Transcript of the Commentary - Sri Lankan Innings

B>Prem: srikant:: *laughing* If i were indias captain, right now i would be thinking of a good nnight's sleep, so i can wake up early tomorrow, check to see what the weather is like, what the conditions are like, and THEN figure out how i want to go.

tushar (tushar@hotmail.com) Prem, Like ur views...and the match report too. Do u foresee any changes in the Indian squad for tmrw... Balaji (balaji.krish@compaq.com) Prem, how is Elworthy? Got couple of key wickets today. Just wondering the threat he might pose if India reaches the final.. Balaji SRIKANT (gsrikant@wipsys.stph.net) Prem, if you were India's Captain for tomorrow's match, what would you be thinking now? Morever what would you elect if you won the toss? Prem: 93 off 66 balls, at 8.45, crookes to zoysa, the off drive fetches one more. 132/8 in 23.1,

Prem: okay, play resumes, and symcox ends the over, 131/8 in 24.

Prem: cooler:: if the game is over the distannce, if there is no prospect of rain in between, then i would say chase -- i dont see the windies bowling being really able to defend. plus, all this rain will leave the pitch slightly wet and steaming.

CoolerX (COOLERX@HOTMAIL.COM) Prem...whats your opinion, if india wins the toss against WI ..Should we chase or bat first ?? considering the rain rules and our batting inconsistancy ?? Prem: pr:: I dont get paid for what i do on cricket, my job is associate editor and the responsibilities on that one are different. this is basically by way of being something i am interested in.

Satish () Rama>> Hey, how is it going?? Long time... madhav (mrdid@hotmail.com) Remember how Kapil & co planned 83 World cup. ? Match by match. just concentrate on match against WI. Let any one come out in final hemant (kdhavala@hotmail.com) hmm, its a superb performance from the South Africans, they are having a hold on sub-continent teams, and that too with a second-string attack, imagine if pollock and donald were available, but i think india are the favoutites(provided we win tomorrow) Prem: nope, he is cut under the eyebrow, mark boucher, it's a bad cut, the ball straight into the eye.

Prem: symcox continues, 23rd over in progress, single to zoysa, dharma paddles that one straight into the head of the keeper -- i think it hit him on the eyebrow, he is down, that could be serious.

Prem: rams:: not much in it, pollock there was a huge plus, here the batting is stronger.

Prem: symcox continues, round the wicket to the left handed zoysa. nice slant in to off, and the tailender can only keep fending the ball away.

Prem: shantanu:: with due respect to both sites, on a cricket day, i get enough of it being live and then doing the match report, without getting more of the same from other sites, the answer is no.

Shantanu (shantanu@bu.edu) Prem,do you check dejanews.com or rec.sport.cricket? Rams () Prem: Is this SA team better than the team at Commonwealth? Naren (naren@stm.com) How can SL elect to field first, knowing well that it is a rainy day -- they are not as naive as the Indians or rather Azhar . Prem: 96 off 73 needed at 7.89. zoysa pads at one outside leg, leg bye, 129/8 the score.

Prem: 127/8 in 21.4 and crookes keeping a very full line, dharma again pushes to long on, single. 128/8.

Prem: srikanth:: I genuinely cannot give you the weather forecast, i am no meterologist. as to what the cpatin winning the toss should do, that would depend on whether we have a full game, wouldn't it, friend? lets see what we have, then figure what can be done.

Satish () Dogmatic>> Censorship in the media!! Hey, this is a cricket match!! Prem, unable to control my laughter on the kind of questions U r having to field... Prem: crookes continues, dharma the man on strike, 99 now needed off 78 and no one to get them. 22nd over, first ball, dharma drives to long on, gets one more. 126/8.

Prem: pr:: then again, if you meant do i think comments like the one you just posted should be carried in the middle of cricket commentary, i think not, thank you very much.

Prem: round the wicket symcox, lands one on zoysa's boot, huge appeal but that was outside the stumps, end of the over and sl 125/8.

ama (rama@virginia.edu) What's with the weather ! these CNN guys are as unpredictable as the weather itself! kiran (gpid4@hotmail.com) well, cronje's managed to pull this one off but against India????Everyone anticipating a SA win,remember the Titan cup???? Hmmmm... azad (azadn@hotmail.com) south africans are going to do it again,they are going to the final to lose it Shantanu (shanatanu@bu.edu) What if Chandana is able to pull this off? Prem: meanwhile, eight down, so it really is all over bar the last rites here. sa through to the final, nuwan zoysa the new man in.

Prem: guys, give me a break here, i am completely unqualified to comment on the weather. :-) In other words, i go the same place you do, to cnn, to find out what they say and chacnes are they are wrong anyway.

Shekhar Tewatia (stewatia@cgn.net) WI is not a team to discount because they do not have big names there. Remember how Hooper plays well against us. Lara was never the top batsman that he was made out to be by the British press and they did it coz he murdered them in the series. Sudhakar G (sudhakar@zebra.net) Guys, SL will still have a chance if the match stops once again & 25 overs could not be completed. Anil (akbarri@hotmail.com) hi prem,yep!we all are thinking in terms of playing finals,but what i think is we have to take one match at a time.so i hope anshu and azza are planning it out fer the match aganist WI.,since we cannot ruleout winies,as they are very resurgent force!!what do u think?? rama (rama@virginia.edu) Hi Prem , what's the deal with the weather there? Is it going to hold till sunday ? I checked the CNN website yesterday , it predicted thunder storm tomorrow and rain sunday , but now it's cloudy and sunshine sunday ! these guys are as unpredictable as the weather itself ! what do u have to say about the weather ? Prem: symcod, short and turning in sharply, chandana was shaping to cut, the ball darted back in and cramped him for space. symcox, this one keeps low and comes through straight, chandana wa slooking to play to leg, the ball really kept low there and he's gone, plumb.

