RESULT
5th ODI (D/N), Pallekele, August 04, 2012, India tour of Sri Lanka
294/7
(45.4/50 ov, T:295) 274

India won by 20 runs

Player Of The Match
29* (28) & 5/61
irfan-pathan
Player Of The Series
296 runs
virat-kohli
New
SL
Full commentary

India take the series 4-1 and go up to No.2 in the ICC ODI rankings. A good series for the visitors. There's a T20 game left but barring an indifferent performance in the second ODI, India have chased well and now, defended a score. Good performance from Jeevan Mendis and Lahiru Thirimanne; they gave India a scare and there was a point when Sri Lanka had edged ahead but India hit back. So, a comprehensive series win for India, we'll get you the presentation details in a bit.

Irfan Pathan is the Man of the Match for his all-round performance: "God's grace. Was bowling well throughout the series. Had too many bad deliveries today but got five wickets. The batting gave me a lot of confidence, it came at the right time, in Premadasa and here. The ball does swing with the humid conditions, and with the two new balls it does help swing the ball. It's a great feeling."

There is a Player of the Series award from one sponsor and a Man of the Series award from another. Virat Kohli is Man of the Series; he gets a car. Gambhir wins a bike.

Angelo Mathews: "Encouraging to see Thirimanne and Mendis taking on the challenge. Unfortunately we fell short by 20 runs, we gave away some runs on the field. The Indians have a very good batting line-up. But we did too many mistakes on specific days and that was the result of our downfall. Mendis works really hard and is a wonderful asset for us. We've got the SLPL before the World T20."

Dhoni: "This was a very good wicket to bat on. Gautam batted well, we had a very good platform. The last 10 overs we had to get a fair amount of runs, we knew it will get a bit easy to bat on in the second half. Most of the Sri Lankan fields are quite big, if it's not needed it is advisable to not go for the big shots. This outfield was quick and we could use the pace of the bowler. If one of me and Irfan got out, we may not have got to that score. So we played safe for a while. We still need to improve, not only in the bowling but also the batting. The guy who was set usually carried it forward but it's important that we dictate the bowling and score 15 runs more than the par score. If we are playing with part-time bowlers, we need to those 10 to 15 runs. The [limping] is not a major concern, it's not a big injury. Hopefully I'll play the next game."

Some medals to be given out to the team members now. But, for our purposes, the presentation ceremony is over. That's all from here, folks. Many thanks for tuning in and sending us your feedback. Do join us again for the Twenty20 game on August 7. Two other games happening: Kevin Pietersen is going strong against South Africa in Headingley. There's a cracker of a Test happening in Jamaica between West Indies and New Zealand. Check it out here. Thanks again, see ya.

45.4
W
Dinda to Malinga, OUT

excellent catch from Raina who was running back from long-off, low full toss and Malinga struck it well but not well enough, Raina ran back and took it calmly just in front of the ropes to seal victory

Lasith Malinga c Raina b Dinda 10 (9b 2x4 0x6 14m) SR: 111.11
45.3
Dinda to Malinga, no run

low full toss outside off, mistimes a drive, gets it to long-on, refuses the single

Two extra covers in place

45.2
4
Dinda to Malinga, FOUR runs

Four more, remember that four that Lance Klusener hit off Damien Fleming in that World Cup semi-final in the final over, just wide of long-off. This is a right handed version of that. Pitched up and that's drilled wide of the long-off fielder whose dive is in vain

45.1
4
Dinda to Malinga, FOUR runs

Malinga ain't giving up and this ain't over yet, pitched up outside off, lofts that over extra cover for a boundary

Pradeep is the last man

end of over 455 runs • 1 wicket
SL: 266/9CRR: 5.91 RRR: 5.80
Lasith Malinga2 (5b)
Irfan Pathan 10-0-61-5
Zaheer Khan 9-1-53-1

Rash shot from Senanayake when he seemed to be going alright. Just one wicket away from 4-1 are India. Irfan collects his second ODI five-for, marking a more than satisfactory comeback

44.6
W
Pathan to Senanayake, OUT

Five-for for Irfan, gets a wicket off the final ball of his spell, goes round the wicket, landed on a good length and Senanayake swings hard, misses and his off stump is knocked back

Sachithra Senanayake b Pathan 7 (7b 0x4 0x6 12m) SR: 100
44.6
1w
Pathan to Senanayake, 1 wide

drops that one short but it's too high and he's left that one alone, called a wide

44.5
1
Pathan to Malinga, 1 run

pitched up on the off, pushes it towards mid-off for a quick single

44.4
Pathan to Malinga, no run

beaten, in the channel outside off and he was flirting with it, missed

44.3
1
Pathan to Senanayake, 1 run

short on the off, pulls it behind square leg for a single

44.2
Pathan to Senanayake, no run

pitched up and it's driven straight to mid-off

Irfan goes round the wicket

44.1
2
Pathan to Senanayake, 2 runs

shortish outside off, chops that wide of point for a couple into the deep

end of over 445 runs
SL: 261/8CRR: 5.93 RRR: 5.66
Lasith Malinga1 (3b)
Sachithra Senanayake4 (3b)
Zaheer Khan 9-1-53-1
Irfan Pathan 9-0-56-4
43.6
Khan to Malinga, no run

on a good length on the off, defends from the crease into the off side

43.5
1
Khan to Senanayake, 1 run

shortish outside off, stabs that wide of point for a single

Rahul is in for Gautam Gambhir

43.4
2
Khan to Senanayake, 2 runs

angling in towards middle, that's played through midwicket, Rahul Sharma runs in and returns a throw to the non-striker's end, they've completed two runs by then

43.3
1
Khan to Malinga, 1 run

angling in towards middle, defended into the leg side for a single

43.2
Khan to Malinga, no run

nipped away, there was a deviation, but it wasn't bat, fished for it and missed

Malinga is the new man

43.1
1
Khan to Senanayake, 1 run

pitched on a length, driven towards mid-off

Zaheer comes round the wicket, has a slip

end of over 436 runs • 2 wickets
SL: 256/8CRR: 5.95 RRR: 5.57
Sachithra Senanayake0 (0b)
Irfan Pathan 9-0-56-4
Ashok Dinda 7-0-47-1

Is that the decisive blow? Still less than six an over needed. Excellent performance from Mendis, he turned the game around with Thirimanne but India have hit back

42.6
W
Pathan to Jeevan Mendis, OUT

Mendis has to go now! Short and he goes for the cut, gets a nick straight to Dhoni, Irfan takes four. There to cut and he went for it

Jeevan Mendis c †Dhoni b Pathan 72 (88b 6x4 0x6 103m) SR: 81.81
42.5
4
Pathan to Jeevan Mendis, FOUR runs

edged and four, the runs keep coming, Irfan isn't happy, there's no slip, short of a good length and he nicks it to the third-man boundary

42.4
Pathan to Jeevan Mendis, no run

short of a length, slashes hard but doesn't make contact, misses

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