India demolish Lanka by 6 wickets, take 1-0 lead in series

An unflappable Mahendra Singh Dhoni led by example as India relied on a clinical all-round display to thrash Sri Lanka by six wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match cricket ODI series here on Wednesday.

Chasing 247, India rode on substantial contributions from Gautam Gambhir (62) and Suresh Raina (54) before losing both the set batsmen but Dhoni (61 not out) was his composed self as he guided the team to victory with 11 balls to spare.

The ageing Sanath Jayasuriya's 28th ODI century went in vain as the Indians never allowed the islanders to break loose on a slow track. Kumar Sangakkara contributed 44 as Sri Lanka posted 246 for seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs.

Both the teams now move to Colombo for the second match on Saturday.

This was India's sixth ODI win in a row, coming after their 5-0 whitewash of England at home.
    
With a hip injury keeping Virender Sehwag out of action and Sachin Tendulkar (5) back in the hut in the fourth over, the chase on a sluggish track was far from easy. But with Gambhir and Raina on song, India hardly had a reason to worry.
    
The left-handed duo went on to stitch together a 113-run stand for the second wicket which laid the perfect foundation for a successful chase, besides offsetting the setback of losing Tendulkar early in the innings.

Thilana Thushara's ball had pitched bit outside the leg stump before rapping Tendulkar's pad and Kumar Dharmasena, making his ODI debut as umpire, took his time before upholding the vociferous appeal.

The Gambhir and Raina partnership laid the patform for the other batsmen as the visitors chased down the highest-ever total at this venue which has so far hosted 26 matches.

Gambhir and Raina, however, were a trifle lucky. Early in his innings, a diving Nuwan Kulasekara apparently caught Gambhir off his own bowling but repeated replays proved inconclusive and the Delhi left-hander eventually had the benefit of doubt.

Raina, on his part, was spilled at point by Tillakaratne Dilshan off Thushara when he was on seven.

But once they got their eyes in, there was no stopping the Indians. Gambhir milked the Lankan attack with consummate ease and often stepped out to unsettle them. A streaky boundary off Dilshan brought up his fifty but his audacious bid to hit Muttiah Muralitharan out of the park saw him perish at long-off.
    
Raina, who had hit Nuwan Kulasekara for a couple of fours and a six in the same over, completed his fifty as well but going for a non-existent second run cost him his wicket.

Yuvraj Singh (23) looked ill at ease against the Lankan spinners, especially Ajantha Mendis, but it was Farveez Maharoof who removed the left-hander.

Dhoni and Rohit Sharma (25 not out) played sensibly to guide the team to victory.

Earlier, Dhoni won an important toss at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium and asked the hosts to take first strike and Jayasuriya proved he still has it in him to excel at the highest level.
    
A perennial thorn in India's flesh, Jayasuriya's 28th ODI century was studded with 10 fours and a six off Pragyan Ojha.

Jayasuriya also became the second man, after Sachin Tendulkar, to score 13,000 runs in ODIs when he steered Ishant in the 14th over for his 37th run.

At 39 years and 212 days, Jayasuriya also became the oldest cricketer to score an ODI century. Geoff Boycott held the previous record for scoring 105 against Australia in 1979 when he was 39 years and 51 days old.

Sri Lanka lost in-form opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) in the third ball but Jayasuriya and Sangakkara cobbled a 118-run second wicket partnership to guide Sri Lanka to a decent total on sluggish track.

Zaheer Khan was virtually unplayable this morning and the first run came off his 18th delivery, such was his accuracy.

Apart from Ojha, the lone specialist spinner in the side, Dhoni pressed in service Yusuf Pathan, Rohit and Raina as well and all of them did a decent containing job.

Boundaries not really flowing, Jayasuriya and Sangakkara ran hard between the wickets and once he reached his fifty, Jayasuriya provided a glimpse of his characteristic savage batting when he stepped out to hit Ojha to the sightscreen for a clean six.

A half-century, however, eluded Sangakkara who came down the track to hit Ojha but didn't get the elevation and found Raina at mid-on.

A couple off Rohit brought up Jayasuriya's hundred but the toil had started taking its toll on his stamina and the opener soon developed cramps. A visibly tired Jayasuriya eventually perished in the 40th over when he lobbed a slower full toss from Zaheer to mid-off.