Prem: symcox again, lots of flight on this one, and chandana down the track, gets under it very well, swings it over long on, six. 125/7 in 20.3.

Prem: pr:: huh?? have enough to do here without worrying about that just now. symcox continues, dharma swings it round, jonty flies through the air at midwicket but justfails to get his hands to it. 119/7

r@dogmatic.com () PREM, Whats your view on CENSORSHIP in the media Sathesh (msatheshk@yahoo.com) Prem Can u please tell what the weather forecast for tomorrow is ?? deepak (jaka@md3.vsnl.net.in) India may have to meet southafrica and given sa's poor record at finals India stands a good chance ofcourse we have to beat westindies first. () Indian batsmen have to be on guard playing their slower bowlers.Remember last time what happened at Sharjah?Hooper 4 wkts wheras Chanderpaul 3 wkts. Also Lara unlike Azhar is a very shrewd captain. India should not be overconfident. anurag (Anurag_Thakore@hotmail.com) togh going for india soon. we r too unpredictable and usually a 1 man effort. if we rise, we can be goliath or we are david Ananth () Looks like SA is poised for a major title win. Prem: last ball of the 20th, chandana down the track, drives, crookes fields on the follow through.

Prem: crookes, to chandana, cronje tightening the thumbscrews here with his fielders up inside the circle, drying up the singles as well. a wide next ball, down leg, 118/7

ndian (indian_rediff@iname.com) Hey people ... This is precisely my view too! I too think that SA is gonna win the final. All the best to India tho'. srikant (gsrikant@wipsys.stph.net) well thats the end for SL, well I just hope it would be a India-South Africa finals,LET THE CUP BE IN THE SUB-CONTINENT ITSELF Ananth (ananths@sce.com) It is just a shame to have a match decided like this Prem: crookers,to dharma who sweeps, ges one more.

Prem: 7.34 the ask and it's going up all the time, though lanka are still going at 6 an over. crookes, and chandana pulls it round, gets one to backward square.

Prem: dharmasena the new man in, and derek crookes gets a bowl here, dharma ges one to long on, 115/7 in 19.1,

Satish () Thomas, we definitely have it in us to win this one.. the wickets are playing true and that's all our batsmen need.. plus Bangladesh has been a happy hunting ground for us..the Windies are not too strong and the proteas without their top bowlers.. dogmatic (pr@dogmatic.com) FORECAST for tomorrow: RAIN of fours from SRT's BAT Satish () Thomas, we definitely have it in us to win this one.. the wickets are playing true and that's all our batsmen need.. plus Bangladesh has been a happy hunting ground for us..the Windies are not too strong and the proteas without their top bowlers.. Prem: so it is virtuallly over at this point, symcox continuing with the formalities and at the end of 19, 114/7 the score.

Prem: another wicket, this one was on middle and leg, atpatttu flicked, looking for the run through square leg, shuts the bat too much on it and cullinan holds well judging the ball as it goes over his head. 113/7.

Subbu (gopalaks@uregina.ca) Looks like India is the only team from the Sub Continent left out for contention to ICC trophy. Need a really good knocks from Azza and Saurav apart from tendu to make it past WI in the semis Thomas (mathew_t@hotmail.com) Hi guys, lot of you are anticipating that India will win this cup, but I don't think that they have it in them to pull this one off. Unless SRT can play like he did in the last match, I think SA have a good chance of winning this cup this time!! Prem: 111 from 96 the ask, at 6.93, atapattu on strike, symcox the bowler, ball one is on off and played defensively.

Prem: raman:: not now, pal, got enough to do without complicated formulae. atapattu works the last ball of the 18th wide of midwicket, one more. 113/6 the score.

Prem: 111/6 sl in 17.4, chandana works this one square on the on and gets one more, 112/6.

Prem: sngles still on offer there but this time, chandana really winds up for the big one, gets it on middle and leg and the batsman smashes it wide of mid on for four.

Prem: Ram,an:: the targets are computed on teh duckworth lewis system, it's explained i full on cricinfo so i wont go into it here, the target in 15 for sl here was 118. and sampath, yes, that is exactly what it means, and sa doesnt have the win to its credit either.

srikant (gsrikant@wipsys.stph.net) hello guys, what do you think about the weather tomorrow? Das (kalidas@cwix.com) Prem -> I know the weather has been acting but the forecast for tomorrow and Sunday in Dhaka looks cloudy but no rain - looks like we will have the Indian matches as scheduled sampath (sampy@glue.umd.edu) Prem regarding the min overs to bowled - does that mean that if only 15 and not 25 overs r completed, then we will officially have an result, but Kallis century wont be counted, Then in the record books, the No. of wins for SA will go up by 1 or what?. Raman () what is the target in 15 overs and how is it calculated?? Ashley (ashdaniel@hotmail.com) Hi Prem, S.A deserves to win a big tournament and the only "thing: that might stop them is ofcourse our little Guy "Tendulkar" Prem: that is the halfway stage of the lankan innings, and more than half the side back in the hut, already. not exactly what was on the menu card when ranatunga opted to chase, this has been an uncharacteristically nervous performance by the lankans.

