Transcript of the Commentary - Sri Lankan Innings

Prem: And with that, folks, shutting down here. Be back live tomorrow for Sri Lanka versus Zimbabwe, till then, have a good time all. *gone*

Prem: Finally!!!! Flipper, Wsinghe with a wild heave, back goes off stump. End of the match, and the Indians celebrating.

Prem: Kumble to Wsinghe, cut, finds point.

Prem: Kumble, flipper, defensive push.

Prem: Kumble to Wsinghe, again the flipper, the cut, inner edge into the ground.

Prem: Yeah, Kumble continues. slip and silly point, flipper, defensive push. Next ball, flipper, outside off, cut and a miss.

Prem: Yeah, Kumble continues. slip and silly point, flipper, defensive push.

Prem: Kumble presumably will continue -- though at this point, Srinath and Agarkar, with slips and square leg in place, look the best option to just finish this thing off.

Prem: Chopra on off, played square off the pads, finds the fielder, no run.

Prem: Dogmatic:: taken what over? Chopra to Dharma, on off, played to midwicket, no run. 82 from 75 now the ask at 6.6.

Prem: Dogmatic:: taken what over? Chopra to Dharma, on off, played to midwicket, no run. 82 from 75 now the ask at 6.6.

Prem: |Dharma again on sttrike, plays to point, no run.

Prem: Chopra again, to Wsinghe this time. he plays itt down to point, single.

Prem: Chopra to Dharma, pushed to long on, single.

Prem: Kumble to Wsinghe, rapped on the pad but outside line of off, end of the over.

Prem: Wsinghe, leans back and cuts, ball pitching just ahead of Tendulkar at point.

Prem: Kumble again, with a slip and silly point. Dharma drives, single to point. 96/9.

Prem: 11 off 51 to Dharma. Ajeet:: Kambli broke his ankle, is recovering, not fit enough for the Bombay side. Kumble back, into his 8th, dharma defending.

Prem: Chopra to Wsinghe, defensive push, 95 for nine the score, in 36.

Prem: Chopra, and a misfield at mid on gets one more to the batsman.

Prem: Chopra on his usual flat line on off and Dharma defending for all he is worth. Three balls, ball four turned off his pads, they go for two, ganguly's throw, the batsman safe challenging him.

Prem: 15 overs, and 89 more to get. Nikhil Chopra to continue. Joshi meanwhile ends his spell, 10-1-17-3.

Prem: End of the over, with Dharma defending to the last ball.

Prem: and now the ask has gone to 89 off 92 balls, so with no wickets left, they have to score at 5.8. HJoshi, and Dharma defends.

Prem: Wickremasinghe in as the last man, Joshi inspired spell today, this time the batsman on his knee sweeping, gets one more.

Ramprasad (rpmvadi@hotmail.com) Since our team is going to be on the trot till the World Cup, I feel that every match should be viewed as a preparation towards that. Not just a piece-meal approach. That we have won 3 matches and hence rest etc, etc, etc. BTW, anybody knows whats happening with Vinod Kambli's comeback trial? Prem: 90/9 now lanka, their lowest score against India was 96.

Prem: 90/8 SL, Azahr now in slip and Joshi finally does it. Angled one beautifully across Vaas, pitched outside off, beat the bat in the air, brought it back in on the turna nd off goes the off stump.

sarkar () Prem do you see this match getting away from India? () I suppose Roy Dias would now know that Indians have "pluck" too eh? Shiva Vasanth (vkc@metaphasetech.com) Our batting is very brittle, as witnessed by our performance. Maybe we should shore up our batting a bit, just in case Tendu fails. I think Dravid should come in place of Chopra/Joshi. That would balance out the team. Mongia at one-drop is unreliable. Even then,we have enough bowlers to complete the 50 overs. Prem: Vaas through point, single. Intersting, the minute the close field is dispersed, the batsmen begin guiding the ball around and getting runs. Oh well.....

Prem: With the umpire giving byes on that one, what if a slip had been there and caught it? He would have said not out. Meanwhile, again, a slip brought in now that the catch has gone past. Dharma drives, single to mid on.

dogmatic () REST SRT !!! NO WAY 100 odd runs and he will overtake DE sILVA arvind (arvindn@udel.edu) This is the second time, (when we win this one) i remember sri lanka capitulating to a meagre Indian total. must've been other occassions too. the last one I remember was in singapore-the singer trophy. there was this theory that with a not so high-not so low total, the team chasing gets into a fix as to whether play their natural free-flowing game or play cautiously and eventually bungle up things. i'm not sure whether thats whats happened over here. seems more like a devil of a pitch. anyway, interesting theory Prem: Uh oh, just as I finished saying that, turn for Chopra, gets the edge, no slip there, four runs and the umpire makes it worse, by signalling byes.

Prem: vijay:: no, just slower, so batsmen used to belters keep making mistakes. 84/8 SL in 33.1, Dharma on strike to Chopra, for some reason, suddenly, the close in field is gone. I am sorry but I dont agree with that, why the heck do you need players on the boundary now when you should be looking to take out the two batsmen here.

vijay (vij@hotmail) sorry if i'm disturbing u. i thot the wickets at sharjah were full of runs. y this sudden change in them. is this pitch really that bad? Prem: To those guys who are asking about who should be rested: interesting possibility. Lanka loses here. They beat Zimbabwe tomorrow. Then the day after, Zimbabwe has to beat Indai to get into the final. AS to the resting bit, sure, I go with that, rest three players, play Prasad, Dravid and Laxman.

Naveen () Kalyan is right. Sachin should definitely be rested. There is no need to play him in the last league match. WHAT SAY PREM? Aravinth (aravintha@hotmail.com) Does Sl have a chance of qualifying to the finals after losing now? Prem: Joshi, and Dharma sweeps, ball in the air, Agarkar racing in from backward square, but the ball drops short. One, and Vaas gets one off the last ball with a sweep.

