India overhaul middle-order hiccup to post 321

50 oversIndia 321 for 6 (Dhawan 125, Rohit 78, Malinga 2-70) v Sri Lanka
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Dhawan’s 125 was his third century in Champions Trophy matches © Getty Images

Sri Lanka’s great tormentor Virat Kohli might have been out for a duck, and Yuvraj Singh might have been ineffective, but still, Shikhar Dhawan smote a smooth 125, MS Dhoni cracked 63 off 52 balls, and India’s batting effort went more or less perfectly according to plan. On an Oval surface with a little bit of nip, and a confident pack of quicks in their ranks, India’s 321 for 6 is commanding.

Though they got first use of a green-tinged surface on a cloudy London day, Sri Lanka’s bowling effort was modest. Where more disciplined new-ball bowling might have created early chances, India’s openers were instead allowed to mount 138 for the first wicket, after which an eventual total of less than 300 seemed almost inconceivable. Sri Lanka were guilty, again, of not possessing a wicket-taking option through the middle overs – Lakshan Sandakan remains unused in the tournament – and were also wayward at the death, where they had been good in the first match against South Africa.

Of the bowlers, Malinga returned the best figures, dismissing both openers and conceding 70 from his 10 overs. Danushka Gunathilaka, who was drafted into the squad late last evening following the injury to Chamara Kapugedara, delivered eight overs of tidy part-time offspin – giving away 41.

What was clear from the beginning of the innings was that Dhawan was timing the ball delectably. His second stroke was a cut behind point for four, and a few overs later, he was sending balls scorching through cover. It was by no means a rapid start – the first Powerplay yielded only 48, of which Dhawan’s share was 28 from 35 balls.

But at no stage did India’s batsmen seem harassed. They began to work the ball around with ease once the field spread, and awaited the bad balls, dealing out particularly severe punishments to short deliveries. Rohit Sharma reached his half century with a six that burst through the hands of Asela Gunaratne at fine leg. He would eventually fall to the pull, sending a Lasith Malinga ball down long leg’s throat off the middle of the bat, but not before he had collected two further sixes with the same stroke.

Dhawan, who had been content to let Rohit lead India’s charge, imposed himself more intensively after his partner’s dismissal. Having taken 69 balls to reach 50, Dhawan hit the next 27 runs in 15 deliveries, before, eventually, MS Dhoni came to the crease, and Dhawan ceded the limelight again.

Dhawan, who had scored 377 runs in his last four matches against Sri Lanka, reached his hundred with a cut shot for four in the 40th over – notching his 10th ODI ton and second against his opposition. Immediately after the milestone came another burst of quick scoring, the death overs now begun. By the time Malinga had him caught at long on off a slower ball, Dhawan had struck 34 off his last 19 deliveries.

Arriving in the 34th over to bat against his favourite opponent, Dhoni wasted little time opening up his shoulders, cracking a six over third man off his sixth delivery, before unfurling his booming groundstrokes – off the quicks and the spinners. Between the 40th and 45th overs, he struck six fours off fourteen deliveries faced, and had set India off on their final charge, while Sri Lanka’s quicks sent down a feast of full tosses.

The bowlers did bowl a little bit better to Dhoni in the last five overs, but the runs flowed nevertheless. The last 10 overs would yield 103. MS Dhoni holed out to long off early in the final over, but such is the explosive power in India’s middle order, that Kedar Jadhav was still around to slam 14 off the last four Thisara Perera deliveries in the 50th over.

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Source: ESPN Crickinfo