Match abandoned due to dangerous pitch by Jinu Sabastian

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Ground:	Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Scorecard:	India v Sri Lanka
Player:	Z Khan, ST Jayasuriya, TM Dilshan
Event:	Sri Lanka in India 2009/10

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DateLine: 27th December 2009

 

The Ferozeshah Kotla pitch was deemed too dangerous by the match officials for the batsmen to bat as the fifth and final India-Sri Lanka one-dayer was abandoned. The abandonment after 23.3 overs led to a riot in the packed galleries with incensed spectators hurling water bottles onto the field.

 

India won the series by a 3-1 margin.

 

The track at Ferozeshah Kotla was a virtual minefield as the Sri Lankan batsmen were asked to bat first by Dhoni. India went into the final match hoping to sign off with a win but conditions were just not fit for an international game.

 

The Sri Lankan innings was into its 24th over when Thilina Kandamby complained to the on-field umpires, which led to a mid-field conference involving Match Referee Alan Hurst, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his Lankan counterpart Kumar Sangakkara, coaches from both sides Gary Kirsten and Trevor Bayliss and the Kotla curator Vijay Bahadur Mishra.

 

Zaheer Khan got India off to a good start as he ripped through Upul Tharanga's defence with the first ball of the match. Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan sustained a nasty blow when an Ashish Nehra delivery hit his forearm as he writhed in pain needing on-field treatment before Zaheer ended his stay. Jayasuriya copped quite a few blows during his 51-ball stay, while others fended at balls nervously.

 

Kumar Sangakkara's (1) was a brief stay that ended with the Sri Lankan captain becoming debutant Tyagi's first ODI victim. Sanath Jayasuriya (31) didn't look comfortable but tried hard to combat the Indian bowlers before Harbhajan Singh trapped him leg before. Thilan Samaraweera (2) fell to Raina's direct throw after a mix-up with Kandamby as Lankan innings crumbled.

 

The play continued till the 24th over and it was only after a Sudeep Tyagi delivery that kicked up to nearly clean off Kandamby's head that forced Lankan batsman to complain to the umpires Marais Erasmus and Shavir Tarapore and the dead rubber was eventually abandoned.