Ajeet (ajeet@basit.com) I think the best choice is not to give any game , imean to clean sweep the entire tournament and for that sachin jadeja has to play in all the matches Ramprasad (rpmvadi@hotmail.com) There is no need to rest any players. Its better to continue the winning combination and tempo till the final. To really try other players, they should be allowed to play in important matches and be given responsibilities as any other player like now. That way we will know who has what and prepare for World Cup '99 Roshan (Roshan@bellcore.com) No point in resting anyone. I haven't seen anything gained from these "rest cases". It is for the players to grab oppurunities and perform under pressure like Chopra did. Performing in non-significant matches is as good as performing in domestic cricket. Same team, go for 4-0 Prem: Joshi to Dharma and ow, that one was a beaut, flight, loop, turn to beat the outer edge. ball two, pushed defensively.

vijay (vij@hotmail.com) are the rest of the matches going to played on the same pitch? Prem: First up, a maiden from Chopra. Vijay:: Two pitches here, they are being used in rotation so India will play Zimbabwe on this one day after tomorrow.

Prem: Ball three, Vaas forced onto the defensive again. Now each dot ball will add to the pressure. This one onto the pad, and almost onto the stumps, but rolls past. ball five, on off, inner edge back down the track.

Prem: Back after drinks and now Nikhil Chopra into the attack. To the left hander, Vaas, with a slip and silly point in place. Vaas defends. Ball two, of the 32nd, held back, Vaas pushes at it, no run.

ashraf () A low scoring match inevitably promises an exciting draw if India bowls :> kiran (kiran@sc.edu) Ramprasad, whats up! I knew that it was you because of the hotmail id (mantravadi). Seems like you are jobless like me. dogmatic () DRAVID and PRASAD for... ROBIN and SRinath baaz (baaz@hotmail.com) How is the field setting Prem. How many inside the circle? xyz () Agarkar should be brought in to clean up the tail satya (satyakvv@usa.net) Kalyan>> Jadeja can be rested if you want to give chance to Dravid. Sachin need not be rested. He was rested today. () I think it is a very good opportunity to try out Prasad in the last match. Maybe Srinath shud given a rest. Satish () Guys, believe me, this game, for all intents and purposes is over... the moment De Silva got out, the game was ours.. Prem: my-beef:: Who blamed the readers, pal? You asked why the server is slow, I pointed out the reason. Is all. Drinks on the field, taking a breather.

satya (satyakvv@usa.net) Hi Ramprasad ! it is nice to see India winning..I am sure of that. It is after a long time winning merely based on our bowling performance. No need to bring Sachin on strike now. Prem: Ball four, on off, arm ball, defends. Joshi 7.4 -1-14-2. Kumble going at 7-2-10-0. Dharma still in defensive mould, no run. This is where the tial could play itself out of the game -- an ask rate of six and over, with no wickets in hand, will put the game out of reach.

dogmatic () resting srinath would be a good idea dheera (sudheerh@hotmail.com) From this point, if India loses, it is India giving away rather than SL winning it. I think the end should come around 100 for SL. Prem: Dharma on 6 off 33 and defends again, to joshi, on line of off.

Prem: Joshi again, this time the push finds a run to the right of cover.

Prem: 100 from 120 now needed at 5 an over, Joshi continues. Vaas on strike. good line on off coming in.

abhay () your server very unstable.. and cricinfo is dead Manish (manishdixit@hotmail.com) Agarkar shd bowl has good chance to get 5 and he can bowl yorker ,which is the bets bowl for tailenders Prem: Abhay:: sure, so even those who go there log on here, what are we to do? Dharma pushes, edge onto pad but the ball just out of reach of short square, ends the over.

Kalyan () Assuming India - wins this match - do you guys think it might be a good idea to rest Schin and Jadeja tomorrow and give Dravid and others a chance? Prem: Dharma again, forward, defensive. Kumble, with lanka now needing 100 off 123 balls, played to slip, no run. Now the dot balls will keep pushing the ask rate up as well, so that is where the tail will feel the pinch. Dharma cuts, finds cover, no run.

Shantanu Desai (shantanu@bu.edu) Hey guys,Vaas is still to come.He is quite a danger man as far as India are concerned.Remember the Worldcup semis? Prem: Kumble, Dharma defends. Slip, silly point, short square in place, another flipper, another defensive push.

Ramprasad (rpmvadi@hotmail.com) I happy to see Agarkar do well. Should be a reaization for the team mgmt. to consider players' performance and give opportunities in longer time-frame. And they should start applying it with Rahul Dravid. Anandam (anandamm@cisunix.unh.edu) Will somebody stop Dharma from pushing to cover!!! Prem: viraj:: cant help it, pal, world and his uncle logging on here, I am having trouble posting./

abhay () Need tendulkar to bowl now.. Azhar please wake up Prem: Dharma leaning forward, plys joshi out to square leg, one, keeps strike.

Prem: 79/8 SL.

Prem: And there goes the 8th -- Joshi flights, Sweera tempted, down the track, has a huge hit looking to clear long on, the spin means he gets the thick outer edge, Srinath backpeddaling nicely at mid off, ten twelve steps, keeps his eye on the ball and holds a good catch.

Prem: Dharma pushes to cover, Johsi fields, throws in but Kumble fumbles and Dharma hjust makes his ground.

Prem: Dharma pushes to cover, Johsi fields, throws in but Dharma hjust makes his ground ahead of the throw.

Prem: Dharma pushes, finds cover.

Prem: Dharma pushes, finds cover.

Prem: Kumble again, to Dharma, good ball on off and forces the defennsive push. Maybe Tendulkar, with his greater turn on the leg breaks, would be what I'd use at this point, Kumble keeps bowling straight, no turn, just the flipper, so you can keep going forard and defending.

Prem: Joshi to Dharma, the push, to cover, no run..

Prem: Joshi to Dharma, the push, to cover, no run..

Prem: Joshi to Dharma, the push, to cover, no run..

Prem: Joshi continues. Dharma on strike, pushes, finds cover, no run. When and if the edge comes, I hace a feelingg it will go through gully, past the sole slip.

Prem: Joshi continues. Dharma on strike, pushes, finds cover, no run. When and if the edge comes, I hace a feelingg it will go through gully, past the sole slip.

Anandam (anandamm@cisunix.unh.edu) IS SAMARAWEERA A LEFTHANDER? - A message from the neglected one. Prem: sarkar:: for Dharma, I would have Joshi bowling over the wicekt, so the slant plus the turn away after pitching brings more possibility of the edge, would also have a slip and silly point being reinforced by a gully because he keeps playing away from the body. dharma there,gets one through gully to kumble, next ball, inner edge of Sweera onto pad.

