The Tri-Series: The Grind and The ExitPart 1: The Rotation Policy (Overview)
Tournament: Commonwealth Bank Series.
Teams: Australia, India, Sri Lanka.
Format: Round Robin (8 matches each) followed by Best of 3 Finals.
The Indian team entered the Tri-Series with mixed emotions. They had retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and won the T20 series, but the ODI format in Australia was a different beast—massive grounds, bouncy pitches, and two hungry opponents.
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Date: February 5th, 2012.
Location: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Australia Innings:
The match was a stop-start affair, reduced to 32 overs per side due to persistent rain.
Matthew Wade, the pugnacious wicketkeeper, opened the batting. He treated the wet ball with disdain, smashing 67 off 69 balls.
David Hussey provided the late flourish, hitting an unbeaten 61 off 30 balls, taking apart Vinay Kumar and Rahul Sharma.
Dhoni used Deva in short bursts.
Over 18: Deva to Michael Clarke.
Deva rolled his fingers over the ball. A slower bouncer.
Clarke was through the pull shot early. The ball gloved to Dhoni.
WICKET (Clarke 10).
Deva finished with respectable figures of 1/28 in 4 overs amidst the carnage.
Australia finished on 216/5.
India Chase:
Target: 217 (D/L Method) in 32 overs. Required Rate: 6.78.
The chase was a disaster from the start. The ball swung under lights.
Gautam Gambhir opened with Sachin Tendulkar.
Gambhir looked completely out of sorts. He scratched around, playing and missing repeatedly.
Over 2: Gambhir tried to pull Mitchell Starc. He was late on the shot. Top edge to mid-on.
WICKET (Gambhir 5). A failure in the first test of the rotation policy.
Sachin Tendulkar (2) poked at a wide one from Clint McKay. Caught at slip.
Score: 15/2 in 4 overs.
Virat Kohli and Siddanth Deva joined forces.
They ran hard. On the massive MCG outfield, they turned ones into twos.
Over 10: Kohli drove Starc through covers. FOUR.
Over 12: Deva pulled McKay for SIX.
They added 50 runs. But the asking rate climbed to 9.
Over 15: Xavier Doherty to Kohli.
Kohli tried to hit inside-out. Caught at deep square leg.
WICKET (Kohli 31).
Deva was on 29 off 25 balls. He pushed a ball to mid-off and called for a quick single.
David Warner swooped. He picked up and threw in one motion.
Deva dived.
Direct hit.
Run Out.
Deva lay on the ground, staring at the stumps. It was the end of the resistance.
The tail collapsed. India: 151 All Out.
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Date: February 8th, 2012.
Location: WACA Ground, Perth.
Sri Lanka Innings:
On a bouncy WACA track, Sri Lanka batted first. Tillakaratne Dilshan (48) and Kumar Sangakkara (26) set a solid foundation.
But the Indian bowlers pulled it back.
Dhoni brought Deva on to test the Lankans with pace.
Over 25: Deva to Mahela Jayawardene.
Deva bowled a searing bouncer. 148 kmph.
Jayawardene was late on the hook. It brushed the glove.
Caught at fine leg.
WICKET (Jayawardene 23).
In the death overs, Deva returned to york Angelo Mathews.
Figures: 3/45.
Sri Lanka posted 233/8.
Gambhir was given one more chance. He opened with Virender Sehwag (Sachin rested).
It was the same story. Gambhir couldn't handle the pace and bounce of the WACA.
Over 3: Gambhir edged Lasith Malinga to slip.
WICKET (Gambhir 3).
That was it. Two matches, two failures. The management decided to look elsewhere.
Sehwag scored a brisk 20 before falling.
India was 40/2 when Virat Kohli walked in.
Kohli played a mature innings. He didn't take risks against Malinga. He targeted the other bowlers. He ran hard on the hot Perth afternoon.
He scored 77 off 90 balls, anchoring the chase perfectly.
India needed 40 runs off 30 balls.
Deva came in at No. 5.
Over 46: Thisara Perera to Deva.
Ball 1: Short. Deva pulled. SIX onto the grass banks.
