The Delhi duo at the top of the Indian batting line-up is now a triumvirate. Trium-Virat to be precise! Virender Sehwag’s controversial exclusion from the Indian side garnered most of the headlines in the lead-up to the Asia Cup, coming in the background of the disastrous tour down under. Certain sections of the media played up rumours of a rift within the broken Indian team, with Virat Kohli’s elevation to the role of vice-captain ahead of Gautam Gambhir allegedly leading to friction between the two.
If there was a rift it didn’t show in Mirpur as Gambhir and Kohli waded into their favourite bowling attack yet again. The same pair had set up the platform for MS Dhoni in the World Cup final last year, and had reaffirmed their love for the Lankan attack during the scintillating Hobart chase during the CB series. Their centuries today – tenth career tons for both Kohli and Gambhir – and 205-run stand extended their aggregate against Sri Lanka to a whopping 873 runs, second only to the legendary pairing of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. Riding on their platform, MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina unleashed hell in the last 10 overs to launch India past 300.
The return to subcontinental conditions was always going to help the Indian batsmen find their feet, but it was also going to expose their limited bowling resources. Mahela Jayawardene systematically set about dismantling them as Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan suffered for their lack of pace. Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara put Sri Lanka in control after Tillakaratne Dilshan’s early wicket. Jayawardene’s fluid wrists proceeded to find gaps in the outfield that the Indian bowlers never knew existed!
Irfan’s ability to generate movement got India the vital break, when Jayawardene edged an away-swinger to MS Dhoni. Thereafter, R Ashwin took charge with his assortment of offspinners, carom balls and armers, slicing through the middle order to revive India. Irfan and Vinay Kumar closed out the game easily as India surged to a 50-run win, their Australian worries forgotten for the moment. Can they sustain the resurgence through to the end of the Asia Cup?
