India win series; SL D(hon)isappointed

While India made no changes to their playing eleven, Sri Lanka made just Cha(mara)nge to their playing eleven – Silva made way for Malinda Warnapura (the nephew of Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka’s first Test skipper).

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat. Gautam Gambhir, whose 21-ball innings included a boundary, scored 17. Fifty-nine balls into the match, he was caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Nuwan Kulasekara broke the 44-run stand.

The second Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. India scored 50 off 11.4 overs (70 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

Yuvraj Singh, who faced half-a-dozen balls, didn’t get off the mark. Fourteen balls after Gambhir’s dismissal, he was caught by Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s skipper. Chaminda Vaas had a reason to be in seventh heaven – it was his 400^th wicket in One-day Internationals.

Fifteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 64 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Virat Kohli was batting on 41, Suresh Raina, the player of the match, was batting on four.

The third Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 16^th and the 20^th over. Kohli’s half-century – which included half-a-dozen boundaries – came off 62 balls. He eventually scored 54 off 66 balls, which included seven boundaries. Thirty-two balls later, Thilan Thushara broke the 30-run stand.

India scored 100 off 22.2 overs (134 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded a couple of extras at that point. The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 64 balls. While Raina’s contribution to the partnership was 27, Dhoni’s contribution to it was 22. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

India scored 150 off 30.5 overs (187 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded five extras at that point. Thirty-one overs into the match, the second drinks break was taken. India had scored 154 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Raina was batting on 46, Dhoni was batting on 31.

Raina’s half-century – which included five boundaries – came off 56 balls. The fourth-wicket pair put on 100 off 108 balls. While Raina’s contribution to the partnership was 52, Dhoni’s contribution to it was 44. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was four.

Dhoni’s half-century – which included three boundaries – came off 60 balls. India scored 200 off 38 overs (231 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded nine extras at that point.

Raina, whose 78-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and a six, eventually scored 76. A hundred and forty-one balls after Kohli’s dismissal, he was caught by Kulasekara. Thushara broke the 143-run partnership.

Dhoni, whose 80-ball included four boundaries, eventually scored 71. Ten balls later, he was caught by Jayasuriya. Thushara broke the eight-run stand.

Subramaniam Badrinath, who faced 11 balls, scored half-a-dozen. Seventeen balls later, he was caught by Jayawardene. Muralitharan broke the 11-run stand.

India scored 250 off 47.3 overs (290 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 11 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded. The seventh-wicket pair put on 10. Harbhajan Singh, who faced four balls, scored a couple. Fourteen balls later, Kulasekara and the offie (Muralitha)ran him out.

Rohit Sharma, who faced 23 balls, scored 18. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was caught by Warnapura. Ajantha Mendis broke the three-run stand.

Praveen Kumar, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored just a couple. Two balls later, Thushara broke the one-run stand. Zaheer Khan, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t get off the mark. Three balls later, he was caught by Warnapura. Thushara broke the one-run stand. Munaf Patel, who faced a ball, scored a run. He was unbeaten.

India were dismissed for 258 off 49.4 overs. Sanath Jayasuriya, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 28. Vaas bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 40, picking up a wicket. Kulasekara, who bowled eight overs, conceded 38. He picked up a wicket.

Muralitharan and Mendis bowled 10 overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 56, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 43. Thushara, who bowled 8.4 overs, conceded 47. He picked up five scalps.

Warnapura, who faced 18 balls, didn’t get off the mark. Thirty-nine balls into the chase, he was trapped leg before wicket by Patel.

The second Powerplay of Sri Lanka’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. Kumar Sangakkara, whose 16-ball innings included a boundary, scored just half-a-dozen. Twenty-seven balls later, Patel broke the 10-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 50 off 14.2 overs (89 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point. The third Powerplay of their innings was between the 16^th and the 20^th over.

Sixteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 61 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Jayasuriya was batting on 49, Jayawardene was batting on three.

Jayasuriya’s half-century – which included eight boundaries and a six – came off 47 balls. He eventually scored 60 off 52 balls, which included the aforementioned number of boundaries and a couple of sixes. Thirty-nine balls later, he was caught by Raina. Harbhajan broke the 36-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 100 off 22.4 overs (140 balls). India had conceded eight extras at that point. The fourth-wicket pair put on 32. Jayawardene, who faced 40 balls, eventually scored 16. Thirty-nine balls later, Kohli and Harbhajan ran him out.

Dilshan, whose 22-ball innings included a boundary, scored a dozen. Thirty-four balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Harbhajan, who broke the 25-run stand. Chamara Kapugedera, whose 32-ball innings included a boundary, scored 30. Sixteen balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Yuvraj, who broke the nine-run stand.

A hundred and ninety-four balls into the match, the second drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 140 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets at that point. Although he was unbeaten, Vaas had no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Sri Lanka scored 150 off 35 overs (215 balls). India had conceded nine extras at that point. Vaas, whose 29-ball innings included a boundary, eventually scored 17. Twenty-five balls after Kapugedera’s dismissal, he was trapped leg before wicket by Yuvraj, who broke the 17-run stand.

Kulasekara, who faced 23 balls, scored 12. Twenty-eight balls later, he was stumped by Dhoni. Harbhajan broke the 23-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 200 off 42.4 overs (262 balls). India had conceded 14 extras at that point. The ninth-wicket pair put on 16. Mendis, who faced 11 balls, scored just a couple. Twenty balls later, Sharma and Khan ran him out.

Thushara, whose 29-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, scored 40. Twelve balls later, he was caught by Raina. Khan broke the six-run stand. Although he was unbeaten, Muralitharan had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored just a run.

India eventually conceded 16 extras. Sri Lanka, who were dismissed for 212 off 46.3 overs, lost by 46 runs. Kumar and Sharma bowled four wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 25, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 13.

Khan bowled 9.3 overs, including three maidens. He conceded 27, picking up a wicket. Patel, who bowled nine overs, conceded 48. He picked up a couple of wickets, as did Yuvraj, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 53. Harbhajan, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 40. He picked up three scalps.

India led the five-match series 3-1. In fact, they won the series with a match remaining.