BRISBANE, Australia (AP) Nuwan Kulasekara claimed three wickets and two important catches as Sri Lanka beat India by 51 runs Tuesday to replace the World Cup champions in second spot in the Tri-series.
Updated: February 22, 2012, 14:49
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) Nuwan Kulasekara claimed three wickets and two important catches as Sri Lanka beat India by 51 runs Tuesday to replace the World Cup champions in second spot in the Tri-series.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and elected to bat, then scored 45 in a 95-run opening stand with Tillakaratne Dilshan (51) to set Sri Lanka on course for an imposing 289-6. Lahiru Thirimanne contributed 62 and Angelo Mathews finished unbeaten on 49 as the Sri Lankans piled on 91 in the last 10 overs.
India's reply started badly, losing stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag on the second ball before slipping to 54-3 when Kulasekara dismissed Sachin Tendulkar (22) and Gautam Gambhir (29). He finished with with 3-40 and Thissara Perera had figures of 4-37, finishing with a sharp return catch from Irfan Pathan (47) as India was bowled out for 238 in 45.1 overs.
Virat Kohli top-scored with 66 for India and shared a 92-run fourth-wicket stand with Suresh Raina (32), but was dropped twice in an unconvincing middle period.
Sri Lanka improved to 11 points in the tournament, three behind Australia and one in front of India, which slipped from first to last following back-to-back losses.
"We made a few mistakes - dropped a few catches - we should have been able to push for the bonus point ... but I thought our boys did really well," Jayawardene said. "It was a crucial game for us. We didn't have a good start to this tournament and we had to come back strongly, which we've done."
India struggled without captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was suspended for a match due to a slow over-rate in Sunday's 110-run defeat by Australia at the same venue.
Sehwag, returning from a back complaint to deputize as skipper, took a tremendous diving catch but didn't direct the bowling changes to contain the Sri Lankan innings. Parthiv Patel, Dhoni's replacement as wicketkeeper, was sloppy with the gloves and missed a routine chance late on that could have curbed the onslaught of late runs.
Thirimanne was spared a potentially controversial run-out before he scooped a catch to Raina off Ravi Ashwin's last ball.
He was on 44 and backing up out of his crease at the non-striker's end in the 40th over when Ashwin whipped off the bails during his delivery action, a rare and unpopular mode of dismissal commonly known as a Mankad.
India appeared to withdraw the appeal after Sehwag and Tendulkar consulted with match officials, saving umpire Paul Reiffel from having to adjudicate.
Jayawardene said he wouldn't have appealed in the first place if he was in a similar position, but thought the situation was handled adequately on the field.
"It was just a small incident which happened in a very crucial game, and I think we should move on," he said. "I think they did the right thing in the middle, the seniors got together."
Thirimanne continued and posted his second ODI half century before he mistimed a pull shot at the end of the 46th over and Raina took a good, diving catch in the outfield.
Pathan (2-54) and spinner Ashwin (2-50) took two wickets apiece for India in humid conditions and with storm clouds looming to the north of the stadium.
Sehwag conceded India had missed Dhoni's influence and his batting in the middle and said his lineup didn't bat or bowl particularly well.
Kulasekara had a hand in each dismissal in the key first three wickets.
Sehwag slashed rashly to a wide and short ball from Lasith Malinga and edged to Kulasekara at deep third man.
Tendulkar was in commanding form, stroking 22 from 23 balls before bottom-edging a Kulasekara ball onto his stumps to make the total 38-2 and ensuring his quest for a 100th international century will drag on. Tendulkar hasn't scored a hundred since last March and has now gone 30 innings since reaching triple figures in tests or one-day internationals.
Kulasekara struck again when Gambhir guided a good-length ball to Perera at gully in the 12th over.
Raina was on four and the total was 69-3 when Dilshan put down a sharp chance at backward point off Mathews in the 16th over, then Kohli had two repreives - on 14 and 32 - both times when Dinesh Chandimal dropped regulation chances at deep mid-wicket before he was finally caught by Kulasekara off Perera's bowling.
Sri Lanka will play Australia on Friday in Hobart. It will be Australia's first match since former skipper Ricky Ponting was dropped from the squad.
By JOHN PYE
Updated February 21, 2012
