SHARJAH. United Arab Emirates. Nov 10: India's new-ball pair Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar triggered a Sri Lankan collapse on Monday to set up a thrilling 81-run win in the Coca-Cola-Trophy here, reports AFP.
The duo carved through the top order as India, defending a modest 179. bowled out the world champions out 98 with 11 overs to spare.
Sri Lanka’s third successive defeat left them tottering on the brink of elimination from the three-nation event, while India cruised through to the final next Friday with three wins, in a row.
That would leave Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe with one win, with India's opponents decided on net run-rate,
Agarkar finished with three for 35 and Srinath two for 20. Left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi polished off the tail with 3-17 from 10 overs.
The slide began with the second ball of the Innings when Sanath Jayasuriya played on an outswinger from Srinath.
Agarkar. a 21-year-old from Bombay, also struck in his first over as he trapped the other opener Avishka Gunawardena leg before to make it two for 2.
Agarkar was unlucky not to strike again six runs later when New Zealand umpire Steve Dunne turned down an appeal for a catch at the wicket against Aravinda De Silva.
Television replays showed a big edge. De Silva, however, was or3y to make 29 before falling to a contentious catch behind the stumps off Joshi.
Agarkar. however, hit back as he yorked Marvan Atapattu and Roshan Mahanama leg-before off successive deliveries in his fourth over.
Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga prevented the hat-trick. but perished to a superb reflex catch at short leg by Robin Singh off Srinath for nine an when Romesh Kaluwitharana was run out for zero by a direct throw from Joshi the Sri Lankans were struggling at 47-6 in the 14th over.
De Silva was seventh out at 66. This time the replay showed he had not touched the ball but
De Silva was still booed off the field by some 10.000 Indian supporters and banged his bat on the pavilion steps before storming inside.
Ranatunga played down the umpiring errors and instead blamed the continued failure of the batsmen for his team’s poor showing. , .
"The batsmen struggled for the third match in a row in this tournament and that really let us down," he said.
"We did exceptionally well in the field in the first session but
then undid all the good work. It's not going to be easy now to make the final."
Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin said: Srinath and Agarkar did us proud this evening. I thought it was all over when we were bowled out for nothing again.
Sri Lankans defeat marred their outstanding display in the field during the first session.
Atapattu stood out with three catches and two run-outs and spinner Kumara Dharmasena took three for 31 after Ranatunga won the toss and Sent the Indians in.
Vice-captain Ajay Jadeja, who walkea in at 18 for two and saw his team slip to 118 for six.
Shored up India’s tottering innings with 64.
Azharuddin’s decision to drop himself down the order backfired as he walked in the 13th over at 36 for four after Sachin Tendulkar .fell for 18 and his opening partner Saurav Ganguly without scoring.
SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard of the Coca-Cola Trophy one day international between India and Sri Lanka on Monday: INDIA
Tendulkar c Atapattu b Wickremasinghe 18
Ganguly run out 0
Mongia c Atapattu b Wickremasinghe 1
Jadeja run out 64
R Singh c Kaluwitharana b Dharmasena 3
Azharuddin c Atapattu b Samaraweera 26
Chopra c Mahanama b Dharmasena 15
Agarkar c and b Dharmasena 6 Srinath b Vaas 15
Joshi not out 3
Kumble run out 12
Extras: (Ib-4. w-10. nb-2) 16
Total: (all out in 49.1 overs) 179
Fall ofwkts: 1-1: 2-18; 3-29; 4-36; 5-88: 6-18: 7-134: 8-163: 9-164
AJIT AGARKAR... p-o-m
Bowler O M R W
Vaas 10 1 37 1
Wickremasinghe 8.5 1 27 2
Dharmasena 9 0 31 3
Samaraweera 10 0 35 1
Jayasuriya 10 0 34 0
De Silva 2 0 11 0
SRI LANKA
Jayasuriya b Srinath 0
Gunawardena lbw b Agarkar 0
Atapattu b Agarkar 10
De Silva c Mongia b Joshi 29
Mahanama lbw b Agarkar 0
Ranatunga c R Singh b Srinath 9
Kaluwitharana run out 0
Samaraweera c Srinath b Joshi 16
Dharmasena not out 13
Vaas b Joshi 4
Wickremasinghe b Kumble 3
Extras: (b-4. lb-2, w-2. nb-6) 14
Total: (all out in 39 overs) 98
Fall ofwkts: 1-0: 2-2; 3-21:4-21: 5-47: 6-47; 7-66; 8-79: 9-89 Bowler O M R W
Srinath 8 1 20 2
Agarkar 8 1 35 3
Joshi 10 1 17 3
Kumble 9 3 11 1
Chopra 4 19 0
Result: India won by 81 runs.
Player-of-the-match: Ajit Agarkar.