugural season of the IPL will showcase a grand total of 59 matches providing broadcasters and in-stadia spectators with 177 hours of live entertainment, which will also be viewed by a significant international audience. All matches will be during late afternoon and evening to coincide with prime time for television and providing a convenient time for the stadium audience.
There "was" a Masterful Batsman by the name Yuvraj
Gary Kirsten thinks it's about belief, Mahendra Singh Dhoni attributes it to pressure, Kapil Dev has called for more time, Michael Clarke feels a comeback is imminent, and some experts have said a break is the best option. A Bollywood actress' name keeps cropping up. With every match, every new failure, the Yuvraj Singh conundrum is dissected further.
Yuvraj's slide has been one of the themes of the Australian summer, one where he has found new ways to get himself out. At the MCG last Sunday, with the game on a knife edge, he swung hard at a slow offcutter from Stuart Clark. The ball popped straight to Michael Hussey at short cover, who had been stationed in the position expressly for the purpose. A fielder was brought in and Yuvraj played straight into his hands.
It was déjà vu all over again. Yuvraj arrived in Australia a proud prince, fresh off a scintillating century against Pakistan in the Bangalore Test. The swagger remains but the bat is no more the flashing blade that cut bowlers to pieces. Adding to the frustration is the fact that the bowlers have often been peripheral to Yuvraj's downfall.
Kirsten, a left-hand batsman who based his game more on graft rather than dazzling shots, talks of "high expectations and a fear of failure". Few would be more qualified to talk about ploughing one's way out of a rough patch, so diligently did Kirsten approach every single innings. "It usually requires a scratchy but determined innings to get the confidence and belief back," he told Cricinfo. "And it also requires a bit of luck. I believe this comes from a really good attitude in training and in one's preparation. Work as hard as one can in one's physical and mental preparation and more times than not, things will turn."
There's no doubt that Yuvraj himself has been dissecting his technique to bits, trying to figure out where the flaw lies. There has been talk of his vulnerability against the moving ball, his tentativeness against spin, his lack of footwork against both, and his faulty head position. Surely Yuvraj, on the cusp of his 200th ODI, has had enough time to find out what works best for him?
The slump has called on Mahendra Singh Dhoni to field a barrage of questions at the end of every match. At Canberra, where Yuvraj came in as late as the penultimate over, he scowled when asked about Yuvraj's form. Dhoni is doing his bit to curb his own flamboyance, in keeping with the need to achieve his vision for a brave, adaptable team. He has knuckled down, brought out a more guarded front, and thrived on the responsibility. The ability to do likewise has often eluded Yuvraj.
"Yuvraj is key and whether he is scoring or not doesn't matter. At times when you are desperate to perform, the pressure mounts," Dhoni said. "Personally, I feel Yuvi should come after the 20th over because the field opens up and that's the main time when you build up your innings. The main emphasis for a team has always been on how you start the innings and how you finish in the final overs, but for me it is how you set up and how you perform in the middle overs - 20-39 overs is more important and that's the key moment for your best batsman to be out there.
"Last year he was our main middle-order batsman, who handled pressure and gave good stability to the side. He also contributes with the ball when we play an extra batsman, so he is an asset to the side."
Yuvraj, too, has cited his phenomenal run last year, where he came into his own as a one-day batsman and was unstoppable in the World Twenty20. After India's World Cup debacle, he rattled up 1025 runs in 29 games up until the start of the CB Series. In 2007 he was the most successful Indian batsman in run-chases, ended with the best average, and was India's second most prolific run-scorer after Sachin Tendulkar.
Yuvraj's slide has been one of the themes of the Australian summer, one where he has found new ways to get himself out. At the MCG last Sunday, with the game on a knife edge, he swung hard at a slow offcutter from Stuart Clark. The ball popped straight to Michael Hussey at short cover, who had been stationed in the position expressly for the purpose. A fielder was brought in and Yuvraj played straight into his hands.
It was déjà vu all over again. Yuvraj arrived in Australia a proud prince, fresh off a scintillating century against Pakistan in the Bangalore Test. The swagger remains but the bat is no more the flashing blade that cut bowlers to pieces. Adding to the frustration is the fact that the bowlers have often been peripheral to Yuvraj's downfall.
