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March 21, 2007 (Link to Scorecard)

Sri Lanka have done a great favour to India by winning their match against Bangladesh by a huge margin of 198 runs. Now India needs to beat Sri Lanka on the 23rd to stay alive in the World Cup. The big Sri Lankan win was set up by its batsmen. The Bangla Tigers succumbed to the pressure of chasing a tall order and they went down without a fight.

The conditions at Port of Spain were ideal for the pacers and Habibul Bashar did the right in inserting the Lankans to bat first on a damp wicket. But the new ball pair of Mashrafe Mortaza and Syed Rasel showed their inexperience which was enough for Jayasuriya to capitalize on. The veteran left hander blasted two sixes off Rasel to force Bashar to look for spin as early as the 11th over. Abdul Razzak, the left arm spinner was taken for two sixes in an over by Jayasuriya and Sri Lanka were looking deadly dangerous. Jayasuriya couldn't prolong his innings after he had pulled a muscle in his leg in the 25th over, he wisely retired hurt with his score on 83. The Lankans were then carried forward by Mahela Jayawardene (46 from 70 with 2 fours and 2 sixes) and Kumar Sangakkara (56 from 55 with 3 fours and a six). The finishing touches were done by the impressive Chamara Silva along with Jayasuriya who had come back after the fall of Sangakkara in the 45th over. Silva remained unbeaten once again, this time on 52 from 48 with 5 fours and two sixes. Jayasuriya added 26 more runs, his 109 had come in just 87 balls with 7 fours and as many as 7 sixes! This was his 24th ODI hundred and only the second in all the World Cup matches he has played. Abdur Razzak was the sufferer going for 86 in his 10 overs as SL posted 318 for 4.

Chaminda Vaas as usual got the breakthrough with his trademark incoming delivery that raps the batsman plumb in front, this time the casualty was Shahriar Nafees. Last match hero for BD, Tamim Iqbal was done in by the extra pace and bounce from Lasith Malinga and Bangladesh could never recover after that. Wickets after wickets fell with the Tigers unable to put on any partnership. Their innings eventually folded after play was resumed after a brief rain interruption that had revised their target to 311 from 46 overs. Poor Mohammad Ashraful was stranded in the end on a well made 45 which had come in 63 balls with half dozen boundaries. Ashraful was the top scorer for Bangladesh and it was a pity that he was sent as low as no.7! The damage was done by Lasith Malinga picking up three wickets for 27 in just 6 overs. The Bangladeshi innings lasted just the 37 overs with their batsmen coming up with a timid 112. Only three batsmen got into double figures. For his blazing century in the first half, Sanath Jayasuriya walked away with the Man of the Match award.

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