The Indian Oil Cup 2005 was a three-team One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament held in Sri Lanka between 30 July and 7 August 2005. The participating teams were hosts Sri Lanka, and India and West Indies. Sri Lanka won the tournament beating India by 18 runs in the final.
Entering the tournament, Sri Lanka were second in the ICC ODI rankings, and were the favorites to win the tournament. West Indies did not field their strongest side as the team was in the middle of a contract dispute with their governing board. Each team played the others twice during the round-robin stage and the two top-placed teams based on points met in the final.
Squads
Warm-up matches
Group stage points table
Points System:
Win (W), with bonus point: 6
Win (W), without bonus point: 5
Tie (T) or No Result (NR): 3
Loss (L), but not conceding bonus point: 1
Loss (L), conceding bonus point (CP): 0
Bonus Points (BP): 1 (The team that achieves a run rate of 1.25 times that of the opposition shall be awarded one bonus point. A team's run rate will be calculated by reference to the runs scored in an innings divided by the number of overs faced) Net run rate (NRR): Runs per over scored less runs per over conceded, adjusting team batting first to overs of team batting second in rain rule matches, adjusting to team's full allocation if all out, and ignoring no result matches.
In the event of teams finishing on equal points, the right to play in the final match or series was determined as follows: The team with the highest number of wins If still equal, the team with the highest number of wins over the other team(s) who are equal on points and have the same number of wins If still equal, the team with the highest number of bonus points If still equal, the team with the highest net run rate
In a match declared as no result, run rate is not applicable.
Group stage matches
1st match
Opting to bat first, India got off to a poor start losing Virender Sehwag in the third over, after he scored three fours off Farveez Maharoof and Dilhara Lokuhettige. The other opener Mahendra Singh Dhoni soon followed him to the pavilion, and Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh were to rebuild, from the score at 22/2. They played cautiously, yet the former gave away his wicket, pulling to substitute fielder Upul Tharanga at mid-on. More wickets followed in the form of debutante, Suresh Raina, who was trapped leg before wicket in his first ball in senior international cricket, by Muttiah Muralitharan's doosra, as India crumbled to 64/5. Dravid, however, played a reliable knock, and together with another debutante, Yalaka Venugopal Rao, added 58 in thirteen overs. However, it came to an end too early to help India significantly in the late overs, with leg-spinner Upul Chandana sneaking a ball past his bat and pads and having him bowled for 54, and India were staring at a very low score – 123/6 after 33 overs. Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan added 20 each, however, which coupled with Irfan Pathan's slow but steady 21, lifted India to a somewhat competitive score of 205/9 at the end of 50 overs.
The only downside for Sri Lanka was that their opener Sanath Jayasuriya had torn his shoulder, and looked unlikely to have a bat. Therefore, Kumar Sangakkara joined Marvan Atapattu as openers for Sri Lanka. They pair added 19 in 26 balls, before Irfan Pathan dug him out with a good inswinger. India took wickets regularly, but by the end of the 25th over Sri Lanka were 99/3, and well on the way to chasing 206. But Harbhajan Singh's off-breaks two players to miss their shots, and suddenly the score was 112/5, with an injured Jayasuriya and debutante Dilhara Lokuhettige at the crease. However, Jayasuriya battled on bravely and made an unbeaten 43 to guide Sri Lanka to the target with ten balls to spare, well helped by Farveez Maharoof, who made 23 from number 9 including four fours hit in front of square and a number of nervy shots that missed the bat.
2nd match
West Indies got off to a poor start losing their first wicket in the third over and were reduced for 36/3 at the end of 15 overs. Narsingh Deonarine, who had struggled to get off the mark, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul survived for 17 overs, making only 52 before Suresh Raina took his first international wicket as Chanderpaul missed a straight delivery. Ricardo Powell followed shortly afterwards, and despite some slogging from Dwayne Smith, who made 20 off 7 balls including two sixes, and Tino Best, who made 24, West Indies crumbled to 178 all out as Ashish Nehra took two late-order wickets and Zaheer Khan, the final wicket.