Sri Lanka Pick Up Consolation Win Over India

Sri Lanka 227-6 (Thushara 54no, Mubarak 47no, Udawatte 43, Ojha 2-28) beat
India 103 all out (Mendis 4-10, Kulasekera 4-40, Fernando 2-24) by 112 runs (D/L)
5th Idea Cup One Day International, R. Premadasa Stadium, India win the series 3-2.

Thilan Thushara underlined his developing potential as an all-rounder with a maiden half-century in One Day Internationals before India were blown away by Nuwan Kulasekera and Ajantha Mendis as Sri Lanka ended their One Day series with a consolation victory in Colombo.

Despite the away side having wrapped the series up with the 46-run win two days ago, there was no let up and having lost the toss and been asked to bowl, Zaheer Khan had Sanath Jayasuriya caught at third man by Pragyan Ojha for one.

Malinda Warnapura (30) and Mahela Udawatte (43) combined to add 77 for the second wicket before Irfan Pathan removed both, having Warnapura caught by Gautam Gambhir and Udawatte trapped in front.

Kumar Sangakkara managed just one and Mahela Jayawardene 12, while Chamara Kapugedera hit 26, leaving the innings in the hands of all-rounders Jehan Mubarak and Thushara.

Thushara hits out during his innings © REUTERS/Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi (SRI LANKA) Picture Supplied by Action Images

The pair responded magnificently, Thushara striking six boundaries as he followed up a maiden five-wicket haul in the previous match with a fluent half-century.

Mubarak, playing his first ODI since October 2007, offered able support, finishing unbeaten on 47 as the pair put on 94 for the seventh wicket.

Ojha bowled superbly to return two for 28 while Pathan enjoyed his return with two for 52.

India raced to 38 in 8.5 overs before losing their way in dramatic and alarming fashion. Kulasekera picked up the first four wickets to fall as Gautam Gambhir (11), Virat Kohli (31), Suresh Raina (ten) and Rohit Sharma (three) departed to leave India at 76 for four.

Play was delayed for around an hour with India on 70 for three and Sri Lanka needed little time to wrap up proceedings following the resumption.

Mendis bounced back from a couple of games where India had dominated him to take four for ten in 4.3 overs to rip through the middle order and Dilhara Fernando weighed in with two for 24 from seven overs.

Sri Lanka only needed four bowlers in all as India were shot out in 26.3 overs having been set a revised target of 216 to win in 44 overs.

Udawatte, Mubarak and Fernando played in a much-changed Sri Lankan line up which is without Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan.

India brought in Pathan, RP Singh and Ojha in place of Subramaniam Badrinath, Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan Singh.

Sri Lanka: Malinda Warnapura, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Kumar Sangakkara (wicket-keeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilan Thushara, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando

India: Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain, wicket-keeper), Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Munaf Patel

© Cricket World 2008