Cricket Season is back: India V SriLanka - Nagpur ODI Findings

India has begun a fresh season by defeating Sri Lanka (The number 2 in ICC ODI rankings). Cricketis a funny game for few, but for me it always gives me something interesting to present to cricket-buffs, especially on the facts and statistics front:

Let me begin with the traditional "Did U know"

1. India begun the earlier season of One-day cricket with a victory as well, against Pakistan in April 2005. On both occasions, there were strange coincidences:

1.a) India batted first and Rahul Dravid was the second top scorer (104 Vs Pakistan at Kochi, the best being Sehwag's 108 ; and 85 Not out Vs Sri Lanka at Nagpur, the best being Sachin Tendulkar's 93)

1.b) The top score for both the chasing sides were danerously close. Mohammed Hafeez top scored for Pakistan at Kochi with 42, while Kumar Sangakkara top scored for Sri Lanka with 43.

2. This is the findling I liked a lot.. Kumar Sangakkara, playing in his 139th ODI, was playing in the Indian soil against India for the first time in his career.

3. Russel Arnold has now played twice against India at Nagpur and has never surpassed the 1 run aggregate in the venue.

4. It rained sixes at Nagpur, numbering 15 and interestingly, 9 of those sixes were hit by fast bowlers. Irfan Pathan (4) and Lokuhettige (3) the successful ones in finding the roofs, while Maharoof was shown the roof on most occassions, as he went for 82 runs in his 10 overs.

More to come after the floodlights go off in Mohali.