Sri Lanka avoided what would have been an embarrassing first ever series

whitewash when they won the final One-Day International against India at R. Premadasa Stadium, but it required their best performance in the series by far to stay on top and avoid humiliation.

After captain Mahela Jayawardene won his first toss in the series, Sri Lanka elected to bat first and posted their highest total against India in ODIs as they reached 320 for eight in 50 overs. That was also their second highest total on Sri Lankan soil following their 398 for five against Kenya in Kandy during the 1996 World Cup.

The highest run chase at this ground has been India’s 271 for two against England in the 2004 Champions Trophy, which meant they had to come up with a record breaking effort to win this game and eventually they ended up with 252 in 48.5 overs to hand the Sri Lankans a 68 run victory.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni used nine bowlers during the Sri Lankan innings taking the pressure somewhat off and at one stage they looked set to post a total of over 350.

Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillekeratne Dilshan brought up their best opening partnership in the series as they added 66 runs for the first wicket and when Jayasuriya was dismissed for 37 in 35 balls, Kumar Sangakkara came in and consolidated the home team’s position.

He added 143 runs for the second wicket in only 136 balls, taking

Sri Lanka to an impregnable position and it was this stand that turned the game in favour of Sri Lanka. The pair brought up the team’s 200 runs in the 32nd over and with nine wickets left, the hosts were set for the kill when Sangakkara got out playing a slog sweep off Yuvraj Singh too early to be caught by Rohit Sharma, who ran in from long-off to take a good sliding catch.

Thilina Kandamby was promoted ahead of Jayawardene at number four and his run a ball 26 ended when Ishant Sharma squared him up with a delivery that went onto clip the top of middle stump.

In walked the man who has been in the center of most cricketing controversies in recent times and his arrival completely derailed the Sri Lankan innings. First, Mahela Jayawardene was involved in the run out of Tillekeratne Dilshan, who had up until then had played sensibly for his 97. After Jayawardene pushed the ball to the point area, Dilshan set off for the single, but was sent back by Jayawardene and Rohit Sharma’s direct hit found him short of the crease at the non-striker’s end.

Sharma’s first over of his second spell had seen two wickets fall in successive balls and things turned bad for the Sri Lankans in his last ball of the over when Chamara Kapugedara nicked one to M. S. Dhoni to complete his 21st ODI innings without a half-century.

In the very next over, Jayawardene departed when he tamely chipped a Yuvraj Singh delivery to Suresh Raina at short cover. Sri Lanka lost four wickets for the addition of just one run as they slid from 255 for two to 256 for six and it required a spirited effort from the lower order to rescue the innings.

Some big hitting by Farveez Maharoof (32 in 23 balls) and some assistance from Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Tushara Mirando saw the Sri Lankans end up with 320.

Sri Lanka had to get Virender Sehwag early to have any chance of containing the the Indians and they picked up the opener for just six runs and in the very next over Suresh Raina perished without troubling the scorers to make it nine for two.

Yuvraj Singh kept the Indians interested with a spectacular counterattack, scoring 73 off 62 balls with 11 boundaries and a six, but the only support for him came from his captain and debutant Ravindu Jadeja.

Dhoni hit 53 off 58 balls with a boundary and two sixes while Jadeja made an unbeaten 60 in 77 balls with five fours.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan came up with his most convincing performance in the series as he picked up Yuvraj and the big hitting Yousuf Pathan conceding only 41 runs in his ten overs.

T. Dilshan run out (Rohit) 97

S. Jayasuriya ct Raina b Pathan 37

K. Sangakkara ct Rohit b Yuvraj 84

T. Kandamby b Ishant 26

M. Jayawardene ct Raina b Yuvraj 01

C. Kapugedara ct Dhoni b Ishant 00

F. Maharoof run out (Jadeja) 32

T. Mirando ct & b Ishant 11

N. Kulasekara not out 10

M. Muralitharan not out 03

Extras: (b 3, lb 8, w 7, nb 1) 19

Overs: 50

Did not bat: A. Mendis

Fall of wickets: 1-66,2-209,3-255,4-255,6-256,7-256,8-277,9-315.

Bowling: Pathan 9-0-55-1, Ishant 10-0-60-3 (3w) (1nb), Balaji 5-0-32-0, (1w), Sehwag 3-0-26-0 (1w), Jadeja 6-0-40-0 (1w), Yousuf 3-0-20-0, Raina 6-0-24-0 (1w), Yuvraj 6-0-39-2, Rohit 2-0-13-0.

G. Gambhir ct Sangakkara b Kulasekara 13

V. Sehwag ct Jayasuriya b Mirando 06

S. Raina ct Sangakkara b Kulasekara 00

Y. Singh ct & b Muralitharan 73

R. Sharma ct Kulasekara b Maharoof 15

M.S. Dhoni ct Kulasekara b Jayasuriya 53

Y. Pathan ct & b Muralitharan 03

R. Jadeja not out 60

I. Pathan ct Kapugedara b Mendis 08

L. Balaji ct Kulasekara b Mendis 07

I. Sharma b Maharoof 04

Extras: (lb 2, w 8) 10

Overs: 48.5

Fall of wickets: 1-08, 2-09, 3-52, 4-85, 5-121, 6-138, 7-193, 8-217, 9-243.

Bowling: Kulasekara 9-0-42-2, Tushara 6-0-34-1 (1w), Maharoof 5.5-0-46-2

(1w), Muralitharan 10-0-41-2 (1w), Mendis 10-0-44-2 (5w), Jayasuriya, 6-0-28-1, Dilshan 2-0-15-0.

Toss: Sri Lanka

Man of the Match: K. Sangakkara (SL)

Man of the Series: Yuvraj Singh (Ind)

Series: India won 4-1

Umpires: T. Wijewardene (SL) and B. Jerling (RSA)

3rd Umpire: K. Dharmasena (SL)