By Pragya Tiwari, IANS,
Mumbai: Kumar Sangakkara struck his maiden World Cup century and Muttiah Muralitharan ran through the New Zealand middle order as Sri Lanka warmed-up for the quarterfinals with a massive 112-run victory in their last Group A match at the Wankhede Stadium here Friday.Riding on skipper Sangakkara’s 11th ODI century, Sri Lanka posted 265 for nine and then stopped the Black Caps at 153 in 35 overs.
Legendary off-spinner Muralitharan, who will retire after the World Cup, was the pick of the bowlers and exploited the turn from the track to finish with 4-25. Ajantha Mendis took two for 24.
The win takes Sri Lanka to the top position in the group with nine points after six matches while New Zealand are third with eight points. Australia and Pakistan, who face-off in Colombo Saturday, have also qualified for the quarterfinals. The winners of the match will top the group.
Chasing 266, the Black Caps struggled to play the spinners. They completely lost their way from 82/2 in 16.4 overs and crashed out in 35 overs.
Skipper Ross Taylor (33) and Jesse Ryder (19) dug in their heels after New Zealand lost their openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill for 33 runs.
The two added 49 runs for the third wicket before Ryder, poking at a wider delivery from Mendis, thin-edged to Sangakkara, who showed good reflexes in taking the catch.
Promising youngster Kane Williamson (5) survived only eight balls before he was deceived by a doosra from Muralitharan and Sangakkara swiftly took off the bails.
Muralitharan then got Taylor with another beauty which trapped him leg before. Taylor went for a review but replays showed it was hitting the top of the middle stump.
James Franklin (20) and Nathan McCullum (20) put up a brief resistance but did not last long. Lasith Malinga then knocked off the stumps of Hamish Bennett with a scorcher.
For Sri Lanka, Sangakkara’s century before the knockout stage must have come as a relief. The skipper, whose last century came way back in June 2008 against Bangladesh, also reached 9,000 runs.
Sangakkara shared a 145-run third wicket partnership with his deputy Mahela Jayawardene (66) after Sri Lanka lost both their openers Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dishan
for 19.
The runs came sluggishly for Sri Lanka after the two early wickets, with the second powerplay producing only 17 runs. But Sangakarra and Jayawardene were quick to accelerate the scoring and brought up their century partnership in 153 balls.
Sri Lanka got a reprieve at 87/2 when Jayawardene was brilliantly caught and bowled by off-spinner Nathan, who flew to his right and seemed to have got his palms underneath the ball. But Jayawardene was not convinced and the third umpire was called to see whether the catch was taken cleanly. The third umpire gave the benefit of doubt to the batsman.
New Zealand were unhappy with the decision and Nathan and Taylor rushed to have a chat with the on-field umpire.
Jayawardene, played an able foil to Sangakkara, who went after the bowling. The former captain brought up his 50 off 74 balls and looked poised to go far but was trapped leg before by Tim Southee, who was the best bowler for the Black Caps with three for 63.
Sangakkara’s knock came in 90 balls with six fours. Sangakarra and Angelo Mathews, who struck an unbeaten 35-ball 41 with four fours, then scored at a furious pace and made ample use of the third Powerplay, taken in the 37th over, which leaked 45 runs.
Sangakarra came heavily on Southee and sent him for a six and two fours in the 39th over, which yielded 17 runs. He was bowled by Nathan when he tried to slog sweep.