Raman () Do u think bowling Agarkar now would be a better option to get one more wkt. Prem: sarkar:: for Dharma, I would have Joshi bowling over the wicekt, so the slant plus the turn away after pitching brings more possibility of the edge, would also have a slip and silly point being reinforced by a gully because he keeps playing away from the body. dharma there,gets one through gully to kumble, next ball, inner edge of Sweera onto pad.

Rahul (rp_101@hotmail.com) Madhu: I guess SL was out for 55 against WI. In that match Walsh took 6 wickets for 1, I guess ! sarkar () Prem can you spot any 'readymade'weakness ,anything you think that can be done to get any of these two out? Samraweera settling down? rajeevm (rajeevm@rocketmail.com) get a feeling that the spinners are trying too much..instead of just concentrating on line and length. Prem: That was the end of the over. Mongia always has problems keeping to the left arm spinnner, probably because his view is blocked by the right hander. this was a handy stumping, the batsman well out of his ground. sweera, meanwhile, works another single off his pads, brings Dharma back on strike.

Prem: Joshi again, and this time, played behind square by sweera, single. an all rounder in the Chandana mould this boy, and Mongia now misses a stumping, Dharma went out and swung, misses, Mongia snatched at the ball and missed as well.

Prem: Ball two, driven to point, no run. Ball three, Joshi to sweera, the cut through cover, got some room there, long chase ofr Ganguly, two more. 73/7.

Prem: Joshi will continue, Dharma on strike. slip and silly point in place. On middle, dharma leans into it, shuts the bat face, gets one square on the on.

Raman () Why r u guys harsh on umpires. They don't want a One Sided match hence playing for SL Madhu (mrayala_1998@yahoo.com) This match reminds me the match between WI and Srilanka sometime in late 80s. SL were allout for 55 Prem: Down leg again, sweera sweeps adn misses, kumble lucky there, 70/7 at the end of the over.

Prem: Kumble now to Sweera. Yorker and almost got under the bat, dharma getting the bottom of the bat down in time.

Prem: Kumble, flipper on off, defensive push from the batsman. This is a test of nerves for everyone, here, that one, though, kumble fired it down leg, the batsman helped it along and four to fine leg. each time he tries for extra speed, he tends to drift.

Prem: Sweera on strike, kumble, flipperr on leg, turned to short square leg, no run.

Prem: None of you are banned, we are having a few problems here is all.

Anandam (anandamm@cisunix.unh.edu) Prem>> Am I banned or what? Maybe I need to go to England with Henry Blofeld to get a course on "expert commentary". Prem: Joshi to Dharma, plays defensive. 68/7 in 22.4. Joshi again, this one punched off the back foot, no run. slip, silly point, point, cover, extra cover, mid off, all inside the circle so no runs to be had on the off. none on the on either on that on drive, thef ielder in quite close. ends the over.

anish () Only the Akhthar makes such dodgy decisions Ankur () I think the Orchard loser is racist Anandam (anandamm@cisunix.unh.edu) Prem>> Am I banned or what? Maybe I need to go to England with Henry Blofeld to get a course on "expert commentary". cricket_buff () Any guesses for the Man of the match ?? Jadu vs Agarkar?? Prem: This is the danger point for India, really -- once they see the back of ADS, the temptation is to relax but with such a low total, they cant afford to. Just have to keep the squeeze play going. Lovely arm ball again from Joshi, beats Dharma. Ball three, pushed to point, no run.

Kalyan () I was just wondering - why Sachin never seems to score well in low scoring game when Idia bats first pc2 () ICC should set up referees for the umpires Ankur () Indians should go fully counter attack aditya (karkalg@clemson.edu) The absence of a real time scoreboard is a glaring lacuna in this commentary site () Is there something against Indian bowlers these umpires dont like? Either they are called for chucking and if they are not then there appeals are turned down! rajeevm (rajeevm@rocketmail.com) How much does this Orchard guy get paid for this crap? I think I can do a better job..c'mon now this is just too much!!! Prem: Kumble to SWeera, the flick, short square leg, robin, dives and holds but that looked off the pad, umpire says no,.

Prem: Faster one, and played defensively.

A () Way to go guys! I wish I was at my home watching this live on the real video. BUt thanks to Prem its not that bad i guess. Thanks Prem :)) Prem: Orchard made a sign like, "I couldn't see" -- but then he should have been checking with the third umpire. Meanwhile, kumble to sweera, payed down to point. Now a third close in fielder -- short square leg.

manu (kohlims@yahoo.com) sri lankans are not exactly known for their sportamanspririt. remember their leg side line Prem: Kumble to Sweera now, the 22nd over starting. Played defensively. Slip and silly point in place.

Prem: Uh oh, there goes another bad one. Joshi, Dharma gets bat onto toe, caught at silly point and umpire orchard says no. That ball did not hit the ground, he was out.

Satish () Prem>> Sportsmanship no longer exists in the game.... De Silva shd have walked...if he leads SL to a victory here, wouldn't the fact that he was actually out at one stage actually haunt him?? What is the game coming to? Venket () It happens in Cricket...Now it would have been straight forward match for India. If ADS had gone. Prem: That one looks very close -- very hard to tell on the replay whether the edge was tehre or no. As Tony Greig says, "Aravinda looks disbelieving, but he had it coming to him."

manu (kohlims@yahoo.com) why dont my comments show on this page?? Nagarjuna (NChimata@yahoo.com) A refreshing change to this live telecast! Nice graphics, very well designed. I like rediff!!! Prem: Joshi to ADs, 21st over in progress, and he is gone -- arm ball, he goes to cut, gets the edge and he's gone, caught by Mongia.

Prem: The problem for India is getting rid of ADS -- or should that be getting rid of him twice in this innings. Every single chips away at a low total, and if he is there, this game can get away from the Indians.

Prem: Joshi again, on off, played off the pads, single.

Prem: Joshi now tto Sweera, with a slip and silly point in place. He comes down the track, beaten by the loop, ends up pushing.

Prem: 54/4 india in 20, SL 65/6.

Prem: manu:: took a couple of steps away, glanced at the umpire, stepped back in.

cricket_buff () Do u think, sachin should have bowled in place of khumble?? Rajeev (Rajeev_baid@infinity.com) The Game is far from over. ADS is there and Dharamsena is a very sticky customer. Can't seem to forget his antics in the bombay test last year. Ankur () Bring Nikhil Chopra in he has controlled his bowling very well Prem: Kumble to sweera, overpitched outsdie off, driven, single to cover.

Prem: That one hurried through, ADS missing the flick, hit on the pad but on line of leg, leg bye results.

