Sri Lanka Toss It Away to Tendulkar

Sanath Jayasuriya had never been more in need of support from his team-mates. His thumb was chipped, his forearm was hurting and, as he wondered how Sri Lanka might surpass India's Tendulkar- inspired 292 for six, his head must have been aching as well.

Twenty-two deliveries into Sri Lanka's innings he recognised the extent of the help he was going to get: none. Marvan Atapattu, Jehan Mubarak, Mahela Jayawardene and Aravinda de Silva had all been dismissed for nought. Even by Sri Lankan standards this was exploring the extremes.

There had been much emphasis on the damage to Sri Lankan morale if Jayasuriya had missed the match. No one had envisaged such a calamity if he played: defeat by 183 runs as Sri Lanka collapsed within 23 overs to 109 all out.

While India, playing positive, confident cricket, join Australia as likely World Cup finalists, Sri Lanka must beat Zimbabwe in East London on Saturday to become semi-finalists.

Sri Lanka's coach Dav Whatmore said: "The players got themselves into it; they can get themselves out of it. I thought we showed a little bit of fight against Australia and that it would rebound into this match but, boy, was I wrong."

A target of 293 was never feasible but a misconceived batting order further exposed shortcomings: Mubarak, a plodding left-handed tyro, at No3, Jayawardene, so bereft of form that he is averaging 2.67, at No4. That Kumar Sangakkara and De Silva had not been pushed up the order was inexplicable.

At the non-striker's end Jayasuriya, an isolated captain facing certain and heavy defeat, reflected whether the hours of physio had been worthwhile. He described the pain as "man- ageable". The defeat may not be.

To have rescued this match would have required the greatest innings in adversity of all time and Jayasuriya knew it was beyond him. He reached 12 from 19 balls when he scooped Javagal Srinath to Mohammad Kaif at cover, a misconceived shot that told of his handicap.

Three of the first four Sri Lankan wickets fell to the old fox Srinath, who was fortunate to have Atapattu caught at cover from what the bowler admitted was "a rank bad ball" but whose coming out of retirement has done India great service.

Srinath was asked if he would retire again after the tournament, bringing a panicky change of subject from his captain, Sourav Ganguly, who fears that Srinath might wake up and call it a day tomorrow morning.

Sangakkara's displeasure at Sri Lanka's collapse goaded him into a quickfire 30 and Muttiah Muralitharan made 16 in a late comic interlude, ended by an impossible catch to cover off the back of the bat. When someone asked Whatmore the unlikely question whether Murali's bowling and batting was Sri Lanka's only bright spot, he remarked that Jayasuriya had won the toss. But even this had been a misadventure as he was enticed by suggestions of moisture in the pitch into exposing his young seamers against an Indian side that prefers to bat first. With Tendulkar in such form, no wonder. His judgment, in making 97 from 120 balls, was impeccable. He met Chaminda Vaas, the cup's leading wicket-taker, respectfully and played Murali, in his first sighting for three years, introspectively.

The rest were dismissed majestically. Virender Sehwag, previously reckless, approached his task sensibly too, making 66 from 76 balls and ending with a blitz against Jayasuriya and a catch at long-on. "What was impressive was his application," said Ganguly. "But, if he wants to be called a great player, he has to make hundreds." India are setting high standards again.