Prem: symcox, and atapattu plays it down in front of him, no run, 101/6 in 17.

Prem: another single, the 100 up now but it is all getting way beyond the realm of the possible now. chandana works one mre, 101/6 in 16.5

rvind () Anybody rememebers Reliance word cup 1997. India and Pakistan were faorite for the final. First Pak was defeated by Australia in semi and then India was beaten nex day by England. Hope we don't see repeat of that here. Raman () what is the forecast for trow and sunday?? dogmatic (pr@dogmatic.com) Prem... Doess the ICC make the rules on the fly or wha Satish () Not many people know of this site?? Just wait till tomorrow.... Satish () Not many people know of this site?? Just wait till tomorrow.... hemant (hthakkar@hotmail.com) Prem, I think jaya and arvinda specially jaya rides his too much but not in this tournament. i think tomm azza and gangs will play and we are gonna hv a good contest. i think we have a good chances of bringing this one home Prem: syymcox again, chandana plays square to point, single. 99/6 in 16.3.

Prem: symcox to chadana, lots of flight, he is down the track driving, finds mid off.

Prem: For the first time, the ask above 7 an over, 7.05 now and atapauttu drives symcox to mid on, walks the run, chandana on strike.

rajeevm (rajeevm@rocketmail.com) happy 4 SA..these guys have been an unlucky bunch all these years..even after playin' the best cricket! Hard work and perseverance pays off!!! mobeen () wow srilanka in disarray!!!.does not happen a lot Prem: next ball, the in cutter, edge of bat onto pad as chandana tries to flick, misses, five dot balls thus far and, in fact, the maiden completed. 97/6 in 16.

Prem: cronje contnues, atapattu on strike, plays to midwicket, the fielding is right on its toes here, no runs to be had and the ask now is 127 off 110 balls.

Prem: hemant:": 25 overs have to be bowled to constitute an official odi. here, they decided if they can get `15 overs in, they will use it to determine the result, only, the score wont go onto the record books.

satish () Inexplicably, SL crumbling here...Prem, as u said, they have chased such targets before, so what's different now.. well, hats off to the South Africans... Amit (amitgoel@hotmail.com) Can't these guys figure out how to make a rain-hit match more fair? mobeen (afaqih@rutgers.edu) Its nice that not many ppl know about the site.cricket.org is running hot,takes quite a while to reload.Your commentary is a clas apart,keep up the good work.If possible try togive a detailed description of the good shots hemant (hemant@mailexcite.com) Prem:Pls enlighten me is it not correct that the minimum overs to be bowled to determine a game is 25 to team batting second instead of the old 15? Prem: The funny thing here is that lanka are way ahead of south africa on run rate at this point, say were 111/2 in 20 and these guys are 97 already -- those wickets going down is what is hurting.

Prem: upul chandana the new man, 96/6 the score,m suilly point brought in now, a drive to mid off gets one more 97/6 in 15.

Prem: meanwhile, this game would be all but over now as a contest. and first jayasuriya, then aravinda, guilty of giving it away with some very silly cricket. their loss meant too much pressure on the rest.

Prem: hemant:: yeah, india look well placed, but god knows what the rain is going to be up to the next couple of days, pal.

Prem: Mahanama attempting the cut herre, that was pushed through faster by symcox, that change of pace deceiving the batsman, he tries to cut, the ball flares off the bat and crookes at backward point holds well, that is the sixth lankan wicket going down.

emant (hthakkar@hotmail.com) hello ppl and cricket lovers. i have a strong feeling that will meet sa in finals i think we are gonna win this tournament if we play as a team. any comments prem Prem how are u doing buddy? naveen (seenaveen@usa.net) SA has proved again that it is the most professional side in the world I think India would do better to concentrate and win the next , and then take on the proteas with a positive frame of mind.. Prem: ball four, mahanama onto the back foot, plays it square again, on on, one more. single per ball thus far, here.

Prem: symcox now to mahanama, bowling well here, not much turn but lots of variation in line and length, good loop on that one, atapattu has it covered, works it to mid on, one more. 96/5 in 14.3.

Prem: symcox to atapattu, flighted, down the track, an on drive, single. 94/5 in 14.2.

Prem: 6.6 the ask, and mahanama plays square on the on to the first ball from symcox, one more. 93/5 in 14.1.

Niladri () Prem, Cricinfo says it is Mahanama, not Chandana. mobeen (afaqih@rutgers.edu) Hi, prem, probably another outburst of rain forecasted,looks bad for the lankans.It would be nice if they could play the game again Prem: atapattu on strike, last ball of the 14th, cronje, on off and flicked, finds boje at square leg, just three in the over.

Prem: to respond to sampath, i think the only pressure is the need to produce a result since the final is sunday and you have to find out who meets who. cronje on a nice line and length here, atapattu pushes to mid on, no run, 92/5 in 13.5.

Pavan (psibal@Yahoo.com) Well its all over for SL. They better get back home and set their basic fundas right. Its not gully danda game any more Hit here or there and u win. All cannot be like De Silva, Ranatunga. sampath (sampy@glue.umd.edu) i read in ric infor cpmmentary that at one stage it was rining hard and the players were thouroughly drenced, but play still ocntinued. It seems there was pressure outside th eplaying filed fo rth ematch to continue. Prem-any comments Prem: ball three, on leg, the flick misses but the leg bye is on, 91/5 in 13.3.

