SRI LANKA progressed to Sunday's World Cup final as India were embarrassed on the field and disgraced off it. Match referee Clive Lloyd abandoned the Calcutta semi-final when home fans among a crowd of 110,000 threw missiles, including bottles, on to Eden Gardens in anger at their side's performance.
Former West Indian captain Lloyd ordered Sri Lanka's players to leave the field and awarded them a match they were going to win handsomely in any event.
Trouble erupted immediately India - set a victory target of 252 - lost their eighth wicket during the 35th over with only 120 runs scored.
Missiles began raining down on the outfield, several small fires were started in the stands and all 11 Sri Lankan players, plus not out batsmen Vinod Kambli and Anil Kumble, joined umpires Steve Dunne and Cyril Mitchley in the middle of the square. They stayed there for safety until Lloyd appeared to lead them back to the dressing room.
With order apparently restored 20 minutes later, an attempt was made to restart the game. But more bottles were thrown before another ball could be bowled - and this time Lloyd's decision was final. "I wanted the match to finish if possible, but I had no problem in giving it to Sri Lanka. That's within my remit," he said.
India's players were stunned - both by their own performance and that of the crowd. But Sri Lanka, now bound for Sunday's final in Lahore against either Australia or West Indies, tried not to let the sad scenes spoil what is their greatest cricketing triumph.
As the victors celebrated, however. former Indian players and officials joined forces to condemn the crowd behaviour. "It was disgraceful." said ex-spinner Ravi Shastri. "It's only a game and you must be able to accept defeat in your stride."
Sri Lanka thoroughly deserved their victory. They staged a magnificent recovery from losing two wickets inside the first over and another with just 35 runs on the board to set India a tough challenge. Then their spinners tied India's batsmen down after Sachin Tendulkar had promised to make the victory target look like child's play. Home supporters simply couldn't believe it - or accept it - as seven wickets tumbled in 12 overs.
Sri Lanka had heroes everywhere, starting with Aravinda de Silva who launched the fight back by scoring 66 off 47 deliveries at a time when his team were threatening to self-destruct. Openers Romesh Kaluwitharana (0) and Sanath Jayasuriya (1) both sliced catches to third man during Javagal Srinath's first over, then Asanka Gurusinha (1) miss-pulled the same bowler to midwicket.
De Silva simply blazed a path, out of trouble, crashing 14 boundaries before having his middle stump knocked back by leg-spinner Anil Kumble. Then, with Roshan Mahanama making a disciplined 58 until being forced to retire hurt, the lower order did their bit to give Sri Lanka a fighting chance.
The pitch, never used before and devoid of grass, was already producing enough turn to make Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin wonder whether he had done right to field first. Azharuddin knew the answer soon enough, though not before Tendulkar's cultured innings of 65 had raised false hopes.
Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana, expected to combine devastatingly with their bats, made the vital breakthrough with India 98 for one. Tendulkar, thinking a leg-side delivery from left-arm spinner Jayasuriya had gone past wicketkeeper Kaluwitharana, moved out of his crease and was brilliantly stumped.
When Azharuddin lamely drove a return catch to off-spinner Kumara Dharmasena next over, the slide was firmly under way. Jayasuriya finished with figures of 7-1-12-3 and two catches, only Sanjay Manjrekar (25) and Kambli (10 not out) joined Tendulkar in double figures. All that remained was for the crowd to add their own sorry statement.
Lloyd said later: "I've seen crowd disturbances before, but I've never seen anything like that. This is very sad for Edens Gardens, Calcutta and cricket. I will make an official report to the International Cricket Council - it's up to them whether they hold an inquiry. I had no option but to call the game off."
