India out of the World Cup?
India look set to follow Pakistan as shock exits from the World Cup, after failing to beat Sri Lanka which would have ensured progression through to the Super 8. Bangladesh will take their place provided they don’t lose to Bermuda.
India won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat, and despite starting slowly, forged their way to 254 for 6 off their 50 overs. Tharanga top scored at the head of the innings with 64, with Silva backing him up with 59. Dilshan, Arnold and Vaas added an extra 50 runs off not very many balls at the end of the innings. India’s bowlers again failed to impress and made little dent on a well-organised Sri Lankan batting lineup.
In reply, however, India’s batting was even more shambolic than their bowling. Sehwag managed 48 and Rahul Dravid 60, but save from a final flourish from Harbhajan at the end of the innings which provided a little interest and were finally bowled out for 185, 70 runs short of their total. Sri Lankas bowlers were on target again, lead by old practitioners Chaminda Vaas and Murali, ably supported by young guns Malinga and Fernandez (who, incidentally managed to snap Tendulkars leg stump). There was little depth in the batting and simply no application from a side playing in a must-win match, facing an embarassing early exit from the World Cup. India now must rely on Bermuda beating Bangladesh in the final game of the group. Such a feat looks unlikely at best, and India are surely going home.
That Bangladesh will progress to the Super 8 is a testament to both how well they played in their group matches, but equally, how badly India played and how uninspiring they have been in this competition. Sri Lanka, however, look in superlative form and although they will always be underdogs to the likes of Australia and South Africa, on their day they look more than capable of upsetting even the best teams.
Tags: India, lose, World-Cup-2007Related Stories
POSTED IN: Cricket
4 opinions for India out of the World Cup?
abhinav
Mar 23, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Where are our cricketers earning all their crores from? Not from their salaries, but from the revenue they make out of the commercials. When we stop buying the products they endorse, seeing which when the companies stop hiring them for their ads, and ultimately when this money stops flowing into the cricket’s pockets, the great indian cricket team might just wake up!
Long message short - BOYCOTT ANY & ALL PRODUCTS ENDORSED BY ANY CRICKETER FROM THE TEAM!
parvez
Mar 23, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Being an Indian cricked fan, I myself was heavily dissappoined but.. it was high time for a reality check. The team that ranked no. 6 in the ICC rankings out of 8 test playing nations got knocked off the world cup.
rohit
Mar 27, 2007 at 11:23 am
ho ha indiya chu_ gaya india….ask tem to do more adds and free picnic trips to wc and otr places….
india fan
Apr 7, 2007 at 10:54 pm
i blame hanuman,for not burning the lanka completely,
sorry india,it was not your fault
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