Prem: ball two, outside off, cutting in, atapattu tries to play off his hips, misses.

Prem: Uh oh, correction, it is mahanama out there and not chandana -- just got my first look at the guy's face, sorry, guys. a nice play round his pads gets him one off the first ball of the 14th, cronje, 90/5

Prem: jonty today out of his skin here, he is on the on side now and seems to be everywhere. short one from symcox, swung around, single, 89/5 in 13.

Prem: symcox to chandana, a flick on the on side and one bounce in front of the fielder at mid on. 86/5.

Prem: atapattu still calm and controleld, works one to square leg, single.

sanjay (spathak@ikon.com) what srilanka is doing seems to be end of the match by 20th over.. pavan (psibal@Yahoo.com) Now it is too difficult for any team to come back. I think we have better chances than WI and then play SA like a team and not just depending on Tendu. I think its been a long time we have won a Big CHAMPIONSHIP. I would like azhar to play a good supporting knock. satish () With Ranatunga goes SL's chances of victory....amazing how thw South Africans perform so well even in the absence of some of their key bowlers... their commonwealth victory against full-strength Aus too was stunning... Raj (r_chand@ix.netcom.com) I think SA are in the winning stage, all they have to do is to contain Attapattu(I don't think Mahanama or others can do anything better) Prem: quick single taken here, off the push to rhodes who just fails to find the stumps with the direct hit.

Prem: sampath:: the ball was a yorker, vaas just blocked it, ball took the outer edge, was dropping i would say a good five, six feet short of point, jonty launched himself forward, flying full length, was still in the air when he got his fingers under the ball as it 3was landing. terrific catch. meanwhile, chadana on strike to symcox. 86/5 in 12.2 tthe score and another drizzle starting up. 6.36 the ask.

Prem: chandana it is and next ball,picks the short one and slams through midwicket and boje flings himself to stop a stunner. no run. 81/5. in 11.5, last ball, to chandana, short, pulled over midwicket, the ball dances away for four, 85/5 in 12.

anjay (spathak@ikon.com) The question is whether ranatunga does it again.. milind (bhagavat@hotmail.com) One interesting thing about a shoot-out using bowlers, in case of rain. This is a situation where one can easily take a bribe and decide on a match. If ICC does not want betting scandals then they should desist from such schemes (like bowling shoot-out). People any comments. Prem: cronje comes up witth a wide next up and for the life of me, i cant figure who the new batsman is, all i can see is the heck of a helmet. from the way he bats, looks like chandana.

Prem: that is the first genuine unplayable ball we've had in the innings, and it couldn't have come at a better tiem. ranatunga has what it takes to see the side home, but with atapattu the only recognised batsman left, south africa should be odds on from here on.

Mehul (parekhm@hotmail.com) S.A. has to win this 1!that increases our chances of winning the cup if we beat W.I toms Prem: that was intelligent stuff, he got under the ball and deliberately lifted it over cover with a little chip. ball three of the over and he is gone -- cronje made one angle across, pitch in front of ranatunga and stand up. ranatunga was looking to run it down, the ball kicked up unexpectedly, took the splice and a fine catch by the keeper.

Prem: 12th over about to begin, 78/4 the score, ranatunga on strike and chips the first one over cover, from cronje, two for it and 80/4 the score.

aro (saro@geocities.com) The match is heading for the clash of titans, hell shall break loose, the gods shall have no mercy, the judgement day has dawned on human kind , help!! help !! hee hee hee Maya (Mayap@hotmailcom) Prem, Lankans have a good rate, but wickets may make a difference in the end if Africans strike in the end. Nikhil (nikhil_soares@hotmail.com) Seems like an uphill task for SL now, but with the old war-horse, Ranatunga,U never know!! Prem: drinks on the field guys, break time for me too. be right back.

Rams () This is going to crucial for SA. If Hansie and Pat can bowl tight for 3-4 overs the SL would be in more Pressure. Hansie would pullthis one off in the end pavan (psibal@Yahoo.com) Well i surely agree with Arvind on India's unpredictable play. I remember the world cup when WI just gave away their match to Shane warne and Autralia came to semis Saro (saro@geocities.com) hey everybody why is there such a traffic in bombay today? satish () These 2 need to be there for a while now.. the RRR is very much in range... Prem: ranatunga on strike, pushes symcox back down the track, no run. nice easy bowling here from symcox, holding on to the three quarter line, not giving too much room for the free hit. ranatunga nudges square on the on, single, 78/4 in 11.

Prem: the bwlers after every ball, wiping it on towels, and now a full toss, atapattu flicks, beats midwicekt, gets the single to the sweeper, 77/4 in 10.4.

Prem: ranatunga on strike now and symcox goes round the wicket, which means an adjustment to the sightscreen, which means a stop in play. 149 from 142, the ask. symcox stays over the wicket after all that fuss, and ranatunga pushes the single to mid off.

Prem: symcox to atapattu, on off, played to midwciket, rhodes stops but the ball bounces back off his hands, thanks to the outfield. symcox again, and atapattu forward, plays to square leg, gets one. 75/4 in 10.2.

sanjay (spathak@ikon.com) It is not a wise decision as well to loose 4 wickets at top..it would be uphill task for lanka.. Shantanu (shantanu@bu.edu) Hey,Prem is something wrong with the server.None of my comments are getting posted., Mehul Shah (mehulkshah@hotmail.com) Sorry Prem, thought score is updated by someone else and you are just doing the commentry. But, a quick update of score would be more handy than commentry. It is a different thing that I come to this site for your commentry more than score! :-) Prem: cronje not missing a trick here,brings symcox into the attack at the other end.

