India restrict Sri Lanka to 242 despite Jayawardene ton

HYDERABAD: A disastrous batting Powerplay that cost Sri Lanka three wickets for 16 runs sucked the oxygen out of an already endangered innings and set the visitors on course for their third mediocre score of the series. On a track expected to feature scores of around 300, Sri Lanka were all out for 242 in the 49th over, as Umesh Yadav and Akshar Patel dealt seven blows between them. That Sri Lanka even managed to breach 200 was thanks largely to a characteristically graceful 118 off 124 from Mahela Jayawardene.

It was Akshar who orchestrated the mid-innings collapse, and as has been the case throughout the series, it was his fluctuations in pace that vexed the Sri Lanka batsmen. Angelo Mathews had appeared settled when the Powerplay was called for in the 31st over. He had reverse-swept R Ashwin powerfully for four the previous over, but was slow on the pull as Akshar skidded one through. The top-edge looped to cover.

Akshar's flat and fast deliveries in the next over kept Ashan Priyanjan scoreless for four balls and induced a mistake. The batsman aimed a heave over mid-on, but managed only to hit it to Yadav, who took a diving catch. Chaturanga de Silva, playing this match instead of Suraj Randiv, attempted to carve Akshar over cover in the final over of the Powerplay. The fielder was found once more.

Having begun the Powerplay at 138 for 3, Sri Lanka finished at 154 for 6. Akshar had delivered three of those overs, claimed a wicket in each, and conceded 11. Things worsened when Thisara Perera's dismissal soon after left Sri Lanka at 158 for 7.

Even before the crumble in the Powerplay, Jayawardene had to launch a rescue effort alongside Tillakaratne Dilshan, after Kusal Perera and Kumar Sangakkara's early demise to a zippy Yadav. Kusal improved on the duck from his last match, but didn't get further than the first over again, edging a fine short-of-a-length delivery behind him as it moved across. Sangakkara got an even better away-seamer first up, and he nicked to slip to collect a golden duck in what may have been his final innings in India.

Dilshan and Jayawardene rebuilt sagely from 7 for 2. Dilshan was still some way from his best as he swung hard at wide balls and mis-hit plenty. But from early in the innings, Jayawardene reverted to perhaps the safest version of his own game. His first boundary came via a ramp over the keeper off a short ball, and that established the major theme of his innings; playing deliciously late to score plenty behind square. Eleven of his 12 fours were scored behind the wicket, and 80 of his 118 collected in the same region.

The pair put on 104 together before Dilshan departed to Ambati Rayudu's part-time offspin, soon after he had scrambled a fifty. Jayawardene's next four partners lasted 11.2 overs put together, and soon, having lost faith in his teammates, Jayawardene was turning down singles into the outfield in the 38th and 39th overs.

Seekkuge Prasanna was put down by Suresh Raina in the slips on 0, and Jayawardene finally had a partner with whom he could string together some kind of stand. They put on 67 together and Jayawardene became the fifth batsman to make 12000 career ODI runs before he ran past an Ashwin topsinner.

Prasanna battled on for a time, but was soon bowled by Yadav, who claimed career-best ODI figures of 4 for 53. Nuwan Kulasekara was the last man dismissed, giving some joy to Dhawal Kulkarni, whose waywardness had seen him travel at over six an over.