India crushes Sri Lanka in second ODI

By ICF Staff
October 29 2005

Irfan Pathan follows up his batting heroics in the first match with a destructive bowling performance to brush aside Sri Lanka at Mohali.

Rahul Dravid won the toss for the second time running and elected to bowl in the day-night match. Irfan Pathan ran amok, ripping through the Sri Lankan top order with good support from new-ball partner Ajit Agarkar to leave them gasping at 54/5. They staged a minor recovery but were all out for 122 before the 36th over was completed, with Harbhajan Singh and JP Yadav chipping in.

Sachin Tendulkar walked in and continued where he left off in the first match, hammering pace and spin alike with Virender Sehwag in similar mood at the other end. The world's best bowler Muthiah Muralitharan may never been roughed up in this manner.

Tendulkar smashed 67 runs at a run-a-ball to take India to a win in 20 overs of exhilarating batting.

After two crushing victories in as many matches, the world's number 2-ranked team looks outmatched. The series will end in one-sided manner unless they can come up with something new and different.