Kirsten, a left-hand batsman who based his game more on graft rather than dazzling shots, talks of "high expectations and a fear of failure". Few would be more qualified to talk about ploughing one's way out of a rough patch, so diligently did Kirsten approach every single innings. "It usually requires a scratchy but determined innings to get the confidence and belief back," he told Cricinfo. "And it also requires a bit of luck. I believe this comes from a really good attitude in training and in one's preparation. Work as hard as one can in one's physical and mental preparation and more times than not, things will turn."
There's no doubt that Yuvraj himself has been dissecting his technique to bits, trying to figure out where the flaw lies. There has been talk of his vulnerability against the moving ball, his tentativeness against spin, his lack of footwork against both, and his faulty head position. Surely Yuvraj, on the cusp of his 200th ODI, has had enough time to find out what works best for him?
The slump has called on Mahendra Singh Dhoni to field a barrage of questions at the end of every match. At Canberra, where Yuvraj came in as late as the penultimate over, he scowled when asked about Yuvraj's form. Dhoni is doing his bit to curb his own flamboyance, in keeping with the need to achieve his vision for a brave, adaptable team. He has knuckled down, brought out a more guarded front, and thrived on the responsibility. The ability to do likewise has often eluded Yuvraj.
"Yuvraj is key and whether he is scoring or not doesn't matter. At times when you are desperate to perform, the pressure mounts," Dhoni said. "Personally, I feel Yuvi should come after the 20th over because the field opens up and that's the main time when you build up your innings. The main emphasis for a team has always been on how you start the innings and how you finish in the final overs, but for me it is how you set up and how you perform in the middle overs - 20-39 overs is more important and that's the key moment for your best batsman to be out there.
"Last year he was our main middle-order batsman, who handled pressure and gave good stability to the side. He also contributes with the ball when we play an extra batsman, so he is an asset to the side."
Yuvraj, too, has cited his phenomenal run last year, where he came into his own as a one-day batsman and was unstoppable in the World Twenty20. After India's World Cup debacle, he rattled up 1025 runs in 29 games up until the start of the CB Series. In 2007 he was the most successful Indian batsman in run-chases, ended with the best average, and was India's second most prolific run-scorer after Sachin Tendulkar.
Before the CB Series, Yuvraj spoke of his disastrous run in the Tests in Australia - he totalled 23 runs in five innings - and argued that it was only a minor blip that was being blown out of proportion. "It's just two games, not like some ten-odd games."
Yet, ever since his debut in 2000, there has been a question mark over his consistency. Those who have played the game at his level point to his frequent inability to lean into a stroke completely - which various bowlers have exploited by placing an extra fielder at short cover or silly mid-off.
The demons of self-doubt may have surfaced after his latest injury as well. It took a while for Yuvraj to rebound from the knee injury he sustained in 2006, and he was lucky to get away with a minor twinge this time around. Whispers that his frail knee has been playing on his mind are yet to be confirmed, but these are hard to ignore when he is seen at mid-on or languishing in the outfield instead of at his favourite position, point.
It's not so much the lack of runs that is worrying. Yuvraj has displayed little vitality in the field, and a distinct lack of leadership of the sort that one expects from the vice-captain. Harbhajan Singh, a long-time friend, reckons Yuvraj is one of the "top ten" batsmen at the moment. Yuvraj knows he has the resources to justify the claim. With other players one might have asked, "Will he, won't he?" but this man, supposedly India's next great batsman, has no option. He simply must.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Football (Uefa cup round up)
Bolton and Tottenham both secured first leg victories as they eye a place in the last 16 of the Uefa Cup, while Aberdeen were hugely impressive in their 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich.
Hamburg had too much for FC Zurich and Fiorentina also tasted success on their travels as they beat Rosenborg.
Gary Megson's Bolton will take a first leg lead to the Spanish capital after the Reebok faithful were treated to a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
An evenly fought and often volatile encounter was decided by El-Hadji Diouf's close range winner, just moments after Atletico substitute Sergio Aguero was sent-off for spitting in the 72nd minute.
Aberdeen performed heroically at Pittodrie to hold Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw that saw them twice lead against the Bundesliga giants.
