For two weeks in Karachi almost everyone - the department store owner, the chemist, the hotel security guard, the hotel manager, the taxi driver - talked cricket. They discussed Pakistan cricket and the lack of stars and, once Pakistan were out of the tournament, they discussed the strengths of the Indian and Sri Lankan teams. […]
A tournament deserves the final it gets, it is said sometimes. On the surface, the Asia Cup, with its long-drawn format featuring as many minnows as regular teams, got the final it deserved: another one-sided contest. But scratch the surface and you find a match that ebbed and flowed, one with three individual performances of […]
Spinner Ajantha Mendis claimed six wickets to lead Sri Lanka to a 100-run victory over India in the final of the Asia Cup on Sunday.
Mendis (six for 13 from eight overs), who was brought on as early as the 10th over after Virender Sehwag (60) threatened to make quick work of Sri Lanka’s target of […]
The subcontinent has generally had the problem, almost impossible to prove but privately acknowledged, of over-aged players in age-group cricket. Conversely, it allows players to stay on beyond their sell-by date. On Sunday, at the National Stadium in Karachi, Sanath Jayasuriya - 39 years and six days old - turned both concepts on their head […]
Lord knows how they classify Ajantha Mendis in other areas of the world but round these parts, people of a certain vintage will most likely refer to him as a finger bowler.
These were types found mostly in Karachi in the 1970s, tennis ball in hand and an unresponsive tarmac road or cement pitch to bowl […]
# Sanath Jayasuriya’s innings of 125 off 114 balls is the highest in an Asia Cup final, and came in his 25th appearance in the tournament, the most by any player.
# Jayasuriya finished the tournament as the leading run-getter; his total of 378 runs is the most for an edition of the Asia Cup. He […]
Sri Lanka beat India by 100 runs
India won the toss and decided to field
Sri Lanka Innings
273 all out (49.5 overs)
India Innings
173 all out (39.3 overs)
Yuvraj Singh said Karachi has been a lucky venue for him so far. He averages a staggering 89 in the National Stadium.
“Yes, Karachi is a very good batting track. I have scored lots of runs here. So yes, in a sense I can say, Karachi is a lucky venue for me.” Read […]
Sri Lanka have won the STAR Cricket Asia Cup 2008. Ajantha Mendis and Sanath Jayasuriya were sensational for the islanders as they crushed India by 100 runs.
Sri Lanka have won by 100 rusn to pocket the STAR Cricket Asia Cup final. The show belonged to Sanath Jayasuriya, who scored 125 runs and Ajantha Mendis, who […]
On this graveyard of a pitch, we witnessed a tale of two innings. India prised out four wickets in the first 12 overs, three of them to Ishant Sharma, and then their spinners did the boa-constrictor job, but in between the two phases of Indian dominance, an innings of astonishing brutality from Sanath Jayasuriya threatened […]
Ishant Sharma has drawn some more blood. Jayawardene has been caught at point by Rohit Sharma. Sri Lanka are in trouble.
8th Over: Ishant to Jayawardene. He picks the ball to wide mid off. Two runs. WICKET! Ishant strikes. The Lankan captain plays it to Rohit at point. Kapugedera is the new man in. Sri Lanka […]
Sri Lanka’s bowling was strengthened by the return of Chaminda Vaas and Ajantha Mendis, but India decided to test their own batting, winning the toss and choosing to bowl in the Asia Cup final. India’s strategy of going in with just four specialist bowlers was likely to come under severe scrutiny, especially if Sanath Jayasuriya, […]