COLOMBO (PTI): India snatched a thrilling one run victory over Sri Lanka, stunning the goodly home crowd at the Khettarama stadium to go 10 in the three match limited over sense here on July 25, Opener Chandika Hathurasinghe (64) and Aravinda De Silva (62) had virtually sealed the match for Sri Lanka with their 115run third wicket stand but from a heady 161 for two, Sri Lanka fell short of India’s tally of 212 by one run with four balls remaining.
On a track that was on the slower side, India’s tally built around Mohammed Azharuddin’s 53 seemed rather indefensible, particularly when Hathurasinghe’s resolute methods combined admirably with Aravinda De Silva’s powerful stroke play. However, in what became a battle of nerves, India’s greater experience stood out, never more than when left-hand Ruwan Kalpae scurried for a third run off the first ball of Manoj Prabhakar’s last over and left Pramodaya Wickremesinghe open to exploitation. Prabhakar answered the team’s prayers with a swinging Yorker that knocked the last man’s leg stump out of the ground and India had scampered home by the skin of its teeth.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 30, 1993