Josh Walker fired the SPL side into a shock 24th minute lead with a precision strike from the edge of the box, but their joy proved short-lived as Bayern hit back through Miroslav Klose's smashed finish from Luca Toni's flick on.
Aberdeen restored their lead when Omatsone Aluko showed a great touch and composure before firing a low drive under a helpless Michael Rensing just before the half-time break.
Bayern responded strongly in the second period and will host Aberdeen on a level footing in the return leg, thanks to Hamit Altintop's close range effort, after he had seen his penalty saved by Dons goalkeeper Jamie Langfield.
Tottenham claimed an away day success at Slavia Prague, as they secured a 2-1 victory that should have seen them win by more, despite a late rally from the home side.
Spurs were always in cruise control on their trip to the Czech capital as they needed just four minutes to take the lead.
Jermaine Jenas' mazy dribble concluded with the ball breaking to Dimitar Berbatov, who proceeded to slam in his 16th goal of the season.
So as not to be overshadowed by his strike partner, Robbie Keane got in on the act when on the half-hour mark he converted Jenas' clever pass with the finish it deserved.
Juande Ramos looked content on the bench but after David Strihavka capitalised on Radek Cerny's dropping of a routine cross with 20 minutes remaining, Spurs looked distinctly shaky.
Prague went close to grabbing a surprise leveller on a number of occasions, with Erich Brabec crashing the bar with a header.
Hamburg were far too strong on their travels to Zurich as they came away with a comfortable 3-1 victory, which saw all the goals scored in the second half.
David Jarolim broke the home side's resolve four minutes after the break when he converted substitute Jose Guerrero's knock-down with a smart finish.
And it was Guerrero again that proved to be the architect of Hamburg's second, as his cross was converted by Croatian striker Ivica Olic.
The win was secured when Piotr Trochowski scored a low free-kick that should make the return leg in Germany very much a formality.
Zurich's consolation was scored two minutes from time when Eric Hassli scored a free-kick of his own.
Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu ensured it is Fiorentina that are favourites to progress to the competition's latter stages as his goal saw off Rosenborg in Norway.
The Romanian's 16th minute effort saw him pounce from close range to finish Riccardo Montolivo's pass.
Ariza Makukula's goal two minutes before the break secured Benfica a first leg advantage over Nurnberg.
Hamburg had too much for FC Zurich and Fiorentina also tasted success on their travels as they beat Rosenborg.
Gary Megson's Bolton will take a first leg lead to the Spanish capital after the Reebok faithful were treated to a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
An evenly fought and often volatile encounter was decided by El-Hadji Diouf's close range winner, just moments after Atletico substitute Sergio Aguero was sent-off for spitting in the 72nd minute.
Aberdeen performed heroically at Pittodrie to hold Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw that saw them twice lead against the Bundesliga giants.
Josh Walker fired the SPL side into a shock 24th minute lead with a precision strike from the edge of the box, but their joy proved short-lived as Bayern hit back through Miroslav Klose's smashed finish from Luca Toni's flick on.
Aberdeen restored their lead when Omatsone Aluko showed a great touch and composure before firing a low drive under a helpless Michael Rensing just before the half-time break.
Bayern responded strongly in the second period and will host Aberdeen on a level footing in the return leg, thanks to Hamit Altintop's close range effort, after he had seen his penalty saved by Dons goalkeeper Jamie Langfield.
Tottenham claimed an away day success at Slavia Prague, as they secured a 2-1 victory that should have seen them win by more, despite a late rally from the home side.
Spurs were always in cruise control on their trip to the Czech capital as they needed just four minutes to take the lead.
Jermaine Jenas' mazy dribble concluded with the ball breaking to Dimitar Berbatov, who proceeded to slam in his 16th goal of the season.
So as not to be overshadowed by his strike partner, Robbie Keane got in on the act when on the half-hour mark he converted Jenas' clever pass with the finish it deserved.
Juande Ramos looked content on the bench but after David Strihavka capitalised on Radek Cerny's dropping of a routine cross with 20 minutes remaining, Spurs looked distinctly shaky.
Prague went close to grabbing a surprise leveller on a number of occasions, with Erich Brabec crashing the bar with a header.