Prem: END OF 10, sl 74/4

Prem: 6.12 the ask here, needing 150 off 147 balls from here on. ranatunga on strike to cronje, gently plays one to square leg, no run.

arvind () Srilankans are amazing. They can maintain run rate of 7.5 even after loosing Jaya and ADS cheaply. If india looses Tendu, Aza early they try to maintain strike rate of 4 and then tell Robin and other to score at 10+ run per over. neeraj (jainneeraj@hotmail.com) South Africas Bowling is not up to the mark, that's why they r making runs. Prem: cronje's done it again hasn't he -- brings himself on and back goes a wicket. nice cameo of 18 from vaas, and the innings into the 10th over here, after this the restrictions are off so ranatunga and atapattu will have to bat m ore normally from here on if they are to pull this one off.

Rams () Pat should be brought into the attack satish () Poor bowling by SA here.. they have already conceded 10 extras...so unlike them neeraj (jainneeraj@hotmail.com) Friends, Still there is a hope that Srilanka will be in the final. Ofcourse it is difficult task but not impossible. Arvind (arv21@hotmail.com) Everyone is talking as if India has already won the semi. Have the West Indies given a waslover or something? India is even more unpredictable than Pak. Though I am sure India will win, just wait till tomorrow. satish () Paul and Das, U guys r mistaken.. the team batting second in a rain interrupted game know exactly what rate to score at.. the team batting first is at a disadvantage becoz it's tuff to know what is a good target in a shortened game.. cronje, ball three, and that is jonty rhodes at his very best -- that ball was yorker length, vaas blocked it, ball flew off the edge and jonty flew miles forward at point to take a blinder. Prem: ball two, played square on the off, vaas calls and runs the single very fast, 70/3. cronje now to vaas, who is down the wicket, thumps it over long on, elworthy, a tall guy, had to stretch, just got his ffintertips to it but not a chance really, four more. 74/3.

satish () Paul and Das, U guys r mistaken.. the team batting second in a rain interrupted game know exactly what rate to score at.. the team batting first is at a disadvantage becoz it's tuff to know what is a good target in a shortened game.. arvind () Jayasuriya in ODIs this year : S.T.Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) 18matches 18innings - 571runs 102highest 31.72average 1century 4fifties 2zeros Chandra (ctalluri@unifi.com) The way it is raining ,looks like the match is going to be abanded and teher will be a bowlout. so Only srilanka should hope they should not be allout before they call of the play sp () Not much hope for SL now. But if India win tomorrow and face SA, it'll be better for them as for a long time they've been playing mostly against Pak, Aus and SL. Ankur (ankthehunk@mindless.com) Sri Lanka are a sinch to lose this match () The way it is raining ,looks like the match is going to be abanded and teher will be a bowlout. so Only srilanka should hope they should not be allout before they call of the play pavan (psibal@Yahoo.com) Nuggu() Tendu like God thoda zaada ho gaya hain If they play good as a team they can surely crush West Indies Otherwise it seems to be WI vs SA and SA taking it again Well i believe in good interseting matches. Prem: ball one, down the leg side, called wide. 69/3.

Prem: sl going at 7.55 now, need to go at 6.24 from here on, and hansie cronje takes over the bowling from elworthy.

Prem: rindell to vaas, short on off, played back, no run. 68/3 in 9, sl.

Prem: 6.15 the ask, vaas on strike, rindell for the 5th time in the over, gets one outside off and he thumps it back, doesnt get hold of it, one bounce to mid off, no run.

Prem: both shots hit through the line of the ball, sl 67/3 in 8.3 and rindell again, on middle this time, atapttu runs him down to third man, gets one more. 68/3 in 8.4

Prem: mehul, only got the two hands, rather hard to do it all every ball. again, rindell overpitches and again, atapattu fluently forward, a stylish cover drive leaves the field standing.

Prem: wide again, so rindell actually adding to the overs lanka has to get the runs in.

Prem: next ball, the off drive, finds the fielder.

Prem: Overpitched on line of off, atapattu easily into line, fluent cover drive leaves the field standing. four more. sl in 8.1, 62/3.

Paul (rpaul@atlgr.com) The team batting secondon in a rain-restricted game is almost always at a dis-adv. Wonder why Ranatunga opted to bat second. arvind () Any chance left for Srilanka now? South Africa has never won a major final but this time they will be playing against India (hopefully) and nobody knows how India will play. NJ () Prem> Whats the reqd score for SL if they get only 15 overs and for how many wkts? vijay (vijay@scr.siemens.com) Hi Prem, Great commentary, why don'y you guys make the commentary top down, like in CricInfo. Das (kalidas@cwix.com) Dear Prem, Just joined in, I guess Arjuna got it all wrong today - he won the toss and fielded when even my little daughter knows that SA are strong with their batting and above all I guess he forgot the rain rule too, next sending Vaas when you have a classy batsman like ADS - this is stupid captaincy Nuggu (satisn@hotmail.com) Well KK, SRT played well. But without Dravid & Jadeja's roles, we couldn't have won. We play as a team. U won in Toronto because we didn't have Robin, Jadeja and Tendulkar. Prem: rindell, left arm over, slower ball, outside leg, wide called, so another run, 58/3.

