Dhoni returns; India beat SL

India made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Murali Vijay and Umesh Yadav made way for Mahendra Singh Dhoni (who was leading the team, inserted the Sri Lankans on winning the toss, and was the player of the match) and Vinay Kumar.

Sri Lanka made a couple of changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Jeevan Mendis and Dilhara Lokuhettige made way for Kusal Perera and Suranga Lakmal.

The first Powerplay of Sri Lanka’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the 10^th over. They scored 29, and lost a wicket.

Upul Tharanga, whose 29-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored just 11. Seven overs into the match, he was caught by Dhoni. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the player of the series, broke the 27-run stand.

Mahela Jayawardene, whose 28-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, scored 22. Thirty-seven balls later, he was caught by Ravichandran Ashwin. Bhuvneshwar broke the 22-run stand.

Eighty-seven balls into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 49 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Kumar Sangakkara was batting on nine, Lahiru Thirimanne hadn’t opened his account.

Sri Lanka scored 50 off 15.1 overs (91 balls). The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave India no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Sri Lanka scored 100 off 27.5 overs (167 balls). India had conceded a dozen extras at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 88 balls. While Sangakkara’s contribution to the partnership was 24, Thirimanne’s contribution to it was 22. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was five.

Sangakkara’s half-century – which included three boundaries – came off 85 balls.

Thirty-five overs into the match, the second drinks break was taken. Sri Lanka had scored 141 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Sangakkara was batting on 51, Thirimanne was batting on 36.

The second Powerplay of Sri Lanka’s innings – which was the batting Powerplay – was between the 36^th and the 40^th over. They scored 36, and lost three wickets.

The third-wicket pair put on 100 off 133 balls. While Sangakkara’s contribution to the partnership was 42, Thirimanne’s contribution to it was 44. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was 14.

Sri Lanka scored 150 off 35.4 overs (214 balls). India had conceded 21 extras at that point.

Thirimanne, whose 72-ball innings included four boundaries, eventually scored 46. A hundred and sixty balls after Jayawardene’s dismissal, he was caught by Bhuvneshwar. Ishant Sharma broke the 122-run partnership.

Sangakkara, whose 100-ball innings include half-a-dozen boundaries and a six, eventually scored 71. Eight runs later, he was caught by Vinay. Ashwin broke the three-run stand.

Perera, who faced four balls, scored a couple. Four balls later, he was stumped by Dhoni. Ashwin broke the two-run stand.

Dinesh Chandimal had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored just five. Fifteen balls later, he was caught by Ashwin. Ravindra Jadeja broke the seven-run stand.

Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka’s skipper, faced 24 balls, scoring just 10. Eighteen balls later, he was caught by Vinay. Ishant broke the 10-run stand.

Rangana Herath, who faced 10 balls, scored five. Five balls later, he was stumped by Dhoni. Jadeja broke the three-run stand.

Shaminda Eranga, who faced a dozen balls, scored just five. He was unbeaten.

The ninth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Lasith Malinga, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. A couple of balls after Herath’s dismissal, he was caught by Bhuvneshwar off the bowling of Jadeja.

Sri Lanka scored 200 off 48 overs (288 balls). India had conceded 23 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Suranga Lakmal, who faced five balls, scored a run. Fourteen balls later, he was stumped by Dhoni. Jadeja broke the five-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 201 off 48.5 overs. Virat Kohli, who bowled three wicketless overs, conceded 17. Suresh Raina and Vinay bowled half-a-dozen wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 25, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 15.

Ishant and Bhuvneshwar bowled eight overs each, picking up a couple of scalps apiece. While the former, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 45, the latter, whose spell included four maidens, conceded 24. Jadeja bowled 7.5 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 23, picking up four wickets.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the 10^th over. They scored 25, and lost a wicket.

Shikhar Dhawan, whose 35-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 16. Fifty-two balls into the chase, he was caught by Sangakkara. Eranga broke the 23-run stand.

Kohli, who faced five balls, scored a couple. A dozen balls later, he was caught by Sangakkara. Eranga broke the four-run stand.

Sixteen overs into the chase, the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 43 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Rohit Sharma was batting on 19, Dinesh Karthik was batting on three.

India scored 50 off 18 overs (108 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded five extras at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 73 balls. While the contributions of both Rohit and Karthik to the partnership were 23 apiece, extras’ contribution to the partnership was four.

Karthik, whose 37-ball innings included three boundaries, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Eighty balls later, he was caught by Jayawardene. Herath broke the 50-run partnership.

India scored 100 off 26 overs (156 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Rohit’s half-century – which included four boundaries and a six – came off 80 balls.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 42 balls. While Rohit’s contribution to the partnership was 22, Raina’s contribution to it was 27. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

Thirty-one overs into the chase, the second drinks break was taken. India had scored 139 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Rohit was batting on 58, Raina was batting on 28.

Sharma, whose 89-ball innings included five boundaries and a six, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Forty-nine balls after Karthik’s dismissal, Herath broke the 62-run partnership.

Raina, whose 27-ball innings included a boundary and a six, eventually scored 32. Eighteen balls later, he was caught by Sangakkara. Lakmal broke the six-run stand.

Dhoni, whose 52-ball innings included five boundaries and a couple of sixes, scored 45. He was unbeaten.

The second Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the batting Powerplay – was between the 36^th and the 40^th over. They scored 19, and lost a couple of wickets.

India scored 150 off 36.4 overs (220 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded a dozen extras at that point.

Jadeja, who faced 14 balls, scored just five. Eighteen balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Herath, who broke the seven-run stand.

The seventh-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Ashwin, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. The next ball, he was trapped leg before wicket by Herath.

Bhuvneshwar, who faced 15 balls, didn’t get off the mark. Twenty-seven balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Malinga, who broke the 15-run stand.

Vinay, who faced 16 balls, scored just five. Twenty-seven balls later, he was caught by the substitute, Sachithra Senanayake. Mathews broke the 15-run stand.

Ishant, who scored a couple, had a reason to be in seventh heaven – he was unbeaten.

Sri Lanka eventually scored 15 extras. India, who scored 203 for the loss of nine wickets off 49.4 overs, won by a wicket with a couple of balls to spare. Malinga, Mathews and Lakmal bowled 10 overs, including a maiden, each, picking up a wicket apiece. They scored 58, 38 and 33, respectively.

Eranga bowled 9.4 overs, including a couple of maidens. He conceded 50, picking up a couple of wickets. Herath bowled 10 overs, including a couple of maidens. He conceded 20, picking up four scalps.

India won the 2013 West Indies Tri-Nation Series.