Sri Lanka put up improved batting effort to reach 275/9
Colombo, Jul 20: Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal led India's decent effort with the ball as a self-destructing Sri Lanka slipped to 275 for nine in the second ODI here on Tuesday.
Pretty much like the series opener, most of the Sri Lankan batsmen got starts but failed to capitalise after the hosts opted to bat.
Avishka Fernando (50 off 71) and Charith Asalanka (65 off 68) struck fine half-centuries but the home team wasn't disciplined enough to post an imposing total.
Chamika Karunaratne (44 not out off 33) came up with another timely cameo to take the team past 270.
Chahal (3/50) was the pick of the bowlers while pacers Deepak Chahar (2/53) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/54) too got wickets primarily due to profligacy of the home team batsmen.
Openers Fernando (50 off 71) and Minod Bhanuka (36 off 42) took Sri Lanka to 59 for loss in the first 10 overs.
The momentum shifted India's way drastically after Chahal removed Minod and Bhanuka Rajapaksa off successive balls in the 14th over. In Minod's case, it was a soft dismissal as the well set southpaw charged down the wicket and flicked an eventual full toss straight to Manish Pandey at mid-wicket.
The next one from Chahal was a beauty which held its line to a take faint outside edge of Rajapaksa's bat and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan managed to clutch onto the catch.
Sri Lanka, who are among the worst performing teams in the middle overs, struggled again in the crucial stage of the game. They took 97 balls to take find their next boundary after the eight over.
From 77 for no loss in the 14th over, Sri Lanka slipped to 134 for four in the 28th over.
Asalanka and skipper Dasun Shanaka tried to resurrect the innings but their 38-run stand ended with the captain falling to a flatter one from Chahal.
Chahar took his second wicket with a perfect knuckle ball that crashed through Wanindu Hasaranga's defences.
Asalanka played some bold strokes alongside Karunaratne to give the innings some impetus towards the end.
Asalanka got to his maiden fifty with a lofted boundary over extra cover off Kuldeep Yadav before sweeping the left-arm wrist spinner for another four in the same over.
The pitch aided India's spinners like the first game.
Bhuvneshar kept things tight but bowled at a slower pacer than his usual.
Considering the form India's young batsmen displayed in the series opener, it should be another comfortable run chase for the visitors.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kejriwal discharge a blow to Centre's falsehoods, says Oppn; people's verdict already out: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) celebrated former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his then deputy Manish Sisodia's discharge in the excise policy case on Friday, describing it as a vindication of constitutional values, while the BJP said the people had already given a political response on the issue.
Opposition parties said in unison that the development was a blow to the Centre's falsehoods and misuse of investigating agencies, though the Congress termed the BJP and the AAP as convenient allies.
An emotional Kejriwal broke down after the verdict and said the case against him was the "biggest political conspiracy".
"The court has proved that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and AAP are 'kattar imaandar (honest to the core)'," he said. Sisodia said the ruling reaffirmed the public's faith in the Constitution.
The Trinamool Congress, RJD, Samajwadi Party and Left parties welcomed the verdict and said its exposed the BJP's politics of vendetta. The Congress, however, said Kejriwal's discharge was a "predictable script".
"The BJP is not a political party. It is a shape-shifter, a wishful serpent - 'Icchadhari Naag'. It will stoop to any level for one obsessive goal: defeat Congress - 'Congress Mukt Bharat'," Congress media and publicity cell head Pawan Khera said.
"For 12 years, they spewed venom at the TMC. And now? Narendra Modi himself is showering it with praise -- not out of respect, but to land a cheap blow at the Congress," Khera said in a post in Hindi on X.
"Elections are coming. So the script is predictable. Cases against Congress leaders will suddenly accelerate -- P Chidambaram has already been dragged back into the spotlight because Tamil Nadu is going to the polls. Meanwhile, proceedings against their convenient allies in the AAP and others will quietly vanish in light of the Gujarat and Punjab elections," the Congress leader said.
Congress MP Manish Tewari and party veteran Margaret Alva, however, congratulated Kejriwal on his discharge in the case and slammed the BJP's "politics of vendetta".
The BJP, on its part, said though Kejriwal was discharged for "lack of evidence", the probe agency would decide its next course of action.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said it was a "technical matter" and the party would come up with a "structured response" on the court's judgment after studying it.
"The people of Delhi have given him (Kejriwal) a political response on political grounds. The agency concerned will decide its next course of action on technical grounds," the Rajya Sabha MP said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged the case was part of a conspiracy to defame the party leadership and referred to the period of incarceration faced by several leaders. Former chief minister Atishi said the verdict showed how false allegations were made to target AAP leaders.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said, "Truth always triumphs."
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the collapse of the excise policy case was a "moral death sentence" for the BJP as it had betrayed the people of Delhi.
"Today, every honest person will breathe a sigh of relief, while the BJP supporters must be writhing in deep shame," Yadav said.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav welcomed the court order and demanded that fresh elections be held in the national capital.
"False lawsuits are being filed against opposition leaders. Arvind Kejriwal has suffered a lot due to this (case). We demand that elections be held again in Delhi," Yadav told reporters in Patna.
"It's a very good judgment. It shows that we still have hope in the judicial system. BJP leaders should apologise to the nation for continuously targeting opposition leaders," CPI-M general secretary MA Baby said.
CPI general secretary D Raja said the verdict proved that the BJP reduced federal probe agencies to "instruments of political vendetta".
"When investigative institutions are twisted into political weapons, it is not just individuals who are targeted, it is democracy itself that is put on trial. The country deserves accountability for this abuse of power," he said.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale alleged that the case was "politically motivated" and aimed at "defaming" opposition leaders.
"A fake fabricated case was filed by the BJP to defame opposition leaders who were arrested and mistreated in order to break their will and tarnish their reputation. Yet again, BJP's shameless tactic of using CBI and ED as their political tools stands exposed. The Modi-Shah Government will soon fall apart just like these fake cases," Gokhale posted on X.
Social activist and Kejriwal's former mentor, Anna Hazare said the verdict must be accepted as the judiciary was supreme. The anti-corruption campaigner advised Kejriwal to work for the society and the country and not think of himself or his party.
