Sri Lanka decimate India by 161 runs

Upul Tharanga scored a career-best unbeaten 174 as Sri Lanka produced a clinical display to thrash India by 161 runs in the third match of the ODI tri-series here. Sent into bat, Sri Lanka first rode on Tharanga's 174 and Mahela Jayawardene's 107 to pile up a mammoth 348 for one yesterday and then shot out the Indians for a paltry 187 in 44.5 overs. Apart from Tharanga and Jayawardene, skipper Angelo Mathews made a quickfire 44.

The Indians looked a pale shadow of themselves with Ravindra Jadeja top-scoring with an unbeaten 49 followed by Suresh Raina (33), Murali Vijay (30), Shikhar Dhawan (24) and Dinesh Karthik (22). Chasing the imposing total, India piled up pressure on themselves by scoring just 28 runs for the loss of one wicket in the first 10 overs. Rohit Shamra was the first to depart, caught by Mathews at short mideicket off Nuwan Kulasekara's bowling.

With a mountain to chase, the Indians found boundaries hard to come by as they dealt mostly in singles and twos. The ever-climbing asking rate took a tool on the Indians as they lost Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli in successive overs. While trying to break the shakles Dhawan found out Tharanga at deep midwicket off Rangana Herath (3/37), Kohli hooked a Mathews delivery straight to Lasith Malinga at fine-leg in the next over.

Maling then went through Vijay's defence two overs later as India slumped to 70 for four after the end of 19 overs. Wicket-keeper Karthik and Raina added 53 runs off 63 balls for the fitth wicket before the former perished, stumped by Kumar Sangakkara off Herath in the 29th over. Raina tried hard to get India back on track with a run-a-ball 33 but fell victim of a run out.

Thereafter, the Indian innings fell apart as none other batsmen managed doubled digit scores with only Jadeja showing some teeth before the discipleined Sri Lankan bowling attack. This is India's second defeat in the tournament after having lost to West Indies by one wicket in their tournament opener. Earlier, Tharanga smashed a career-best unbeaten 174, while Jayawardene made 107 as Sri Lanka produced a dominant batting display to post an imposing 348 for one.