Malinga flops despite completing 200 wickets

Rex Clementine
reporting from Pallekele

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga became only the fourth Sri Lankan to take 200 ODI wickets and claimed his best bowling figures against India, but ended up conceding 64 runs, the second most by any bowler at Pallekele International Stadium as India made 294 for seven in their 50 overs in the fifth and final ODI between the countries here.

With India already having won the series, the game was a dead rubber and Malinga, who had never taken more than two wickets against India in ODIs, finished with figures of three for 64 yesterday.

He dismissed Manoj Tiwary and Suresh Raina in successive deliveries and then came back to dismiss India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the penultimate over of their innings.

Malinga’s figures were the worst by a Sri Lankan bowler yesterday and it was only and the second worst here behind Shoaib Akthar’s 70 for one against New Zealand in a World Cup fixture.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene skipped the game as he was having a sore back and Angelo Mathews was leading the side in his absence. Sri Lanka also rested Rangana Herath from the side and instead Sachithra Senanayake was playing the game.

India rested opener Virender Sehwag and instead Ajinkya Rahane played the match.

A 110-run stand between the in-form Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary kept India going before Malinga found the breakthrough and his double strike brought Sri Lanka back into the game, but captain M.S. Dhoni smashed a half-century off 34 balls with seven fours and a six to bring India into the contention.

Dhoni added 77 runs for the seventh wicket off just 59 balls with Irfan Pathan, who was unbeaten on 29 off 28 balls.

Only Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Sanath Jayasuriya have taken more than 200 wickets in ODIs for Sri Lanka.

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