COLOMBO – Irfan Pathan grabbed five wickets as India prepared for the World Twenty20 with a 26-run victory over hosts Sri Lanka in a warm-up match in Colombo Saturday. The paceman finished with 5-25 off four overs as India bowled Sri Lanka out for 120 after posting 146-5. He was superbly backed by fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji, who took three wickets for 28 runs. Kumar Sangakkara top-scored for Sri Lanka with 32. India was struggling at 51-4 before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (55 not out) and Rohit Sharma (37) propped up the innings with a 78-run stand for the fifth wicket. Dhoni cracked three sixes and four boundaries in his 42-ball knock. India is in Group A with England and Afghanistan while Sri Lanka is in Group C with South Africa and Zimbabwe. The top two teams from each group advance to the Super Eights round. In another practice match in Colombo, Brad Hogg took three wickets to bowl Australia to a 56-run win over rival New Zealand. The 41-year-old spinner finished with 3-23 off four overs as Australia dismissed New Zealand for 83 after scoring 139-6. Pacemen Shane Watson, Clint McKay and Pat Cummins each bagged two wickets for Australia. Australia is in Group B with the West Indies and Ireland, while New Zealand is in Group D with Pakistan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets and Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka A by 51 runs in other warm-up games. Brief scores: India 146-5 in 20 overs (Mahendra Singh Dhoni 55 not out, Rohit Sharma 37; Nuwan Kulasekara 2-39). Sri Lanka 120 in 19.3 overs (Kumar Sangakkara 32, Jeevan Mendis 26, Lahiru Thirimanne 24; Irfan Pathan 5-25, Lakshmipathy Balaji 3-28). Australia 139-6 in 20 overs (Shane Watson 27, Matthew Wade 25 not out, David Warner 24, Glenn Maxwell 24; Adam Milne 2-27, Doug Bracewell 2-31). New Zealand 83 in 17 overs (Ross Taylor 22; Brad Hogg 3-23, Clint McKay 2-14, Shane Watson 2-7, Pat Cummins 2-13). Zimbabwe 134-6 in 20 overs (Vusi Sibanda 40, Brendan Taylor 21; Abdur Razzak 2-21). Bangladesh 135-5 in 18.2 overs (Mohammad Ashraful 38, Shakib Al Hasan 28, Ziaur Rahman 26 not out, Mohammad Mahmudullah 23 not out, Graeme Cremer 2-10). Afghanistan 209-7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 51, Asghar Stanikzai 50, Mohammad Shahzad 48; Kaushal Lokuarachchi 3-16, Nuwan Pradeep 3-43). Sri Lanka A 158 in 18.2 overs (Kosala Kulasekara 63; Dawlat Zadran 3-22). Hogg determined to make most of Aussie recall Australia's Brad Hogg will be the oldest player at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, but the 41-year-old is determined to make the most of his unlikely recall after training hard to get back in shape. Hogg, a left-arm spinner who played seven Tests and 123 one-day internationals, quit the game four years ago and took up television commentary as a means of keeping in touch with the sport. But a stint last season in the Australian Big Bash T20 league convinced the national selectors, who were looking for a steady spinner, that Hogg was still good enough to play in the shortest format. He was called up for two Twenty20 games against India in Sydney and Melbourne in February, and even though he claimed only two wickets in the series, Hogg was picked for the World Twenty20, which begins next week. He took 3-23 against New Zealand in a warm up game Saturday. — Agencies