Prem: and now it is mike rindell taking over from kallis, bwling to vaas who gets a no ball first up, thups to mid on, one for it and the no ball as well, so two runs, sl 57/3.

Nuggu (satisn@hotmail.com) Well KK, SRT played well. But without Dravid & Jadeja's roles, we couldn't have won. We play as a team. U won in Toronto because we didn't have Robin, Jadeja and Tendulkar. PC () This was dumb! Really dumb Ken () Prem, Why are these SLs self-destructing like the Aussies??? Well I think my prediction of a SA win seems highly possible!!! GK () Hei, You can count on Arjuna Ranatunge. When the stars fails, he gets a break... What a punch line !!! Satish () Oh no, now it;s going to be real tough for the lankans.. Rams () Isnt it stupid to argue abot what would have happened if SRT is not in Indian team. I bet there would have been another.. Nothing to take away from SRT..he is playing like GOD Prem: the start is prettyy decent for sl, but the catch is, they have lost their two most explosive players, so it is an uphill job all the way, from here. elworthy, to vaas, who steps away, hits through cover, one more.

Prem: 54/3 in 7.4 sl, needing 170 more at 6.45 and vaas defends to line of leg, gets it on the pad.

Prem: atapattu the new man in, but the batsmen had crossed over. elworthy pitches short again, but vaas going right back, swings it round over midwciekt, six over midwciket.

buffalo (itheg@hotmail.com) Lanka will win !! Final India vs Lanka !! satish () Arvind, don't think Jaya has been doing all that bad.. he hit that magnificent double hundred against England in the test match to lay the foundation for the win pavan (psibal@Yahoo.com) Hi Prem keep saying the totals ball by ball How many runs to get It would surely make it interresting. Shantanu Desai (sshantanu@bu.edu) Prem,do you think we should stick with the same team against West Indies?I think yes. Prem: the funny thing is, the lankans have been in positions of chasing over 7 an over, before -- but here, they really are panicking, both jayasuriya and aravinda playing completely unsuitable shots.

Prem: Another blunder, short ball on off, climbing, ads went chasing after it, launched into a pull, that ball was going away off the seam, bad shot selection and boje at mid wicket backpeddling, holds a very good catch and that should spell big big trouble for the lankans.

Prem: Okay, guys, we'll let the troops fight the indo pak war, we dont need it here.

Prem: elworthy again and ads this time, pushing to mid on, no run.

Prem: 6.59 the ask, elworthy to ads, on middle and off and ads forward, flicks square, gets two to the sweeper.

pomeli (pomeli@esp.bellcore.com) Prem: How is the weather.Is there a possiblity for a second interrruption??? Tough luck SL!! satish () Yeah Prem, De Silva the key now... SL's man for the big occasion, and I reckon currently the second best batsman in the world..Lara is not playing like he did in 94-95 and Mark waugh is a bit inconsistent.. Prem: kallis again, to ads, a love cover drive and a brilliant stop by jonty rhodes. just one.

Prem: GUYS, HAVE TO REBOOT, BE BACK IN JUST A SECOND.

Prem: vaas now on strike, kallis the bowler, the batsman steps away and slogs to leg but finds mid on, no run.

Prem: ball three, outside off, guided past point, one more.

Prem: ball two, on off and ads onto the front foot, playing to mid on, no run.

arvind (asingh@ixmicro.com) Jayasuriya has not been scoring well this year. What you think is the reason. Is it just loss of form or bowlers have learnt how to contain and/or get him out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- pavan (psibal@Yahoo.com) Sometimes these pintchhitters can get u 20 30 useful runs. Prem: rams:: he was. 7.16 the run rate now, they have to go at 6.46 from here, kallis to aravinda with two slips in place, ads pushes to mid off, no run.

Rams () Prem: U sounded as if Jaya is bowled... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ank The Hunk (ankthehunk@mindless.com) yo I can't see the match because I'm in Belgium but I can tell a gooe prespecrtive that Sri Lanka are gonno lose -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANkit (dolars4u@rocketmail.com) Prem What are Indias chances looking at the current form without Sachin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Harish Balan (harish@escalade.com) Okay buds...who's betting on an all-subcontinental FINAL?? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Khokha Khan (kkhan@aol.com) BBallu!! What If INDIA did not have SRT in TEAM. They would have been home watching the GAME. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ballu (ballusingh75@hotmail.com) Prem Please tell me the conclusion what happens if today's match is Cancelled. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ajay (ajaygk@hotmail.com) It's begining of failure for SL with vass around -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- gautam () that does it for Lanka I guess. am signing off. will join later Prem: elworthy, last ball of the 6th, outside off and vaas swings and misses.

Prem: vaas on strike, on drives, two more to long on.

Prem: GUYS, HOLD ON TO YOUR QUESTIONS, CONCENTRATING ON COMMENTARY HERE.

Prem: 6.45 the ask now. d'silva will have to bat through the innings now, the last thing lanka can afford is for him to lose his wicket the way jaya did.

Prem: on middle and dsilva flicks to backward square, gets one.

