Asia Cup 2008 Live ScoreBoard : India qualified for the Asia Cup final
July 3, 2008
India exhibited their batting prowess to perfection with their top order firing in unison to score an easy 6-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their must-win Asia Cup Super Four match and set up a summit clash against the same opponents on Sunday.
India’s top order batsmen continued their run of good form Thursday to defeat defending champion Sri Lanka by six wickets in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup, booking a place in the final at the expense of hosts Pakistan.
India wiped off the 309-run target in 46.5 overs after Sri Lanka accumulated 308-8 off its 50 overs to book a July 6 repeat final against the defending champion.
Both teams carried forward two points each from the group matches and ended the Super Four stage with six points each.
The Indian victory also ended Pakistan’s hopes of qualifying for the final as it has only two points and still has to play an irrelevant last game against Bangladesh on Friday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (67) and Suresh Raina (54) carved out a match-winning 99-run third wicket stand from 92 balls as Sri Lanka – already through to the final before the match – rested two key bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Ajantha Mendis.
Yuvraj Singh (36 not out) and Rohit Sharma (22 not out) romped him with an unfinished 57-run stand for the 5th wicket.
For Sri Lanka, Muralitharan was the most successful bowler returning figures of 10-0-44-2.
Earlier, Sri Lanka made 308 for eight with half centuries from Chamara Kapugedera (75), captain Mahela Jayawardene (50) and Chamara Silva (50).
Playing before a sparse crowd, Sri Lanka was in control for most part of the innings but lost wickets at regular intervals after reaching 217 for three. In the final 10 overs, they lost four wickets for 74 runs.
Irfan Pathan was the most expensive bowler conceding 80 in his 10 overs with his final over conceding 14 runs.
Scoreboard from the India and Sri Lanka
Asia Cup match at the National Stadium, Karachi, on Thursday.
Sri Lanka innings
S. Jayasuriya c Dhoni b Sharma 43
K. Sangakkara c Dhoni b Sharma 7
M. Jayawardene c Gambhir b Ojha 50
C. Kapugedera lbw b Kumar 75
C. Silva run out 50
T. Dilshan c RP Singh b Pathan 15
K. Weeraratne c Gambhir b RP Singh 23
T. T. Mirando run out 23
N. Kulasekera not out 6
M. Muralitharan not out 1
Extras (b-1 lb-11 w-3) 15
Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 308
Fall of wickets: 1-16 2-71 3-149 4-217 5-245 6-263 7-287
8-307
Bowling: R.P Singh 10-1-44-1, I. Sharma 10-0-55-2 (1w),
Pathan 10-0-80-1, Kumar 6-0-36-1 (1w), Ojha 10-0-55-1, Sehwag
3-0-22-0 (1w), R. Sharma 1-0-4-0
India innings
G. Gambhir lbw b Muralitharan 68
V. Sehwag c Fernando b Kulasekera 42
S. Raina run out 54
M.S. Dhoni b Muralitharan 67
Y. Singh not out 36
R. Sharma not out 22
Extras (lb-11 w-9 nb-1) 21
Total (for four wickets, 46.5 overs) 310
Fall of wickets: 1-92 2-135 3-234 4-253
Bowling: Fernando 9-0-52-0 (1nb, 1w), Kulasekera 9.5-0-71-1
(3w), Mirando 8-0-67-0 (2w), Muralitharan 10-0-44-2, Weeraratne
5-0-36-0, Jayasuriya 3-0-19-0 (1w), Dilshan 2-0-10-0.
Result: India won by six wickets to qualify for the Asia Cup
final against Sri Lanka on July 6.
Player of the match: M.S. Dhoni (India).
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