Hamburg were far too strong on their travels to Zurich as they came away with a comfortable 3-1 victory, which saw all the goals scored in the second half.
David Jarolim broke the home side's resolve four minutes after the break when he converted substitute Jose Guerrero's knock-down with a smart finish.
And it was Guerrero again that proved to be the architect of Hamburg's second, as his cross was converted by Croatian striker Ivica Olic.
The win was secured when Piotr Trochowski scored a low free-kick that should make the return leg in Germany very much a formality.
Zurich's consolation was scored two minutes from time when Eric Hassli scored a free-kick of his own.
Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu ensured it is Fiorentina that are favourites to progress to the competition's latter stages as his goal saw off Rosenborg in Norway.
The Romanian's 16th minute effort saw him pounce from close range to finish Riccardo Montolivo's pass.
Ariza Makukula's goal two minutes before the break secured Benfica a first leg advantage over Nurnberg.
Cricket(CB series 6th odi AUS vs SL) at Perth
Australia 236 (Gilchrist 118, Clarke 43, Malinga 4-47) beat Sri Lanka 173 (Sangakarra 80) by 63 runs
Adam Gilchrist celebrated a century on his farewell appearance at the WACA as Australia beat Sri Lanka to go top of the Commonwealth Bank Series table.
The big-hitting wicketkeeper cracked 118 on his home ground as the Australians made 236 in 49.4 overs and then bowled out Sri Lanka for just 173 as the tourists were made to pay for a host of dropped catches and misfields towards the end of the Australian innings.
Gilchrist, who is set to retire from international cricket after the series, smacked nine fours and three sixes from his 132-ball knock, but the hosts' total had looked achievable on a decent pitch with a quick outfield.
Kumar Sangakkara took the fight to Australia, but the wicketkeeper was offered precious little support from his team-mates to finish on 80 as the game drifted away from Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka started their run chase in a hurry and Brett Lee went for 16 from the first over, openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya both hitting boundaries.
But Jayasuriya was soon sent packing by Nathan Bracken for a rapid 12, James Hopes taking the catch at third man, and Mitchell Johnson, brought into the attack in place of Lee, removed Dishan's middle stump in his first over for 11.
The next partnership of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene looked ominous for Australia as the pair sprayed the ball to all corners of the ground with a steady flow of fours to keep the run rate well above a run a ball.
Johnson though struck again with a late-swinging delivery held by Ponting in the slips to dismiss Jayawardene for 21.
Andrew Symonds, diving low to his left, then took a stunning one-handed catch with the ball barely off the ground to get rid of Chamara Silva for a duck off the bowling of Bracken.
Sangakkara's scoring slowed dramatically after those two wickets and his partnership with Chamara Kapugedara produced just two fours, both from the new batsman.
It was not until the 32nd over that the wicketkeeper brought up his 50 from 80 balls to move the tourists on to 129 for four.
Kapugedara was caught next ball by Michael Hussey off James Hopes for 26.
Brad Hogg did for Farveez Maharoof (7) and Chaminda Vaas for a golden duck in the space of two balls before Nuwan Kulasekara (0) lobbed a Bracken delivery into Symonds' hands and Johnson shattered Malinga's stumps with the Sri Lankan on five.
Lee rounded off the win by bowling Sangakkara.
Earlier, Lasith Malinga had been the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with figures of four for 47.
The paceman struck first to dismiss Matthew Hayden for just four, Maharoof taking the catch, while number three Ponting was next to fall for a quickfire 25, caught by Jayawardene off the bowling of Vaas.
Opener Gilchrist proved more difficult to remove and raced into the 90s before his next partner Michael Clarke went for a pedestrian 43, Muttiah Muralitharan fooling him with a doosra and Sangakkara whipping off the bails.
The left-hander was stuck in the 90s for some time and his pursuit for 100 seemed to slow the Aussies down as first Clarke and then Symonds looked to give him the strike and the chance of glory rather than hit big.
Gilchrist edged slowly closer to three figures with a succession of singles and finally reached the landmark after Symonds had edged a Maharoof delivery to wicketkeeper Sangakkara for four to move Australia on to 180 for four.
He was dropped by Kapugedara off Muralitharan on 116, but the fielder made amends the following over as he held on when the batsman got a leading edge trying to hit a Malinga delivery down the ground.
