Jayawardene, Sangakkara take S.Lanka to series win

Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara hit impressive half-centuries to guide Sri Lanka to a four-wicket win over India in the triangular one-day series final.

Jayawardene top-scored with an unbeaten 71 and skipper Sangakkara made a brisk 55 as Sri Lanka passed India's 245 with nine balls to spare in the day-night match.

The duo also upstaged India's Suresh Raina, who cracked a gutsy 106 under pressure to prop up the innings.

India were a bowler short when paceman Ashish Nehra left the field with an injury soon after having opener Upul Tharanga caught by Virat Kohli at second slip with his third delivery.

Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (49) and Sangakkara dominated the Indian attack with aggressive shots, adding 93 for the second wicket.

India's spinners brought their side back into the game, removing well-set Dilshan, Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera (27) and Thilina Kandamby (18) to reduce Sri Lanka to 189-5.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh impressed the most with 2-41, while left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Yuvraj Singh bagged one wicket apiece.

But Jayawardene kept his cool to steer to his side home, ending the match with three successive fours off paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

India were earlier wobbling at 60-5 following incisive opening spells from pacemen Nuwan Kulasekara and Chanaka Welegedara, but Raina came to his team's rescue with his third one-day hundred.

Man-of-the-match Kulasekara finished with 4-48 and left-arm seamer Welegedara grabbed 3-53.

Raina steadied the innings with a 106-run stand for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (38). He fell soon after completing his century, bowled by Welegedara after cracking one six and 10 fours in his 115-ball knock.

India were undone by a combination of poor shot selection and Sri Lanka's disciplined pace bowling, losing wickets at regular intervals.

Opener Virender Sehwag, who struck 42, kept playing shots despite the fall of wickets from the other end. His flourish did not last long though as he became Kulasekara's third victim.

He was caught behind after hitting seven fours in his 27-ball cameo. He became the sixth Indian to complete 7,000 one-day runs after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin and Yuvraj.

The Indian batting woes began with the match's third delivery when Gautam Gambhir was bowled by Kulasekara.

Welegedara had in-form Kohli caught behind for two and then Yuvraj was caught at first slip by Samaraweera in successive overs to send India reeling at 16-3 in four overs.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni briefly defied the Sri Lankan attack when he shared a 31-run stand for the fourth wicket with Sehwag before being caught behind off Kulasekara.

SCOREBOARD

India:

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-4, 3-16, 4-47, 5-60, 6-166, 7-213, 8-233, 9-237, 10-245

Bowling:

Sri Lanka:

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-93, 3-109, 4-157, 5-189, 6-228

Bowling:

Result: Sri Lanka win by four wickets

Toss: Sri Lanka

Umpires: Enamul Haque (BAN) and Ian Gould (ENG)

TV umpire: Sharfuddoula Shahid (BAN)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)