India defeated Sri Lanka in their first warm up game, with MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan giving good performances. It will help them build confidence when they play against strong teams in the upcoming T20 World Cup. India's second T20 warm up match is slated against Pakistan on 17th September.
TEAMS PARTICIPATING in the
T20 World Cup are playing warm up matches before the real competition, which starts on September 18 2012. The Indian team played its first warm up game against the hosts, Sri Lanka at P Sara Oval, where the Indian team turned victorious by 26 runs. This victory would be a huge confidence booster after defeating one of the favouroite teams to lift the T20 World Cup.
The Indian team won the toss and decided to bat and put up a score of 146, thanks to some last moment blitzkrieg by
MS Dhoni who scored breezy 55 runs in 42 balls, which included four 4s and three 6s. Earlier in the innings, Gambhir had to retire hurt early, and the Indian team were looking in trouble with 51 for the loss of 4 wickets. Rohit Shrama and MS Dhoni steadied the Indian ship to take the Indian team to a commendable score with Rohit Sharma also scoring 37 runs. Surprisingly, their most lethal bowler, Malinga conceded 50 runs in his quota of four overs. It was a nightmare for the slingy Sri Lankan bowler.
When the Indian team took to the field, they were pumped up and the early dismissals of Dilshan and Munawera gave the Indians more confidence. The Indian bowlers, who are often considered weak showcased their class taking wickets at regular intervals. Irfan Pathan was the pick of the bowlers with his five wicket haul along with Balaji who claimed three wickets. It was a team effort with both the bat and the ball that helped India win the game.
Now, a greater test lies for India, where they are slated to play against Pakistan in the second warm up match on the September 17. The Indians are eager to win that match against their arch-rivals so as to keep themselves in great shape when the T20 World Cup starts, which has been a widely awaited event in the calendar year.