Prem: ADS on strike, this one kicked up, ads over it and defends.

chak (gandham@hotmail.com) Prem: Please Comment about Azhar. Sajid (sajid@loxinfo.co.th) Time to bring Kumble. Bring your best resource Azhar. Prem: another flipper, another defensive push.

Puneet (pbajpai@hotmail.com) What's with Azhar...i mean he should have close in fielders set right now....no one is gonna try anything fancy, but Azhar is gonna let go of the pressure like he always does Prem: Kumble, ads pushes, finds the bowler on the follow through, now the slip and silly point firmly in place.

Prem: Shantanu:: Yeah, would have agreed, but with Sweera on strike, he might still work. Ball one of the 20th Sweera pushes through cover, single.

venket (venketm@yahoo.com) It happened that ADS went away for a caught behind. later realised Umpire unmoved, came back Prem: The arm ball now, ADS plays for turn and has it coming striaght through, hit on the pad but well forward. Johsi, and this one turned, ads defends, end of a good over.

Prem: Joshi again, flights, brings ADS forward in defence. Ball three, now a slip and silly point in place, ADS heaves it round, to fine leg, Agarkar races round, has a long way to run, cuts it off and a good throw in as well, seems on fire this kid today. Joshi on off, drawing ads forward, defending.

anish () Will azza risk the inexperience of Chopra? Prem: Ouch, ADS didn't have a clue about that one -- flight, loop, turn took the edge, but no slip there, down to third man for two. 60/6.

cricket_buff (kshitijkeote@hotmail.com) Hey prem, how's his samarweera guy playing?? Viraj (bhatia_akash@hotmail.com) Prem, can run over the scores please!! Anandam (anandamm@cisunix.unh.edu) I'm surprised to see Upul Chandana out on the locker room. A few days ago Prem hailed him as a promising all-rounder. The Lankans appear to be doing a BCCI here. stb (stbh@hotmail.com) Are there only 2 pitches for this entire tournament? Ankur () I think we will have a low score maybe under 100 buy lankans if Indian bowlers keep up the line and length Arvind (arv21@hotmail.com) Sure, ADS likes to belt kumble, but today he can't take any chances and that puts kumble at a great advantage. Prem: That one actually took off like a Srinath bouncer, surprised SWeera, he was on his toes playing it down near his ribcage. next ball, fuller length, drivees, finds the fielder at mid off, no run.

Prem: yorker, and sweera digs it out. quite compact this lad, sweera, quite organised in his batting.

Prem: Kumble to ADS, the flipper, rushes through, edge onto pad, huge appeal but the edge was there, one lbw.

Ketan (Ketan.Rnderia@CarltonCards.CA) Our bowlers haven't bowled this well for ages. Sajid (sajid@loxinfo.co.th) Mauriya, Your Question - Will India Win ? Answer - Inshallah, YES Prem: Agarkar finally off, 8-1-35-3, and Kumble to bowl. ADS on strike, silly point in place, ball one is played to mid on, no run.

Prem: vasuki:: sure, both pitches used here have turn for the spinners. this one is slower than the one yesterday, is the only diff. Joshi, this one bowled wide of the crease angled in and pushed through flat and fast, batsman pushes his bat at it just in time, keeps it out of his pads, end of the over, just the one in it.

Prem: good ball -- the arm ball outside off and sweera was playing for it to go further away, looked surprised to see it go through and just past the off stump.

Prem: Slip and silly point in place, joshi flights, on middle and turning to off, played defensively.

Prem: Sampath:: no idea. And yes, to all who are asking with every breath, ADS looks quite composed out there now. Ball one, on middle, the sweep fetches one. brings sweera on strike.

vasuki (vaxuki@yahoo.com) Joshi should be able to skittle Samraveera, ADS is just to good to have a rush of blood and get out. maurya (bhagava@yahoo.com) Will INDIA win.... anish () we indians really do bring the net to a halt on matchdays. It is anightmare getting onto cricinfo and watching the game is impossible Prem: Bobby:: Fair. Catch being, Sweera and the ones to come are not that comfortable against spin. In comes Sunil Joshi, first of the spinners to come on.

Prem: ketan:: the funny thing there was, ads looked back, saw mongia hold, took two steps out of his crease, looked up, saw the umpire mute, and promptly went back into his crease. End of the 16th, and that should be Agarkar's last in this spell.

dogmatic () Azza might be going a teeny weeny bit overboard with agarkar Sajid (sajid@loxinfo.co.th) Let us forget about #3 now for time being. Enough is enough. Let us see seventh wicket falling now. It is bowlers turn now. Prem: Two balls left, agarkar to Sweera, on off, played to point, no run.

Brij (B.M.Duggal@wlv.ac.uk) Prem : Who scored the most in todays game ? Mangesh (mangesh_mane@hotmail.com) <> How is ADS batting? Looks confident? Prem: Agarkar again, to Sweera, lovely line again, this one outside off seaming in sharply, has the batsman defending.

Prem: Again, same ball, same response.

Prem: Agarkar again, to Sweera, fuller length, bringing it back in squares up the batsman and has him pushing in defense.

Sajid (sajid@loxinfo.co.th) Prem, please let us know how this DSilva is playing? Confident or shaky. Little bit of fear in my mind. Prem: H'lo Spinster, howdy. Agarkar now bowling to Sweera, two slips and a short leg in place, inswinging full toss, trying the yorker and overpitching, the batsman puts his bat to it, gets the four to the vacant fine leg position.

PC () I wonder what is the best option now - regular spinners, Robin or Tendulkar? Anandam (anandamm@cisunix.unh.edu) Aravinda shouldn't be allowed to settle down into a groove.It could prove disastrous. They must bring on a spinner and choke him up now. Easier said than done though : ) Amit (agandh1@po-box.mcgill.ca) Does any body know how much the indian players get paid per match? Do they get to keep all the prize money or the board gets it and then they share? Shantanu Desai (shantanu@bu.edu) Prem did Jadeja bat very well in todays low scoring game? Prem: AGarkar being continued, Dsilva on strike, slower ball, Dsilva misses, wide gviven and the batsman cross over, so that means Sweera on strike.