Ball 2: Full. Deva drove. FOUR.
Ball 3: Slower ball. Deva waited and smashed it over long-on. SIX.
16 runs in 3 balls. The game was broken.
Deva fell for 24 off 10 balls, but Ravindra Jadeja (24*) and R. Ashwin (30*) finished the game comfortably.
Commentary (Gavaskar): "A crucial win. Kohli showed maturity beyond his years. But the big story is Gambhir. Two failures. It might be time to bring back the dream pair at the top."
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Date: February 12th, 2012.
Location: Adelaide Oval.
Australia Innings:
David Warner was dropped early by Sehwag and made India pay. He scored a brutal 68.
David Hussey finished with a brilliant 72, lifting Australia to 269/8.
Deva bowled tight lines but went wicketless (0/48).
Openers: Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.
Sehwag fell early for 20. But Sachin Tendulkar stood tall.
Playing his favorite shots on a flat track, the Master played an anchor role that reminded everyone of his prime. He drove, he cut, he ran hard.
Sachin scored a magnificent 92, falling just short of the century but setting up the game beautifully.
When he got out LBW to Clint McKay in the 42nd over, India still needed 90 runs from 8 overs.
The two best finishers were at the crease.
Over 48: Deva hit Xavier Doherty for two massive sixes straight down the ground.
Over 49: Dhoni hit Ryan Harris for a six over mid-wicket.
13 runs needed. Bowler: Clint McKay.
Ball 1: Dhoni swings. Misses. Dot. (Tension spikes).
Ball 2: Dhoni steps out. SIX. Massive hit over long-on. 112 meters! (7 needed off 4).
Ball 3: Dhoni hits to deep square leg. They run two. (5 needed off 3).
Ball 4: Dhoni tries to clear long-off. He doesn't get hold of it. Caught by Warner.
WICKET (Dhoni 44).
Ball 5: Deva on strike. 5 needed off 2.
McKay bowls a slower ball, wide of off stump.
Deva waits. He reaches out.
He smashes it over extra cover.
FOUR.
Scores level.
Ball 6: 1 to win.
McKay bowls full.
Deva pushes a single to long-off.
India Won.
Deva: 38* (22 balls).
Commentary (Shastri): "They stole it! Sachin set the platform, Dhoni brought them close, and Deva finished it with ice in his veins!"
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Date: February 14th, 2012.
Location: Gabba, Brisbane.
Sri Lanka Innings:
On a lush green Gabba pitch, Sri Lanka struggled. Dinesh Chandimal anchored with 81, and Mahela Jayawardene scored 43.
Deva bowled a brilliant spell in the middle overs, removing Kumar Sangakkara (Caught behind) and Lahiru Thirimanne (LBW).
Figures: 2/38.
Sri Lanka posted 236/9. A modest total on paper, but huge on a bowling pitch.
India Chase:
The chase was a nightmare. Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara swung the ball violently.
Sehwag and Sachin opened again.
But the Gabba pitch was too lively.
Sehwag (0) edged to slip. Sachin (15) was bowled through the gate.
Score: 30/2.
Virat Kohli played a heroic innings. He counter-attacked when everyone else struggled. He smashed 91 runs, dragging India close single-handedly before holing out in the deep.
MS Dhoni (58*) was left with the tail. Deva had gotten out cheaply for 12, caught at point trying to cut Malinga.
Last over: 9 runs needed. Bowler: Lasith Malinga.
Dhoni was on strike.
Ball 1: Dot.
Ball 2: 2 runs.
Ball 3: Wicket (Vinay Kumar Run Out).
Ball 4: Dot (Dhoni refused single).
Ball 5: FOUR (Dhoni smashed it past cover).
Ball 6: 3 runs needed.
Malinga bowled a perfect yorker.
Dhoni squeezed it to deep point.
They ran two.
Run out attempt on the third run.
Result: Tie.
It was a heartbreak. India felt they should have won, but the top order failure was costly.
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Date: February 19th, 2012.
Location: Gabba, Brisbane.
Australia Innings:
Australia batted first on a flat track. Peter Forrest (52) and David Hussey (59) took them to a massive 288/5.
