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Singer Akai Nidahas Trophy, 1998, Final,
India v Sri Lanka, R. Premadasa Stadium,
Colombo, 7 July 1998

Transcript of the Commentary - India Innings

Prem Panicker (Tue Jul 7 1998 4:8)

Chandana to Ganguly, batting 73, wide down leg again and this time, K T francis spreads his wings. ONe more, India 183/0. Ball five, played square on the leg and a huge yell of NO from Sachin as the fielder is quickly onto it.

Single off the last ball, India 184/0.

Ganguly 74 off 91`, SAchin 96 off 101 and for now,it is Ganguly driving ARavinda to long off, wide of the fielder, Tendulkar pushing the fielder, runing two, India 186/0.

Ball two, pushed down the leg side, but quickly fielded, no run. Ganguly to take strike, Aravinda, ball three, down the wicket and driving, long off right back on the line, one more, India 187/0.

Sachin on strike, gentle push, single, India 188/0.

And another single to Ganguly, and this is India's best ever first wicket partnerhship, beating Ravid Shastri and Krish Srikkanth, 188, against England in 1984.

With the overs running out, the platform looks even more impressive here -- simply because of all the wickets that are still standing, Tendulkar on 97 now on strike, made off 103 deliveries. Chandana the bowler. Ball two, outside off and turnign away, good ball, beats the bat.

Ball three, Chanda,na, full toss on leg, whipped off the pads to the sweeper at midwicket, one more, Sachin 98 and India 191/0.

46 singles in Tendulkar's knock thus far and that is huge going for this kind of humidity. Ganguly meanwhile works one more, India 192/0 in 33.

46 singles in Tendulkar's knock thus far and that is huge going for this kind of humidity. Ganguly meanwhile works one more, India 192/0 in 34

And that's it, folsk a drive through cover, two more, Sachin's 17th ODI century. IN his 196th game, equalling DEs Haynes' 17 in 238 games.

Calm batting continuing, 197/0 in 34.4 and Tendulkar back on strike.

Single to Sachin, driving onthe on, Aravinda the bowler, India 198/0.

And that's drinks, folks, taking a breather here.

Here we go again, heading into the last 15 overs, Sachin taking one off Chandana's first ball, India 199/0.

Nxt ball, Sauravi's turn to walk the single, 200/0 and now Sachin sweeps, one more, 201/0.

Chandana to Ganguly, played to mid off, no run, 35.4 overs gone, Chandana continues. SG, ball five, the sweep, beats the ifield, one to the sweeper, India 202/0.

Tendulkar down the track, finds the ball not in the slot for the inside out drive he had aimed, checks the shot, pushes, one more, india 203/0 in 36.

And here we go, the ball needing a change, so another hold up in play.

37th over, Sachin sweeps, the sweeper in place for it, Sanath Jayasuriya, one more, INdia 204/0.

Record watchers note, 21 more for these two to equal the highest ever one day opening partnership -- 225, Deepak Chudasama and Kennedy Otieno. Murali now the bowler, Idia going at 5.56 and any time now, they will need to start lifting the run rate up again.

Last ball, driven through the off, single to Sauarv, India 205/0.

13 overs to go for India, and Ganguly on strike to Chandana. Ganguly sweeps, three down to fine leg, India 208/0.

Ball two, Sachin paddling, to short fine leg, one more, India 209/0.

Down the leg side and another fine sweep, Ganguly capitalising on the bowler's bid to keep it out of his reach, swept very fine and four more, INdia 213/0.

Next ball, pushed to square leg, single, India 214/0.

Murali attempting to stop a cracker of a cover drive from Sachin, and now it looks as if he has split the webbing of his hand, between finger and thumb, there is blood there which means the webbing's gone, and tht is bad news for the spinner, it's on the left hand though, so he can bowl.

Play resumes, Chandana to Tendulkar and he is forward, letting it come on, pulling over midiwcket and that's a six. 220/0. And next ball, again the sweep, this time along the ground, finds the sweeper, one more, India 221/0. The runs have come off 230 balls, which is a pretty healty rate of scoring just now. Ganguly on 93. For now, Scahin continues, one more.

Murali the bowler, to Sauravi, who drives, one more to long on, moves to 94, India 223/0. Two more, here, singles to both and India now 225, equalling the all time record for the opening partnership, Sachin gets one more, India 226/0 in 38.5 and that is the world record.

Sachin on strike, 40th over coming up, Jayasuriya the bowler and Tendulkar paddles, one kore, India 227/0.

Again, the sweep from Sachin, after Saurav takes the single, India 229/0 in 39.3.

Jaya to Saurav, on drive, one more, India 230/0.

Deliberate little chip over the bowler's ehad, that was incredibly cheeky, getting one more for Sachin, India 232/0 in 40.

Ganguly batting 98, Sachin 119. Wide of leg stump, and a huge yell for caught behind, bat nowhere near it, Dsena the bowler.

Moves on to 99 with a single, India 233/0.

Dsena to Sachin, ondrive, single, India 234/0.

Ganguly on strike, drives, finds cover, no run. India has to begin upping the tempo now, they are perfectly poised for a huge score adn cant afford to slow down. India 234/0 in 41.

99 now to Saurav, one short of the 100, but it is Sachin now on strike, presumably both batsmen waiting for Saurav to clear the 100 mark before going flat out. Jayasuruya, and ball one, Sachin lofts, one bounce, four, splitting the field on the on side, between both sweepers, INdia 238/0.

124 off 125 Sachin. Ball two, an attempted paddle, fails, huge appeal from the bwler but that was down the leg side, K T Francis not interested. Ball three, the on drive, India 239/0.

Ganguly on strike to Sanath, drives, finds cover, no run.

Ball four, pushed on the leg, finds short midwicket, the Lannksns tightening the field, no run. Ball six, driven to long on and that is the single, and the century, India 240/0 in 42 overs.

Sachin on strike, Sauravi bgetting one off the first ball, and Tendulkar pulls, finds the sweeper, one more, India 242/0.

Dsena attempting a waltz down the track, Dsena keeps it out of his reach on off, batsman changes to a push, one more. Sachin, next ball, a yorker length one, pushes to cover, one more, India 244/0.

Saurav on strike, last ball and down the track, effortless lift over the bowler's head, lands close to the rope, not clear which side of the rope it landed in. Third umpire called in. And it's four, one bounce, about six inches short of the ropes. 248/0 in 43.

44th over starting here, and about time the accelerator was stepped on, I would think. One mroe to Sachin, and Saurav to Jaya, down the track but that was fired in fast and flat, batsman not bgetting room for the shot. Ball three, Jaya to SG, who makes room, slams on the off, good running bny Sachin who comes back for the second, India 251/0.

India Innings Continued