5-Star Irfan bowls India to victory

Irfan Pathan took five wickets after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit an unbeaten half-century as India beat Sri Lanka by 26 runs in their opening warm-up match of the World Twenty20 at the P Sara Oval on Saturday. Chasing a 147-run victory target, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 120 runs in 19.3 overs as Pathan took 5-25. Earlier, Dhoni scored an unbeaten half-century as India overcame early jitters to post a respectable 146-5. Dhoni’s unbeaten 42-ball 55, including four fours and three sixes, revived India’s fortunes after Sri Lankan bowlers had initially pushed the visitors on to the backfoot with early wickets. Reeling at 51-4 at one stage, Dhoni, in the able company of Rohit Sharma (37), put up a 78-run stand for the sixth wicket to take India to a decent total. Opting to bat, India not only lost Gautam Gambhir, who retired hurt in the very first over, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina also failed to lay a strong foundation. It was Nuwan Kulasekara who provided the Lankans the early breakthroughs by sending back both Sehwag (12) and Raina (13) cheaply in the fifth over. Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh were expected to steady the boat but Angelo Mathews spoilt the Indians’ plan by dismissing the former for eight. Yuvraj, who made an emotional return to international cricket scoring a 26-ball 34 against New Zealand in a T20 match, also could not put up any resistance as Rangana Herath struck in the very next over to leave India struggling at 51-4 in 8.3 overs. Yuvraj fell for a 12-ball 11, that included two fours. However, Dhoni and Rohit managed to consolidate the team’s position and Meanwhile, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said it was important for India to win the World Twenty20 because the team has had a tough time in Test series in England and Australia. “We won the 2007 World Cup and then this format has eluded us. We didn’t do well in the last two World Cups. Now to put in faith and win this World Cup is critical for the team, in the sense that we have done a good job but over the last one year we had tough time in Australia and England.”