Ben Hilfenhaus played a cameo at the end.
Deva was expensive, going for 0/65 in 9 overs.
It was a catastrophe.
Ben Hilfenhaus (5/33) destroyed the Indian top order.
Sachin (3) fell early. Sehwag (0) slashed to gully.
India was 35/4.
Deva walked out at No. 5. He watched wickets tumble.
He decided to counter-attack.
He smashed Brett Lee for three consecutive boundaries.
He pulled Christian for a huge six.
Deva reached his 50 off 40 balls.
But he ran out of partners. Raina fell for 8. Dhoni for 10.
Deva was finally caught at long-on for a fighting 75, trying to hit out with only the tail left.
India All Out: 178.
It was a crushing defeat. The Net Run Rate took a massive hit.
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Date: February 21st, 2012.
Location: SCG, Sydney.
Sri Lanka Innings:
Mahela Jayawardene (Captain) played a gem. He manipulated the field, scoring 78.
Sri Lanka posted 252/8.
Deva took 1 wicket (Mathews).
India Chase:
Virender Sehwag scored 30.
Virat Kohli scored 66, keeping India in the hunt.
Siddanth Deva scored 40, stitching a partnership with Kohli.
At 150/2, India was cruising.
A mix-up. Kohli called for a run. Deva hesitated.
Kohli was run out.
The momentum shifted.
Deva tried to take on Nuwan Kulasekara in the 40th over.
Caught at long-on.
The middle order crumbled under pressure.
India finished on 238.
Three matches without a win. India was on the brink of elimination.
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Date: February 28th, 2012.
Location: Bellerive Oval, Hobart.
Sri Lanka Innings:
Tillakaratne Dilshan (160*) and Kumar Sangakkara (105) absolutely destroyed the Indian bowling. It was a massacre.
Deva went for 0/65 in 8 overs.
Sri Lanka: 320/4.
The Chase:
It looked impossible. 321 to win. 321 in 40 overs for the bonus point. Required Rate: 8.00.
Sehwag (30) and Sachin (39) gave a blazing start (50 in 6 overs), but both fell trying to hit out.
Score: 86/2 in 10 overs.
Virat Kohli walked out.
Score: 120/2 in 15 overs.
Siddanth Deva walked out at No. 4.
This was the day Virat Kohli became a legend. And Deva was the best seat in the house.
Over 35: Lasith Malinga to Kohli
Kohli smashed Malinga for 24 runs. He whipped yorkers for four. He drove length balls for six. He decimated the best death bowler in the world.
Deva watched from the non-striker's end, grinning. He walked up to Kohli.
"You're in God Mode, Cheeku. Keep going."
Deva wasn't quiet either. He realized Kohli was in the zone and played the perfect foil, but an aggressive one.
Over 32: Deva hit Angelo Mathews for three consecutive boundaries.
Over 34: Deva pulled Nuwan Kulasekara for a huge six.
He scored a blistering 65 off 40 balls.
Kohli remained unbeaten on 133 off 86 balls*.
India chased 321 in 36.4 overs.
Commentary (Tony Greig): "I have never seen anything like this! They have made a mockery of 320! Kohli is a genius! Deva played the perfect foil! India is alive! Sri Lanka are stunned! This is the new India!"
India had done their part. They sat in the hotel room, watching the final league match on TV.
Match 8: Australia vs Sri Lanka (MCG).
If Australia won, India qualified.
It was a thriller. Australia scored 280.
Sri Lanka was 240/7. It looked like India was through.
But Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga put on a partnership.
Sri Lanka chased down 280 to win by 3 wickets with 4 balls to spare.
Result: Sri Lanka qualified. India was knocked out.
The Hobart miracle was in vain. The players watched in silence as their fate was sealed by another team.
Series Stats for Deva:
Runs: 365 (Avg: 45.6).
Wickets: 8.
The finals were a best of 3 series.
Final 1 (Brisbane): Australia won by 15 runs.
Final 2 (Adelaide): Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets. (Dilshan Century).
Final 3 (Adelaide): Australia won by 16 runs. (Clint McKay 5 wickets).
Champions: Australia.