AHMEDABAD, India, 7 November 2005 — Sri Lanka sealed a five-wicket victory over India in the fifth one-dayer yesterday, their first success in the seven-match series which they trail 4-1.
Middle-order batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored with 81 not out to help Sri Lanka overcame a stiff target by reaching 286 for five wickets in 47.4 overs.
He added 131 runs in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand with Russel Arnold (49 not out) to raise the morale of his struggling team.
Opener Gautam Gambhir and captain Rahul Dravid had struck identical hundreds, 103 apiece, to help India reach 285 for eight after being asked to bat first in the day-night game.
All-rounder Farveez Maharoof picked a wicket in each of his first four overs to finish with four for 20 after coming on as super-substitute to check the Indian batsmen on a batting pitch.
Captain Marvan Atapattu was relieved after heavy defeats in the previous games.
“It is nice to win to start of with,” he told reporters. “Hopefully, we can win more in the series. That will boost us for the Tests.”
Sri Lanka return to play three Tests next month. Sri Lanka still faced anxious moments, particularly after the early exit of Sanath Jayasuriya.
The explosive opener, nursing a shoulder injury and with a top score of only 27 in the series, managed only eight before edging Ajit Agarkar to Venugopal Rao at first slip.
Atapattu (39) and Mahela Jayawardene (37) added 70 runs for the fourth wicket before being dismissed in the space of 12 runs to reduce Sri Lanka to 155 for five.
Dilshan, who struck his second consecutive 50, quickly got on top of an inexperienced bowling attack which also struggled to grip the wet ball because of dew on the pitch.
He cut and drove fluently to reach his fourth one-day fifty off 46 deliveries before further punishing an attack missing the rested Harbhajan Singh and paceman Irfan Pathan.
Smith Steers South Africa to Victory
In Centurion, South Africa, captain Graeme Smith struck 66 on Sunday to steer South Africa to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in a rain-interrupted fifth and final One-Day International.
South Africa are now unbeaten in 19 one-day internationals, just two short of Australia’s record set between 2001 and 2003.
In a match twice stopped by bad weather, South Africa scored 140 for five in 28.1 overs to win with 11 balls to spare on the Duckworth/Lewis method. New Zealand, after being sent in to bat, were bowled out for 215 in 49.3 overs.
South Africa were 105 for two after 19 overs when the umpires stopped play due to lightning. A fierce storm with hail then held up proceedings for 92 minutes.
Smith had earlier belted 66 off 65 balls in an innings that featured several verbal confrontations with the New Zealanders. The left-hander looked in prime form, striking 13 boundaries and was especially fluent through the leg-side.
He was particulary severe on paceman Kyle Mills, with whom he had several animated exchanges, pulling him for six fours as the opening bowler tried short-pitched deliveries.
New Zealand’s attempts at slowing down the game by bowling 19 overs in 91 minutes were initially successful as the match would have been declared a no-result had the players not returned to the field to complete 20 overs.
South Africa did return though, needing an adjusted target of 140 in 30 overs. But they suffered some anxious moments as the Kiwis struck back with three quick wickets, Jacques Kallis being caught at slip off Daniel Vettori for 15 and Albie Morkel (5) falling to a reflex catch by Nathan Astle at mid-wicket off Scott Styris.
