• Sanath and Kaushalya play major roles as India ‘fixed’
• Royal in dramatic win over Isipatana

DHAKA, June 1 (Reuters) - Sachin Tendulkar struck 93 from 95 balls but India fell well short of the 277-run target set by Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup on Thursday.

They were all out for 205 in reply to 276 for eight, the highlight of Sri Lanka’s innings being opener Sanath Jayasuriya’s 105.

India openers Sourav Ganguly and Tendulkar began the run chase well with 32 from the opening six overs.

But Ganguly, who scored an unbeaten 135 against Bangladesh on Wednesday, fell for 13 and India were always struggling to maintain a decent run rate.

The only significant stand of the innings was between Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who made 24. The pair put on 67 for the third wicket.

Mohammad Azharuddin did not help his side’s cause by running himself out going for a quick single when he had scored only three.

Tendulkar eventually fell to Kaushalya Weeraratne when he holed out to Mahela Jayawardene on the square leg boundary. Weeraratne was the pick of the bowlers with three for 46.

Earlier, Jayasuriya had struck his 105 off 116 balls.

He and Marvan Atappatu added 104 for the second wicket before Tendulkar, brought on to break the partnership, duly delivered.

Atapattu, on 42, failed to read an off-break and Dravid took a simple catch behind off the thick edge.

Jayasuriya completed his century off 109 balls with 12 boundaries but was run out soon afterwards. He went for a second run but partner Romesh Kaluwitharana failed to respond and both were stranded at the same end.

India skipper Ganguly blamed poor batting by the middle order and erratic bowling for his team’s defeat.

"The middle order must take responsibility and score runs. We will also have to tighten our bowling in the next match," he said.

Pakistan play their first match of the tournament against hosts Bangladesh on Friday.

SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka

S.Jayasuriya run out105
A.de Silva c and b Kumaran 23
M.Atapattu c Dravid b Tendulkar 42
M.Jayawardene lbw b Agarkar 7
R.Arnold c Dravid b Tendulkar 5
R.Kaluwitharana c Ganguly b Agarkar 33
T.Dilshan c Ganguly b Chopra 1
C.Vaas not out 34
K.Weeraratne run out 2
M.Muralitharan not out 1
Extras (b-2 lb-11 w-9 nb-1) 23
Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 276
Fall of wickets: 1-58 2-162 3-183 4-191 5-202 6-209 7-264 8-273
Did not bat: N.Zoysa
Bowling: Agarkar 10-1-55-2, Kumaran 9-0-46-1, Chopra 10-0-49-1, Kumble 8-0-36-0, Robin Singh 3-0-22-0, Joshi 2-0-11-0, Tendulkar 8-0-44-2

India
S.Ganguly c Kaluwitharana b Zoysa 13
S.Tendulkar c Jayawardene b Weeraratne 93
S.Joshi c Kaluwitharana b Vaas 11
R.Dravid c and b Muralitharan 24
M.Azharuddin run out 3
A.Jadeja c Kaluwitharana b Weeraratne 8
R.Singh c Kaluwitharan b Weeraratne 6
A.Agarkar c de Silva b Zoysa 0
A.Kumble not out 18
N.Chopra run out 5
T.Kumaran c Vaas b Jayasuriya 7
Extras (lb-3 w-11 nb-3) 17
Total (all out, 45 overs) 205
Fall of wickets: 1-38 2-56 3-123 4-139 5-156 6-174 7-174 8-174 9-194
Bowling: Vaas 6-1-24-1, Zoysa 10-0-47-2, Weeraratne 9-2-46-3, Jayasuriya 9-0-39-1, Muralitharan 9-1-38-1, Aravinda de Silva 2-1-8-0

Royal in dramatic win over Isipatana
by T. Prem Kumar

Royal regained the Major Milroy Fernando Memorial trophy with a dramatic 14 points ( a try and 3 penalties ) to 10 ( a goal and a penalty ) victory over Isipatana, after trailing 3 - 7 at half time, in their inter school rugby match played at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Thursday.

It was tension all the way as both teams went hell for leather from the kick off. Attack and counter attack was the name of the game and it could be factually said that these two teams produced much more exciting rugby than that which is seen in the club scene.

Isipatana playing only their second game for the season displayed plenty of grit against the Royalists, who had more experience and competition before coming into this game.

It was a case of attack and counter attack all the way by both teams and this kept the spectators guessing right up to the final whistle.

The Royal ‘pack’ found they could not have their own way all along as the Isipatana ‘eight’ matched them one for one in the set pieces and the loose. Given ample good ball both back divisions never hesitated to open out the game by running the ball. In defence both sides tackled fearlessly and what was more, they both displayed a talent for turning a desperate defensive situation into a dangerous attacking move.

Led 3 - 7 at half time and 3 - 10 early in the second half, Royal seemed doomed to defeat, but they had been waiting patiently for a late flourish. They soon began to force their opponents to make vital mistakes and were quick to capitalise on these to turn the tide in their favour.

Just at a time Isipatana seemed set to pull off what would have been a glorious victory, they began to find themselves enacting a comedy of errors and the main culprits here were their three quarters. Their once fluid movements were suddenly restricted due to their uncertainty and haste. This saw them waste plenty of good ball, in the latter stages of the game, and by that they fluffed a number of scoring opportunities.

The Royal ‘pack’ too did their thing to perfection and provided their back division with ample good ball. Given sufficient possession the backs were always threatening. It took some resolute tackling and interceptions by Isipatana’s back division, together with the two flankers to stop them going to town.

Royal drew first blood in only the fifth minute of play through a 25 metre penalty put over by Dave Wijewardane, who was to be their match winner with two more vital penalties kicked clean, from 10 metres and 15 metres in the 28th and 32nd minutes of the second half.

Isipatana went ahead in the 25th minute of the game through a superb three quarter move that had its origins from a five metre scrum. The ball went down the line at top speed for winger Danuska Ranga to hit a gap between a defender and the touch line before touching down far right. Fly half Roshan made a peach of a conversion to put them in front at 7 - 3. They went further ahead in the fifth minute of the second half when Peiris fired across a 15 metre penalty.

Trailing 3 - 10, Royal were to soon reduce the lead through a try that went unconverted. They were camped almost on the Isipatana line and after a series of missed opportunities they were successful when prop forward Shamil Mohammed barged over to touch down far left from a five metre scrum that took place mid left.

Then came Wijewardane’s two match winning penalties while Isipatana fumbled with a number of chances to equalize and even win.

Anil Jayasinghe refereed.