Cricket
India clinch ODI series 4-1
2012-08-04 18:53
Pallekele - Irfan Pathan grabbed five wickets as
India posted a 20-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final
one-day international in Pallekele on Saturday to win the series 4-1.
The
paceman finished with 5-61, his second five-wicket haul in one-dayers,
as India bowled Sri Lanka out for 274 after scoring a challenging 294-7
in the day-night match.
Sri Lanka were struggling at 102-5 before
Lahiru Thirimanne (77) and Jeevan Mendis (72) gave India some anxious
moments with a 102-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Thirimanne hit
three sixes and five fours in his career-best knock before he was run
out, and then Pathan removed Thisara Perera (18) and well-set Mendis in
the same over.
Mendis cracked six fours in his maiden half-century in one-day internationals.
India
earlier put in an impressive batting performance, with opener Gautam
Gambhir (88), middle-order batsman Manoj Tiwary (65) and skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (58) all making half-centuries.
India were under pressure at 87-3 but Gambhir and Tiwary propped up the innings with a 110-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Sri
Lanka then got three quick wickets to reduce India to 213-6 before
wicketkeeper-batsman Dhoni and Pathan (29 not out) added 77 for the
seventh wicket to help their team set a stiff target.
Fast bowlers Lasith Malinga (3-64) and Nuwan Pradeep (2-63) were the main wicket-takers for Sri Lanka.
Malinga
dismissed Tiwary and Suresh Raina off successive deliveries before
taking his 200th wicket in one-day internationals when he had Dhoni
caught behind. The Indian skipper smashed one six and eight fours.
Gambhir,
who also completed 5,000 one-day runs during his 99-ball knock, was
caught by Malinga at point off spinner Sachithra Senanayake after
hitting seven fours.
Pradeep bagged two of the first three wickets
when he trapped Virat Kohli (23) leg-before and bowled out-of-form
Rohit Sharma (4) in successive overs.
Sharma finished the series with just 13 runs in five matches.
India
made one change from the side which won the last match by six wickets
as they replaced unfit Virender Sehwag with opener Ajinkya Rahane.
Sri
Lanka rested skipper Mahela Jayawardene and left-arm spinner Rangana
Herath and brought in batsman Chamara Kapugedara and Senanayake.
All-rounder Angelo Mathews led the side.
Sri Lanka and India will now clash in a one-off Twenty20 international at the same venue on Tuesday.