Prem: After 15 overs, INida were 40/4, SL 51/6.

pc2 () From our Zim, Dacca, and present tour, it is obvious that we need a solid bat at #3 position. From the present team Dravid is the best choice, but the problem is he is slow. I do not think it is his own fault, it is the responsibility of the coach. When a batsman is playing for a national side he does not need any help from the coach how to handle the bat but the coach should teach the batsman what to do in a particular situation. Here is my request, let us do some rigorous practice for Dravid, let Sachin/Dravid, and then Jadeja/Dravid (give sachin a little rest, we would like to have 100's from him in every game), let our bowler's and fielder's to do their best/honest job. Now is the real time, when our coach, and ofcourse Sachin and jadeja will force Dravid to run. After some good practice sessions, let Dravid to play at #3 position (whatever is the scoreboard) for at least 10 games. If he succeed, he will continue or need a replacement. stb (stbh@hotmail.com) what's the comparison at this stag? Prem: that is drinks and a breather here for me.

rajeevm (rajeevm@rocketmail.com) Prem>>>if u have the time...how is ADS batting? confident or a lot of swings and misses? just got in here! Prem: Rajeev:: he was given not out after being caught behind, been looking solid after that. SWeera off his pads, to short square, no run, end fo the over.

Sajid (sajid@loxinfo.co.th) Refereshing Change. This time our bowlers are doing TENDULKAR. Prem: Srianth again,to Sweera and there's the lifter, pushing the batsman up on his toes, he played that one down from around his ribcage.

Prem: Srinath, ball 4 of the 15th, to Sweera, on off and played defensively.

Prem: Srinath, outside off, the breakback, that was pitched a foot outside off and flashed over the stump, came back a long long way.

Anandam (anandamm@cisunix.unh.edu) The "Mad Max" is still there. And I know for sure, he heasts on Kumble. milman (milman@cyberspace.org) Prem >> Wots the comparative situation?? Prem: Abhay:: an electric spell of quick bowling, pal, no more or less. That is aggro -- Srinath pitched that three quarter, bent his back and made it rear, sweera almost bends backward double to get out of the way of that one.

Prem: Srianth now to ADS, on off, played off the pads square on the on, the single brings up the 50 for SL.

A () IN a way it is good that Azhar is using his pacemen nowl. Would be better to try the spinners now and keep Sachin for the end if necessary! what say guys? dogmatic () this is better than a TENDULKAR hundred Prem: Teh field for samaraweera makes interesting reading: two slips, gully, silly point, short square leg, short cover. Sweera pushes to mid on, quick single taken.

Prem: PN:: No, we are having problems there, but are putting up the score slightly across, just check your frame.

dogmatic () well done kokinos??? PN (padu@slb.com) Prem: Is the scoreboard being refreshed? Prem: 47/6 in 14, Sri Lanka.

Prem: Agarkar again, outside off and ads lets it go.

Prem: 47/6 Sri Lanka in 13.4.

Prem: Agarkar again. ADS pushes back. On the follow through, agarkar fields, shapes to throw, then, three quarters down the track, stajds there and glares at the batsman, giving him the eye.

Prem: Joshi the fielder with that throw, very quickly across on that one, and now Samarwaweera the new man.

Prem: Kalu had taken off as the ball crossed him, that was very good work in the field and right now, the way the Indians are in the field is electric -- they've been doing war dances after every dismissal, egging each other on after every ball, there is shouted instructions flying around all over the place, the team looking pumped up here.

harsh (harsh) Prem>>> prevoiusly Sharjah was a placwe for the pakis to break and make records ...it seems times have changed Hemant (hemant@mailexcite.com) My $0.02 ,bring Joshi and force him to bowl left over insead of round to ADS and Kalu. Outside there leg spinning in.Both strokemaker are likely to play him againd the spin. Tushar (tushar_ashar@hotmail.com) Looks like umpiring blunder will be a big factor in this match. dogmatic () "Robin held with elan" woooow....music to the ears harsh (harsh) prem>>> keeping srinath on and not getting the spinners seems to have worked for azza.... Prem: Agarkar being continued, Azahr figuring that since his pacemen seem to be on a high now, he might as well give them their head. ADs drives, and that is the wicket, this time mid on quickly across, fields, hits direct, Kalu was backing up, no time to regain his ground and he's gone.

dogmatic () HEARTY CONGRATS to the MYSORE MISSILE pc2 () It is still to early to predict anything on this match. In any game everybody can not succeed and at the same time every batsman can not go back without doing anything. This is the time, Ranatunga and ADS loves to play! and they will try their best so that they can have some additional respect. Prem: Struck on the pad first up, huge appeal but that was slipping down the leg side, no damage.

Prem: Srinath poised at the top of his creazse, and meanwhile, he has just got his 200thwicket in ODIs.

Prem: That brings Kaluwitharana out to the middle.

Prem: Sundar:: i seem to remember the Lakans love Kumble. And there is the wicket -- srinath planned that to perfection, went real wide, pitched off seaming in, ranatunga tentatively poked his bat at it and superbly held at short square leg. Srinath has been setting the batsman up for that for some time, gave every indication that he was going to bowl short at him, speared one in at full length, Ranatunga fell for it and Robin held with elan.

dogmatic () Ranatunag would have lost some weight by end of this match Shantanu Desai (shantanu@bu.edu) Hi,Prem I feel in this match Azhar HAS to give bowling to Ganguly and Robin. Sundar () Bringing tendulkar might be a good idea. But i think Kumble and chopra need to be tried for a while Prem: More discussion on the ball between the umpires. Srinath now referring the ball to them after every delivery.

Prem: Interesting field, two slips, wide gully, silly point, srinath to rannatunga and nearly got him again -- that one went right through the batsman as he shaped to drive, the movement of the seam beating the bat.

Prem: 21 to ADS, srianth the bowler, on middle, played through midwicket, one more, 47/4 the score in 12.2.

Prem: Srinath to bowl, into his 7th over, again a discussion on the shape of the ball but the umpires arent having any. Srianth ready to continue. ranatu8nga on strike, and uh oh, didnt know where that was going, flashes at it, ball in the air but just wide of point, no ball as well so two for that delivery and it has to be rebowled anyway.

Prem: agarkar to ads, slower ball, on off, inviting the drive, ads checks it and finds cover, no run. end of 12, and about now, we should see the spinners come on. Chopra in any case is indicated for Ranatunga, might be interesting to bring Tendulkar on, the Lankan batsmen could be tempted into an indiscretion.

deepam (dmishra@sarnoff.com) Radhika> it is ratheer premature to compare with Calcutta. The pitch is behaving so differently and is supposed to spin. We have not even seen the spinners yet! Prem: agarkar to ads, on off, palyed to mid off, no run. one ball left in the 12th, 44/4 tyhe score.