Hussey, having come in for Symonds, survived a stumping appeal and a woeful drop from substitute fielder Upal Tharanga before he went for 25, caught by Jayawardene off Kulasekara.
Kulasekara had struck earlier to dismiss Hopes for two, while Brad Hogg was clean bowled by Malinga for five shortly after.
In the closing stages, Johnson was run out for a duck after a fine direct hit on the stumps from Dilshan and Lee was the last man out for two, the victim of a Malinga yorker.
Adam Gilchrist celebrated a century on his farewell appearance at the WACA as Australia beat Sri Lanka to go top of the Commonwealth Bank Series table.
The big-hitting wicketkeeper cracked 118 on his home ground as the Australians made 236 in 49.4 overs and then bowled out Sri Lanka for just 173 as the tourists were made to pay for a host of dropped catches and misfields towards the end of the Australian innings.
Gilchrist, who is set to retire from international cricket after the series, smacked nine fours and three sixes from his 132-ball knock, but the hosts' total had looked achievable on a decent pitch with a quick outfield.
Kumar Sangakkara took the fight to Australia, but the wicketkeeper was offered precious little support from his team-mates to finish on 80 as the game drifted away from Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka started their run chase in a hurry and Brett Lee went for 16 from the first over, openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya both hitting boundaries.
But Jayasuriya was soon sent packing by Nathan Bracken for a rapid 12, James Hopes taking the catch at third man, and Mitchell Johnson, brought into the attack in place of Lee, removed Dishan's middle stump in his first over for 11.
The next partnership of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene looked ominous for Australia as the pair sprayed the ball to all corners of the ground with a steady flow of fours to keep the run rate well above a run a ball.
Johnson though struck again with a late-swinging delivery held by Ponting in the slips to dismiss Jayawardene for 21.
Andrew Symonds, diving low to his left, then took a stunning one-handed catch with the ball barely off the ground to get rid of Chamara Silva for a duck off the bowling of Bracken.
Sangakkara's scoring slowed dramatically after those two wickets and his partnership with Chamara Kapugedara produced just two fours, both from the new batsman.
It was not until the 32nd over that the wicketkeeper brought up his 50 from 80 balls to move the tourists on to 129 for four.
Kapugedara was caught next ball by Michael Hussey off James Hopes for 26.
Brad Hogg did for Farveez Maharoof (7) and Chaminda Vaas for a golden duck in the space of two balls before Nuwan Kulasekara (0) lobbed a Bracken delivery into Symonds' hands and Johnson shattered Malinga's stumps with the Sri Lankan on five.
Lee rounded off the win by bowling Sangakkara.
Earlier, Lasith Malinga had been the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with figures of four for 47.
The paceman struck first to dismiss Matthew Hayden for just four, Maharoof taking the catch, while number three Ponting was next to fall for a quickfire 25, caught by Jayawardene off the bowling of Vaas.
Opener Gilchrist proved more difficult to remove and raced into the 90s before his next partner Michael Clarke went for a pedestrian 43, Muttiah Muralitharan fooling him with a doosra and Sangakkara whipping off the bails.
The left-hander was stuck in the 90s for some time and his pursuit for 100 seemed to slow the Aussies down as first Clarke and then Symonds looked to give him the strike and the chance of glory rather than hit big.
Gilchrist edged slowly closer to three figures with a succession of singles and finally reached the landmark after Symonds had edged a Maharoof delivery to wicketkeeper Sangakkara for four to move Australia on to 180 for four.
He was dropped by Kapugedara off Muralitharan on 116, but the fielder made amends the following over as he held on when the batsman got a leading edge trying to hit a Malinga delivery down the ground.
Hussey, having come in for Symonds, survived a stumping appeal and a woeful drop from substitute fielder Upal Tharanga before he went for 25, caught by Jayawardene off Kulasekara.
Kulasekara had struck earlier to dismiss Hopes for two, while Brad Hogg was clean bowled by Malinga for five shortly after.
In the closing stages, Johnson was run out for a duck after a fine direct hit on the stumps from Dilshan and Lee was the last man out for two, the victim of a Malinga yorker.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)