Prem: aravinda d'silva coming in now, ahead of atapattu, two slips in place.

ballu (ballusingh75@hotmail.com) Thanks Qasim for the support Infact I have given some comments on his (KK) comments) hope you read it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- mickey (sarkar@hotmail.com) True you were without Anwar and Inzy but I thought with MAlik, Sohail,and Ijaz,Wasim you would have surely beaten WI. Anyway, I think it was Anwar's presence that was more missed. Inzy is somewhat unpredictable(polite way of saying he is not dependable). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- sanjay (schachad@promus.com) Well KK Anwar and Inzamam could not do much against Australia at home. Anwar did hit the century but Pak anyways lost. None of them are of the Class of Tendya and hence missing some pegs here or there does not make a difference Prem: when he was striking the ball so well, jaya could have concentrated on playing proper cricketing shots, that was completely unnecessary, and besdies by moving away before the bowler bowled, he really set himself up for that dismissal.

Prem: jaya on strike, elworthy, that was really stupid -- he moved about 3 feet down to leg before the bwler bowled the ball, telegraphiing his intentions to hit over off, all the bowler had to do was bowl the yorker into the base of middle, jaya had stepped so far away from the stumps he didnt have a hope of getting his bat there. that was adrenalin overdose going against the batsman./

Arvind (arv21@hotmail.com) with jayasuriya around, why did ranatunga have to send in a pinch-hitter? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- gautam (gsw113@psu.edu) The last over showed what a little hitting from Jaya can do to a bowler -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- satish () Jaya on fire.. when he gets going like this, it's good to watch, of course as long as India is not at the receiving end...:)) if he stays there another 8-10 overs, SL will make it.. my money is on lanka to go thru Prem: 6.34 now the ask, and it is jaya back on strike, to elworthy. over the wicket, yorker on off and jaya digs it out.

Prem: GUYS, HOLD DOWN THE AGGRO, OKAY?

Prem: vaas has a huge swing at the last ball, not well timed, but balloons over cover and two more. 16 in the over.

Qasim () What do u mean Khokha Khan by saying NO BIG DEAL since we are playing with full strength. Do u always expect us to play with the Toronto team so that any other team(including Pak ) could win and then it is BIG DEAL for u guys. I do not think even if Anwar and Inzi would have been there it would have made any difference because Salim Elahi played well and it was for your bowling that you'll lost. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- gautam (gsw113@psu.edu) i think witht the constant drizzle, the ball will get a little soggy and difficult for the finger spinners like Boje and Symi. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- satish () Prem>> Oh, yeah.. that works.. embarasses not to have thought abt it :)) thanks.. Prem: two wides, 12 off the bat, a very good over this for the lankans, and now kallis in again, short on middle and off his hips, tucked to backward square, the throw comes in with vaas way down the track but the keeper, with the tension, fumbles.

Prem: good idea that to go round the wicket, but kallis has to go wide, and angle on off with a three quarter length or he will disappear again. he looks nervous here, again goes wide of leg, unsure of what to do after those three blazing fours.

Prem: that was hit with immense power, kallis again to jaya, two balls left in the over and kallis now round the wicket, short down leg, wide called.

KK_Barbados () Required Rate is now 6.7...and I predict will climb to .. ungettable proportions... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ballu (ballusingh75@hotmail.com) SO KK you mean to say that your team is only existing due to Anwar and Inzamam What about Akram and the controversial and old horse Malik Your coach(Javed) had even gone to extent of saying that he would play if required Is this Sportmanspirit ?? Prem: kallis now under pressure with those two fours, outside off and a blazing square cut, that is the third four on the trot.

Prem: man going out there to sweeper midwicket now for that shot, kallis in for the 3rd ball, to jaya, outside off and this one is smashed through cover, all along the ground, too much room there from the bowler, four more.

Prem: jayasuriya on strike, kallis to bowl the 5th over, on off but short and jaya picks it early, swings it around over midwcket, that ball travels like a rocket to the fence for four.

Prem: arvind:: sure, it is only the further rain that has made things problematical.

Arvind () Do you think it was a good decision by Ranatunga to chase after he knew that the match will be reduced because of the rain. Prem: satish:: if you minimise and hold the mouse over it, you can still see the score. oh well, will pass it on.

Prem: jaya now trying to swat one to leg, doesnt get hold of it -- his timing a bit off thus far -- and that ends the 4th over.

Satish () A couple of suggestions for the techies.. I think it would be better if the score was shown first in the title.. that way, when we minimize this window whilw at work, we can see the score.. now, all we can see is the first batsman's individual.. also, would be better if the size of the frame was made bigger... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Davis Varghese (davisvarghese@netscape.net) hi prem , could you please either make the score window resizable or at least change the window size so that horizontal scroll bars are not required . we are having problems with this. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Khokha Khan (kkhan@aol.com) Mickey!! I meant to say IND/SA.. Well!! Anwar and Inzy did not play so we knew we did not have a chnace. India is playing with full strengh..so NO BIG DEAL!! They'll win!! Prem: vaas on strike and ball one, slashed over backward point, one fielder there but too deep, gets it on the bounce, one more to vaas.

Prem: elworthy to jaya, the on drive on the up and a very risky single taken on that one.

Prem: short, wide, outside off and a no ball as well, one more to the score.

Ballu (ballusingh75@hotmail.com) Which team will go to final if todays game (GOD FORBID) is cancelled due to rain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ankit (dollars4u@rocketmail.com) BUt dont you think its better if its SL so because we play them more! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KK_Barbados (bhagwak@caribank.org) SL will be hard pressed. The required rate of 6.6 will be very demanding..An early wicket..in Jaya and a few tight overs and some superb fielding will definitely create panic for the SL... Prem: but jaya crossed over, so it is him on strike now to elworthy, cut to point gets one more to jaya.