Prem: agarkar this time getting a lot of swing, ads plays to mid off, the direct throw hits the stumps at the runner's crease, from kumble, but ranatunga makes his ground again.

Prem: ADS on strike, agarkar overpitches and the clincial despatch, through mid on, four. 44/4 in 11.3, agarkar showing signs of tiring here, straying in length and line.

Prem: this time, the trademark ranatunga, opening the face and running it down to thrid man, single.

Prem: Agarkar continues, into the 12th over here so he is into his 6th. Coming in to Ranatunga, who goes across his stumps, takes it on the up and slashes over point, gets the four, that was a predetermined shot. 39/4.

Prem: Okay, the scoreboard should be back on. So I'll go back to commentary.

Tushar (tushar_ashar@hotmail.com) It would be interesting to see How Kumble and Chopra bowl to ADS Prem: srinath to ads, on target on off and played to cover, no run. end of the 11th.

Prem: 35/4, srinath again, to ads,on off and played defennsively. 35/4 in 10.3.

Srikanth (ragamsr@eng.auburn.edu) Prem, Just logged in.Suprised to see the scorecard, has the pitch changed character altogether, it reminds me of the pitch on which Pak won against NZ in a final a couple of years ago Prem: srinath, short, lifting, ads cramped on the push but that was a no ball, srinath overstepping in his quest for pace.

Prem: srinath's spell here is the fastest he has bowled, sustained, in quite a while, not following his usual practise of bowling within himself and only pushing through one real quick. here, every ball has been as fast as he can make it and that one snorted off the pitch, had ADS hurriedly ducking, no ball called as that really made height off the pitch from close to good length.

radhika (radhikamishra@hotmail.com) The performance of the Indian bowlers is commendable yet I fear the abilities of both Aravinda and Ranatunga,both of whom are perfectly capable of seeing their side through.Remember the world cup semi-finals in Calcutta? adhika (radhikamishra@hotmail.com) The performance of the Indian bowlers is commendable yet I fear the abilities of both Aravinda and Ranatunga,both of whom are perfectly capable of seeing their side through.Remember the world cup semi-finals in Calcutta? radhika (radhikamishra@hotmail.com) The performance of the Indian bowlers is commendable yet I fear the abilities of both Aravinda and Ranatunga,both of whom are perfectly capable of seeing their side through.Remember the world cup semi-finals in Calcutta? Prem: srinath with two slips in place, to ads, on off, again the push across the line finds midwicket, no run. 33/4.

adhika (radhikamishra@hotmail.com) The performance of the Indian bowlers is commendable yet I fear the abilities of both Aravinda and Ranatunga,both of whom are perfectly capable of seeing their side through.Remember the world cup semi-finals in Calcutta? Prem: Srinath again, ball three, to ads, full length, slower ball, ads beten by the change of pace, gets his bat down at the last minute, plays to midwicekt, no run.

Prem: srinath again, to ads, short on off and played back to the bowler, good fielding on the follow through, 33/4 in 10.2.

Prem: srinath now to ads, goes wide of the crease, short and lifting into off stump and ads squares up and defends.

Muralidhar Rangaswamy (murali@arcon.com) Prem: The anecdote featuring Chandra was against NZ in the 1975-76 series. He was the victim of a number of dubious decisions and hence decided to let the umpire have it when he clean bowled a batsman radhika (radhikamishra@hotmail.com) The performance of the Indian bowlers is commendable yet I fear the abilities of both Aravinda and Ranatunga,both of whom are perfectly capable of seeing their side through.Remember the world cup semi-finals in Calcutta? Prem: agarkar again, and this time, draws ads into the drive, finds the edge with one that seams away, ball flares through gully down to third man, single to end the 10th over, 33/4.

Prem: srikanth:; same pitch as the sri lanka zimbabwe game. ads meanwhile onto one on off, plays forward, finds mid off, no run. 32/4. ADS 16.

Prem: agarakr to ads, on middle, played off the hips, very good use of his wrist, no fielder theere deep behind square, four for it, SL 32/4 in 9.4.

Prem: yorker, dsilva digs it out, no run. again the slower yorker, he has really bowled that very well today, the one that got atapattu was a masterpiece of conning the batsman.

Prem: agarkar to ads, two slips still in place, this one seams away and ads pushes to mid on, no run.

Prem: GUYS, HAVING A BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH THE SCOROBOARD. I'LL GIVE THE SCORES IN HERE.

Prem: srinath to rnatunga, and ohmigawd -- he made that jump off a length, ranatunga caught by surprise, took evasive actiojn, ball hits the bat and falls just wide of short square leg. srinath, and this one angling in on off and played to point, no run. I would think Sri will bounce a few at Ranatunga -- he has a short square in place for him, and ranatunga is not exactly gutsy playing the ball lifting into his ribs. End of the over.

A () Prem : keep the updates on the umpires ripping the umpire on ADS dismissal. Should be interesting! Prem: srinath again, and ranatunga opening his bat face, runs it to point, fielded there. no run.

sarkar (sarkar@hotmail.com) Prem decided to go by my last name because there is another mickey around. Anyway, can you see Aravinda settling down? He is not going to give up after that life. Indian () Prem .. My earlier comment (which didn't make it here) .. may yet be valid .. the pacers may make such a match of it .. the spinners have nothing to do!! dogmatic () ranatunga...has this tendency to run down to third man nice fast ball on off by srinath would do him good - couple of slips recommended Prem: Sarkar:: No, both batsmen now look uneasy. Srinath to Ranatunga, now going round the wicket, makes one lift on off and left alone, two slips in place so he cant keep poking the ball towards third man like he loves to do.

Prem: AGain the discussion about the ball, meanwhile, on TV, time and again, they are showing that ADS dismissal that was turned out, and the commentators now ripping into the umpire.

Prem: Srinath again, this one on middle and leg, ranatunga off his pads to deep square, two for it.

MP () Ind shd apply the same tactics as Zim on Saturday. dry up the singles and wait for the batsmen to make mistakes raj (sulibhavi@yahoo.com) Great work Indians, but we still have respect those guys Ranatunga And Ads. They certainly can change the complexion of the game. Prem: aftereight overs, India were 18/2. Sri Lanka are 25/4. Ranatunga on strike, Srinath, over the wicket, though he normally goes round to the lefties. Ball one, bang on length on off and Ranatunga defends. Srinath unhappy with the shape of the ball, discussion with Orchard, he is pointing to the seam but Orchard says, carry on.

