Gambhir and Kohli take India into tri-series final

Dhaka: Opener Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli have scored half centuries each to help India win by eight wickets against Sri Lanka in a one-day international match from a tri-series involving Bangladesh. In 32.4 overs, India was 214-2 to beat Sri Lanka in yesterday's game.

Sri Lanka and India will square off on Wednesday again to play the final as Sri Lanka has bagged a 3-0 record and while India boasts 2-0. Bangladesh lost all three games, and will take on India in a game of academic interest on Monday.

Zaheer Khan, the lynchpin of Indian pace attack, was nominated Man-of-the-Match for his 3-38. Khan and Amit Mishra shared six wickets as India restricted Sri Lanka earlier to 213 despite half-centuries from Kumar Sangakkara and Suraj Randiv.

Sangakkara top-scored with 68 for his 54th half-century and lower-order batsman Randiv made 56 for his maiden fifty, but Sri Lanka still failed to set a stiff target in the day-night match.

Sri Lanka were struggling at 84-6 after electing to bat, but Randiv added 59 for the seventh wicket with Sangakkara and as many runs for the next wicket with Thilan Thushara (28). Sangakkara fell in the 30th over, caught by Suresh Raina at mid-wicket while attempting to pull part-time spinner Yuvraj Singh after hitting nine fours in his 78-ball knock.

Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Upul Tharanga was caught at first slip by Dinesh Karthik off seamer Sudeep Tyagi in the opening over. Tharanga, who made a century in the last match, failed to open his account this time.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, who missed the last two games because of an injury, looked in punishing mood as he cracked five fours in Tyagi's successive overs.

Sri Lanka's chances of reaching a challenging total receded sharply when they lost Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Thilina Kandamby and Thissara Perera in the space of 24 runs.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka:

U. Tharanga c Karthik b Tyagi 0

T. Dilshan c Gambhir b Zaheer 33

K. Sangakkara c Raina b Yuvraj 68

M. Jayawardene c Kohli b Zaheer 5

T. Samaraweera lbw b Sreesanth 0

T. Kandamby run out 1

T. Perera c Yuvraj b Mishra 11

S. Randiv b Mishra 56

T. Thushara c Yuvraj b Zaheer 28

C. Welegedara st Dhoni b Mishra 1

S. Lakmal not out 0

Extras (lb3, nb1, w6) 10

Total (for all out; 46.1 overs) 213

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Tharanga), 2-42 (Dilshan), 3-60 (Jayawardene), 4-61 (Samaraweera), 5-66 (Kandamby), 6-84 (Perera), 7-143 (Sangakkara), 8-202 (Thushara), 9-209 (Randiv), 10-213 (Welegedara).

Bowling: Tyagi 7-1-46-1, Sreesanth 7-0-38-1 (w1), Zaheer 10-2-38-3, Mishra 9.1-1-40-3 (nb1, w3), Jadeja 6-1-21-0 (w1), Yuvraj 4-0-18-1 (w1), Raina 3-0-9-0.

India:

D. Karthik c Sangakkara b Thushara 48

G. Gambhir c Welegedara b Perera 71

V. Kohli not out 71

Yuvraj Singh not out 8

Extras (lb4, nb9, w3) 16

Total (for two wickets; 32.4 overs) 214

Fall of wickets: 1-89 (Karthik), 2-161 (Gambhir).

Bowling: Welegedara 5.4-0-51-0 (nb6), Lakmal 10-0-75-0 (nb3, w2), Thushara 6-0-33-1 (w1), Randiv 6-0-19-0, Perera 5-1-32-1.

Result: India win by eight wickets

Toss: Sri Lanka