Prem: chaminda vaas coming out now, so thy are looking to pinch hit.

Prem: interestingly, there is still a light, very light drizzle out there. kalu on strike, and there he goes, tries to clear mid off, doesnt get under it properly, wafts it to mid off where cronje runs back a bit and holds a well judged catch.

Prem: ankit:: hey, if they want to win a mini world cup, they should be able to take on whoever it is. 6.64 the ask now and jayasuriya drives elworthy, ball one, to mid on, single.

ballu (ballusingh75@hotmail.com) Mickey i was also wondering the same thing any thanks for putting up the statement -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ankit (dollars4u@rocketmail.com) Hey Prem Which team iss better for India in the finals Sl Or SA? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- rsinha () Prem can you have your commentary box redesigned so there are no horizontal scroll bars. Its such a pain to have to use the scroll bar to view the commentary. the window on my screen is not resizable, onli maximizable, which I can't. Prem: kallis bowling too full, letting kalu hit through the line which is his forte. last ball of the over, outside off, a swing and a miss.

Prem: rajesh kalia and sachin, your posts are coming through. meanwhile, kallis again, on that full length this time on middle and kalu chips again, over mid on, four more.

Prem: kallis agian, to kalu, but this one is right up there in the slot, full length outside off and the batsman lifts him over long on, four.

mickey (sarkar@hotmail.com) KKhan how can there be Pak/SA final if Pak is already out? have you been dreaming or what? Prem: kallis, ball three, outside off, kalu stands in place and waves his bat at it, misses.

Prem: kallis, ball two, on off seaming to middle and leg, pushed to mid on, fielder there is close, no run.

Prem: kallis to continue, kalu on sttrike, gets one through the batsman as he aims an airy drive outside off.

Balvinder (ballusingh75@hotmail.com) India has got a psychological knack that if Tendulkar hits then everyone are on their way else .... Prem: elworthy to jaya, last ball of the over, short, lifting, surprised the batsman, who got it onto the glove and off the shoulder, lobs towards square leg but safe, short of the fielder, no run.

Prem: elworthy to kalu, overpitched, thumped back past the bowler but mid on is fine, fields, gets just the one.

Prem: field restrictions will go off after 10 overs.

Prem: elworthy, to kalu, 3 balls left in the 2nd, on middle, played to midwicket, but no run, fielder in very fast and jaya wasn't backing up.

Prem: elkworthy this time, wide down leg side. with only 34 overs to bowl they have already given the lankans half an over extra with wides, that is not good thinking. fuller length this time, kalu drives but finds short cover.

Kedar (kksathe@yahoo.com) I never found Jaya to be a good batsman. He has pulled it off many times but never after the World Cup. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Satish () Talking abt Dalmia, whys hd Indian cricket suffer because of one power-hungry businessman!! I was proud when Dalmiya made it to the Presidency but now I hang my head in shame.. he is proving to be a spineless guy who is hurting India more due to his post... as they say in Hindi, jis thali mein khaya usi mein ched kar raha hai.. I will be one happy man the day he steps down from the post.. Prem: elworthy, to jaya, played down to the front of jonty rhodes who is in, diving to the ball and throwing at the stumps on the dive but kalu juust makes his ground.

Prem: elworthy to jayasuriya, holds one back, jaya forward wanting to force to on, foxed by change of pace this early in the over, pushes at it and lucky the ball doesnt lob back to the bowler.

khokha khan (kkhan@aol.com) I think it'll be PAKI/ SA in Final.. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PC () Wow Jaya of the mark with a single... am amazed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- sanjay (schachad@promus.com) Does this rain delay mean that india will have to bat first tomorrow .. azhar has made it clear that he loves to chase .. but with rain in forecast my guess is that setting a target would be the right thing to do Prem: steve elworthy, brought in for dawson, to bowl now to jaya, right arm over and starts with a wide.

Prem: 6.6 the ask rate, so it is not way out of sight yet, they need to bring it down during the field restrictions phase.

Prem: OKAY, GUYS, WITH THE GAME GOING LIVE, HANG ON TO YOURQUESTIONS, OKAY? going to be busy with the commentary here.

Arvind () Prem, the point I wanted to make was - a strokemaker like Sachin gets out for low scores but so does a technically correct like Dravid. So, how it provides stability to the team? I just remember the last Sahara cup to illustrate my point. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- easir (easir@yahoo.com) Shahid Afridi and Philo Wallace..r they same type of batsman? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vels (svelmurugan@dns.ufsia.ac.be) Prem... Following ststements is there on CRICINFO. IS IT TRUE and RELIABLE?? - *grin * ICC have announced that an extra hour has been made available to bowl the 39 overs; thus we cann have played until midnight; thus no overs will be reduced. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seshan (seshanvr@hotmail.com) Prem, if the game t'rrow is a complete washout, will the new rule take effect.. that would be a disgrace Prem: kallis to kalu, angled to leg stump, kalu flicks and misses, hit on the pad but down the leg side.

Prem: kallis, ball four, now to kaluwitharana. with the target being revised upward, a lot is going to depend on this pair. kallis outside off seaming away, kalu drives and misses.

Prem: The target is 224 off 34, which is a huge ask. jaya pats one down to square leg, single, that was a no ball as well, so two added to the score.

Prem: nice ine here from kjallis the first ttwo balls, but ball three strays to leg and jayasuruya puts it away, through midwicket, four.

PC ()

Continued