India vs Sri Lanka, 4th ODI at Kolkata, , Dec 24 2009 - Match Result

RESULT
4th ODI (D/N), Eden Gardens, December 24, 2009, Sri Lanka tour of India
(48.1/50 ov, T:316) 317/3

India won by 7 wickets (with 11 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
150* (137)
gautam-gambhir
Match centre 
Scorecard summary
Sri Lanka 315/6(50 overs)
118 (128)
2/49 (10)
India 317/3(48.1 overs)
150* (137)
2/55 (10)
107 (114)
1/57 (10)

A rather facile win in the end owing to a magnificent 224-run stand between Gambhir and Kohli. It really took the game away from Sri Lanka after Sehwag and Tendulkar went. Kohli raised his first ton, Gambhir his seventh. And he stayed on to finish the deal, smartly. He gets to his second score of 150 against Sri Lanka. The visitors scored 315 but that wasn't enough. India seal the series 3-1 with one to play.

Stick around for the post-match stuff.

Meanwhile, an email from Sandip: "Positives for Lanka in this series is Welgedhera's left arm bowling, Tharanga's form at the top (why was he not picked for the Test series??), Sangakkara coming back into form. On the Down side, Malinga - is he fully fit or is it a case of batsmen getting used to his unique bowling - like Mendia. Also Jaywardene failed in the ODIs. Verdict is still out on Randiv, Lakmal, Thissera - as it is early days yet, but liked what I saw of them."

Ravi Shastri speaks to Sangakkara first: "We started out really well, with Upul Tharanga batting really well and the rest batting around him. Lakmal and Randiv bowled well but there wasn't enough back-up. The fast bowlers should have been more disciplined. Gautam and Kohli batted quite brilliantly. We had so many debutants on our tour and some of them have really stepped up and that promises better things on future tours. This is the most competitive we have been in the one-day arena since I debuted."

Now its over to Sehwag: "We were going to bowl first because of the dew in Eden Gardens. The spinners did well. Myself and Sachin Tendulkar got out early but Gauti and Virat batted very well. Kohli has done well. He got fifties in the Champions Trophy and against Sri Lanka and we are very proud of him. Credit for getting Dilshan out early goes to Sachin Tendulkar who told me to keep bowling on his legs."

Gambhir is the Man of the Match for his 150, but he says he cannot receive it and hands it over to Kohli. That is touching. Gambhir speaks to Shastri: "We knew the dew would be a big factor, even when last played here Graeme Smith got a hundred and it was hard for the bowlers. We lost two wickets but he had someone who could play positively and score quickly and that allowed me to keep going. The way Virat batted took a lot of pressure off my shoulders and we told ourselves to see what was happening after 35 overs, but then we didn't need to take the Powerplay. I've been pretty unfortunate in the last two innings but I am happy play a good knock to help us win the series. And its been fantastic to get a hundred in Eden Gardens."

So that is it from us at Cricinfo. Thanks for tuning in again. On behalf of Kanishkaa, Raghav and Sanjay this is Jamie Alter signing off. We'll be back for the final game on December 27. From all of us at Cricinfo, have a very merry Christmas. Bye for now!

48.1
4
Malinga to Gambhir, FOUR runs

there it is, India win the series and Gambhir gets to 150! Malinga serves it up full outside off stump and Gambhir carves it excellent between two fielders and pumps his arms, a great knock from him and his team-mates and the crowd celebrate raucously

Just three to win it. A four will also get Gambhir to 150.

end of over 489 runs
IND: 313/3CRR: 6.52 RRR: 1.50
Dinesh Karthik19 (22b 1x4)
Gautam Gambhir146 (136b 13x4)
Suranga Lakmal 10-0-55-2
Lasith Malinga 9-0-71-0
47.6
Lakmal to Karthik, no run

another bouncer down the stumps, getting him to crouch low

47.5
4
Lakmal to Karthik, FOUR runs

on the full, driven on the rise to extra cover where Malinga tries to stop the ball with his feet but makes a total mess of it

47.4
1
Lakmal to Gambhir, 1 run

another short ball, to which Gambhir arches his back and uppercuts it down on the bounce to third man

47.3
1
Lakmal to Karthik, 1 run

straighter ball on middle and off, punched down to mid-on

47.2
Lakmal to Karthik, no run

another slow bouncer down the stumps and he ducks under it

47.1
3
Lakmal to Gambhir, 3 runs

pokes at one on a length outside off and gets an inside edge past leg stump

end of over 477 runs
IND: 304/3CRR: 6.46 RRR: 4.00
Gautam Gambhir142 (134b 13x4)
Dinesh Karthik14 (18b)
Lasith Malinga 9-0-71-0
Suranga Lakmal 9-0-46-2
46.6
1
Malinga to Gambhir, 1 run

wide full toss outside off, toe-ended wide of backward point

46.5
1
Malinga to Karthik, 1 run

another easy single picked off the erratic Malinga

46.4
1
Malinga to Gambhir, 1 run

drives on the up and picks out that gap between cover and point

46.3
1
Malinga to Karthik, 1 run

slower ball, off stump, he gets over it and dabs into the covers

That is 3000 runs for Gambhir, congrats.

46.2
1
Malinga to Gambhir, 1 run

chases width again and this time bisects cover and point

46.1
2
Malinga to Gambhir, 2 runs

chases a full ball outside off to point where a misfield allows two

end of over 464 runs
IND: 297/3CRR: 6.45 RRR: 4.75
Gautam Gambhir137 (130b 13x4)
Dinesh Karthik12 (16b)
Suranga Lakmal 9-0-46-2
Lasith Malinga 8-0-64-0
45.6
1
Lakmal to Gambhir, 1 run

short of a length and steered with a full face of the bat down to the sweeper near the ropes and Gambhir keeps ticking along like the Energizer bunny

45.5
1
Lakmal to Karthik, 1 run

predictably, the full ball and he clips it off his pads for a single

45.5
1w
Lakmal to Karthik, 1 wide

but now umpire Erasmus reacts as the third bouncer is hurled down

45.4
Lakmal to Karthik, no run

bouncer down the leg side, Karthik shoulders arms as it skims past his armpit and then looks at the umpire but there is no reaction

45.3
Lakmal to Karthik, no run

slow bouncer down the leg side, Karthik flinches as it passes

45.2
Lakmal to Karthik, no run

slow ball, a low full toss, which Karthik drives to mid-on

45.1
1
Lakmal to Gambhir, 1 run

too much room outside off allows him to push the ball to deep cover

Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
G Gambhir
150 runs (137)
14 fours0 six
Productive shot
leg glance
49 runs
4 fours0 six
Control
86%
WU Tharanga
118 runs (128)
14 fours2 sixes
Productive shot
off side drive on front foot
30 runs
6 fours0 six
Control
82%
Best performances - bowlers
Z Khan
O
10
M
0
R
49
W
2
ECO
4.9
RAS Lakmal
O
10
M
0
R
55
W
2
ECO
5.5
Match details
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
TossSri Lanka, elected to bat first
Series
Season2009/10
Player Of The Match
Series resultIndia led the 5-match series 3-1
Match numberODI no. 2935
Hours of play (local time)14.30 start, First Session 14.30-18.00 Interval 18.00-18.45, Second Session 18.45-22.15
Match days24 December 2009 - daynight (50-over match)
ODI debut
Umpires
TV Umpire
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
India Innings
<1 / 3>