Prem: another good ball to end the over, and agarkar in the middle of a dream spell here.

T. Vallabhan (tvallabhan@hotmail.com) See I told you get them out and well I am not sure who the umpire is in this instance, not steve dunn ,i guess. Well this is interesting remember, Ranatunga is an old war horse. As his name suggests. mickey (mickey@hotmail.com) Ohhh, Prem dats really great. I think the Indians will dominate the organizers..haha Prem: good ball this, on off, seamed in rapidly, squared ads up and had him pushing.

Prem: Agarkar, witih two slips in place plus silly point and short square for Ranatunga, he manages to push past point, single. Next ball, bad one, down the leg andD'Silva helps it along, gets four.

Prem: There's this anecdote aboutt Chandrashekar, once in England, getting a batsman plumb in front twice. Both times, he was turned down. A ball later, he sent one through and bowled the batsman. Chandra goes, Howzaaat? The umpire looks puzled and says, he's bowled. Chandra's reply was a classic: "I know he is bowled, but is he out?"

mickey (mickey@hotmail.com) good show... But still I wish Indians should take ADS...or should attack from one side so dat he'll not able to consantrate. Prem: For the first time in a long time, both INdian quicks fully fired up and bowling the perfect line and suddenly, the mighty Lankan batting lineup in complete disarray. Agarkar always looks good when he pitches a full length, because then he gets movement both ways. here, mahanama was playing for the straight one, the ball seamed in, beat the bat and there was no way he could have givenn that not out, ball heading for the middle of middle stump.

dogmatic () HAT TRICK would do GOOD dogmatic () Looks like we'll have to CLEAN BOWL them... to get them all out. Prem: Agarkar now to Mahanama and he's gtone -- first ball, on off, mahanama shapes to play to leg and plumb in front.

Prem: Agarkar, and he's done it -- lovely yorker, slower ball, atapattu completely misread the pace and he's gone. off stump goes back, and this time, the umpire doesn't need to make the decision -- atapattu beaten and bowled, neck and crop, 20/3 now and in trouble.

murali () Asif Iqbal himself is a bookie. This game has been fixed! mickey (sarkar@hotmail.com) Prem Just curious, what was Tendulkar's reaction to the bad deci sion that you mentioned.?Also, are you getting the feeling that these two are settling down? Prem: srinath to ads, on off, played to midon, finds the fielder, end of the 7th and SL 20/2.

Satish (sati_sh@yahoo.com) Hi, Prem.. Hi, Ajay..how r u da?? Prem>> Did the Indians bat badly or was it a good performance by the Sri Lankans with the ball. thomas (mathew_t@hotmail.com) Prem, I think that was very unsporting on the part of ADS, he should have walked. Whatever happened to this Gentleman's game? Prem: Short and lifting on off and ADS plays it down. Mickey:: Tendulkar looked complettely dumbfounded, then muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a hindi bad word. :-)

Prem: Rajeev:: It is only in India you are going to get these belters. not outside.

Prem: srinath, ball four, on off, angling it in, no ball called and ads finds midwicket.

Prem: srinath,, outside off and that one is cut away very well, got a bit more width, rode the bounce and slammed the four through point.

Prem: Outside off and ADS lets it go. Srinath really charged up now, going flat out, bowling three quarter and making the ball jump.

Gopal (kag999@yahoo.com) Pitch is the devil. 'ope it'll help Inds to have cakewalk. Ajay (kasaraba@hotmail.com) I was watching the game yesterday on pay perview out here in the US and I heard one of the commentators saying how the games in the US have an offence and a defence and the rules make it equally easy or tough for both. He was comparing it with ODIs where rules always favor the batsmen. But folks dont you think thats what makes the gme of cricket so good and unique. As long has tendulkar is batting then batting looks like offence but when Gavaskar played 60 overs to score 36 runs in a world cup game it sure would have been defence.. Any comments.. Prem: micky:: good bowling, bad batting, and one pitch playing slower than the other one so these guys are getting a bit mixed up.

Prem: srinath to ads, on off, driven, finds short cover, no run.

Ajay (kasaraba@hotmail.com) I was watching the game yesterday on pay perview out here in the US and I heard one of the commentators saying how the games in the US have an offence and a defence and the rules make it equally easy or tough for both. He was comparing it with ODIs where rules always favor the batsmen. But folks dont you think thats what makes the gme of cricket so good and unique. As long has tendulkar is batting then batting looks like offence but when Gavaskar played 60 overs to score 36 runs in a world cup game it sure would have been defence.. Any comments.. Raj (sulibhavi@yahoo.com) ADS is very susceptible early in the innings, . He is one we should try to get out.The must keep the pressure on, and only wickets are going to win this match micky (mickey@hotmail.com) Prem, tell me onething. How come suddenly dis pitch turned or is it dat due to tenssion on batsmans coz of earlier wickets? thanx Prem: On the pads this time, ads plays to square leg, gbets one more. 11/2 when by every rule of law, that should have been 8/3. atapattu this time blazing, agarkar obviously irritated, bowled too short and wide and got slammed. someone needs to talk to the lad now, have him keep his cool, forget that wicket, get back into the right frame of mind.

Prem: Now that decision is inexplicable -- there is no way the umpire could have missed it, because the edge was very, very clear, ADS in fact was immediately looking back to see if it was being held, a clear giveaway. I wonder -- are the organisers looking for an India-Sri Lanka final? And wroking for it? ADS on drives, gets two.

Prem: India were 13/1 in 5, SL 8/2 in 5, the difference being that SL know what they have to chase. And now there goes the wicket -- that is downright stupid, agarkar pitched off, the ball took the clear edge, mongia held easily, the umpire, steve dunne, says not out. that was the most blatantly wrong decision I have seen in a long long time.

Prem: srinath to ads, this one slightly shorter, looking to get the batsman on the flick, ads plays the shot but keeps it down and robin at backward square into the action, good stop diving to his right, single to end the over, just that one run in the 5th.

