Cricket
India thump Sri Lanka
2012-02-08 14:40
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Mahendra Singh Dhoni (AP)
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Perth - India beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in the tri one-day series international at the WACA Ground in Perth on Wednesday.
Virat Kohli (77) nearly took his team all the way home, but Ravindra
Jadeja and Man-of-the-Match, Ravichandran Ashwin, added an unbeaten 53
runs to seal the victory with 20 balls to spare.
Earlier, Dinesh Chandimal struck a dogged half century as Sri Lanka set India a modest victory target of 234.
Chandimal anchored much of Sri Lanka's innings of 233-8, scoring 64 of
81 balls with four boundaries at the WACA Ground after captain Mahela
Jayawardene won the toss and elected to bat.
After opener Upul Tharanga fell early for just 4, Tillakaratne Dilshan steadied the pace with 48 before Chandimal took over.
India offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin had the best bowling figures of
3-32, including the wickets of Chandimal and Jayawardene (23).
Paceman Zaheer Khan rattled Sri Lanka in just the third over when he had Tharanga caught by Sachin Tendulkar at first slip.
Kumar Sangakkara came in to share a 62-run partnership with Dilshan for
the second wicket before becoming Khan's second victim, caught behind by
a diving Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 26.
Dilshan's innings ended when he was caught at point by Virat Kohli attempting to cut a Ravindra Jadeja delivery.
Ashwin claimed the important wicket of Jayawardene when he tempted the
Sri Lanka skipper into playing a shot that Ishant Sharma snapped at
square-leg.
Thisara Perera made just 7 before being stumped by Dhoni as he advanced up the crease to an Ashwin ball.
Dhoni and Ashwin combined for another stumping dismissal when Chandimal walked up the pitch to a tossed-up delivery, but missed.
Lahiru Thirimanne added just 7 before being run out attempting to snatch
an ill-judged single off Ashwin, and Nuwan Kulasekara was out in the
final over when he edged a Vinay Kumar delivery to Sharma.
Teams:
India: V Sehwag, SR Tendulkar, V Kohli, SK Raina, RG Sharma, MS Dhoni (captain & wk), RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, R Vinay Kumar, P Kumar, Z Khan
Sri Lanka: TM Dilshan, WU Tharanga, KC Sangakkara (wk), LD Chandimal, DPMD Jayawardene (captain), AD Mathews, NLTC Perera, KMDN Kulasekara, SL Malinga, KTGD Prasad, HDRL Thirimanne