Sajid (sajid@loxinfo.co.th) Prem, yes till now a very good performance by the bowlers. They will have to keep this up till 50th over (or less if they can get SL all out in less than 170). And Inshallah they will. Prem: mickey:: nope, both these guys are too experienced to fall for that, plus they play spin very well. now a very short cover in place, ads drives, ganguly in that position fields well. srianth cocnentrating on bowling just around off stump, tight line, keeping the batsman tied down. ball five, on off, ads this time goes across the stumps, tries to play to mid on, srinath across on his follow through and fields.

mbs (bmadabhu@wvu.edu) Prem, can you give the field setting? we should go with two slips and strong covers and midwicket to stop the singles.. as both ADS and MA are strong off the legs.. and good at driving through cover and extracover.. Prem: sirinath to atapattu, over the wicket, on off and middle, played behind square, single. to ads now, on off, played to mid off, no run. two slips, a backward square in close, the other fielders on the ring. srinath again, on off and three quarter length, pushed, finds cover.

mickey (sarkar@hotmail.com) Prem do you think it would be a good idea to maybe bowl a spinner all of a sudden for an over maybe?/before going back to these two/maybe try Tendulkar for an element of surprise manish (m_k_sinha@hotmail.com) The key is the batting of Aravinda and Ranatunga. Anyway the Indians are very confident and enthusiastic right now as they are almost sure to enter the finals Prem: agarkar to atapattu, agian a good line around off and atapattu lets it go. this guy looks good the minute he concentrates on the full length, unlike srinath his short pitched stuff is not really intimidating. that one climbed on atpattu outside off, the batsman was taking his bat out of line, the ball climbed, hit the bat and went through gully for one. very, very good work thus far from the indian bowlers, but they have 50 overs of concentrating to do here. ball six, dsivla, pushed to cover, no run.

Prem: The real test for the bowling is now -- agarkar in particular cant afford a single short ball, botth these batsmen are good pullers of the ball. in now to atapattu, keeps it three quarter on off, played deffensveily. ball two, there he goes again, looks a superb bowler when he pitches up, this was on a line of off, atapattu forward, ball seams away and beats the batsman all ends up. ball three, the misfield by Robin at point gives away two.

murali () PREM - Is Srinath faster than wasim Akram & Waqar? sanjay (rajsanjay@hotmail.com) Guys, don't be excited . It was the same situation during the world cup in Cal. Let us hope v keep the pressure. sanjay (rajsanjay@hotmail.com) Guys, don't be excited . It was the same situation during the world cup in Cal. Let us hope v keep the pressure. Prem: ball five, srinath this time letting that rip, pitches three quarter, bangs it in, ball lifting and leaving the batsman, who watches it through.

pc2 () hash, I think the the key in this match is to bowl in full length, no loose ball, and ofcource tight fielding, no catch miss dogmatic () As Chappell would put it mildly... "BLOW their HEADS of mate" Prem: ball four, srinath, on off, ads plays across, finds midwicket. no run.

Bull () YESSSSSS yes yes yes!! Way to go guys!! Wow! What a start... Hope the spinners keep upto this start! Prem: two slips in place, srinath to dsilva, on line just outside off and straightening, played to mid off, no run.

Prem: srinath to atapattu, goes across to off and flicks to on, not sure hat shot is really the one to go with on this pitch, atapattu though gets one for it, sl 3/2.

Sajid (sajid@loxinfo.co.th) India should keep pressure on SL. With Jayasurya gone I think we should concentrate on our fielding. Because with only 179 on board, we can not expect our bowlers to bowl well without excellent support from fielders. raman (()) Congrats ,srinath now begins the show start firing and guide young tiger Agarkar to flow on proper channels.The VICTORY si ours. Prem: srinath in that first over bowled faster than I've seen him bowl in a while -- by which I mean consistently fast, usually he keeps it a couple yars under, then lets one rip. this one, he was flat out all 6 balls.

Prem: agarkar now to aravinda d'silva, last ball of the 2nd over. short and climbing, the indians obviously looking to intimidate here. end fo the over.

Harsh (agrawalh@hotmail.com) I think the key in this match lies on whether Agarkar can get his knack of getting a couple of early wickets back. Manish (m_k_sinha@hotmail.com) If Jaya had been in the Indian team he would have been surely kicked by now. Manish (m_k_sinha@hotmail.com) If Jaya had been in the Indian team he would have been surely kicked by now. Prem: And there goes number two -- full length, on middle, gunwardene tries to flick, as we kept telling you, playing across the line on this track is a killer, he misses, and is plumb in front.

Prem: Agarkar pitches short, makes it climb, Gunwardene takes evasive action. ball three, on off and guunwardene tries to drive on the up, gets the thick inner edge, down to cover, no run.

Prem: Agarkar with the second over, bwling to Atapattu. Ball one, on off and played defensively by atapattu. ball two, short outside off, played square past point, single to the batsman, brings the left hander on strike.

Shankar (shah@india.ti.com) I don't know how India can't win this match. After all,we have better bowling side and the pitch will be even slower. Prem: ball two and this one again lifts on off and Jayawardene almost ends up playing on, ball hitting the top of the bat and down at his feet, bouncing over the stumps, ends an eventful first over.

Prem: Three slips now in place for Srinath round the wicket, to the left hander, makes one lift on off and gunwardene plays it clumsily down to point.

Prem: Atapattu the new man, gets one on the pads, flicks, misses, leg bye. 1/1 sl.

Prem: Atapattu the new man, gets one on the pads, flicks, misses, leg bye. 1/1 sl.

Prem: Jayasuriya', nw that bowlers round the world have learnt to bowl into his off stump and cramp him, not looking half the force he was during the World Cup and immediately after, when he terrorised bowlers clubbing them all over the park. Now he rarely gets width to hit through, and his success rate taking a remarkable dip in consequence.

Prem: ball two and he's gone -- went wide of off, angled it sharply in, jaya slashed, played over it and he's gone. bowled off and middle. the perfect line and the predictable reward.

Prem: two slips in place adn first up, pitches off and comes in sharply, thuds into Jaya's pads, but the strike is too high for that LBW appeal to be upheld, great first ball though, cutting the batsman in two.

Prem: Jayasuriya out there, and Srinath to bowl to him, going round the wicket.

Prem: One thing for sure -- if at the outset we put our fielders on the circle, looking to defend the boundaries, the Lankans will romp home because they need under 4 singles an over, and that is on against the best bowling attack in the world.

Prem: Random thoughts, as we wait for the Lankan chase to begin: First up

Continued