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Brisbane: India's cricket tri-series campaign was thrown into disarray as they slipped to the bottom of the points table, losing to a rejuvenated Sri Lanka by 51 runs in another one-sided encounter on Tuesday.
Chasing Sri Lanka's imposing 289 for six, Indians suffered another top-order collapse and folded up for 238 in 45.1 overs to give the islanders their second successive victory.
The target of 290 was too stiff for the Indians under lights despite a good 96-run fourth wicket stand between Virat Kohli (66) and Suresh Raina (32) and a late counter-attack by Irfan Pathan who made 47 off 34 balls with seven boundaries.
Sri Lankans were well served by Man of the match Nuwan Kulasekara first up who claimed 3 for 40, including the scalps of Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir, and Thisara Perera who took 4 for 37.
Sri Lanka now forge ahead of Indians on the points table though the latter were able to cross 231 and avoided conceding a bonus point. Lankans now have 11 points from five matches while Indians have 10 from six games. Australia have 14 points from five games.
India's chase couldn't have begun on a worse note as stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag slashed at a wide delivery from Lasith Malinga and the catch ballooned up for third man fielder to complete the job.
Sachin Tendulkar (22) kept everyone interested during his brief stay. He once punched Lasith Malinga through covers and then flicked him through mid-wicket, both of whom were shots of highest pedigree. But then he tried to leave a Kulasekara delivery and succeeded only in dragging the ball on to his stumps.
The hole only grew deeper when Gautam Gambhir (29) walked out to Kulasekara and tried to dab him at the last minute past slips. It went rather uppishly and Perera at gully smartly held the chance.
Kohli reached his half century off 66 balls but in the 31st over as India suffered the loss of Raina (32) who spooned up a tame catch off Ferveez Maharoof to short covers.
The pace was too hectic and it told on Kohli who perished in the 36th over, lofting Perera to mid-on. He made 66 off 83 balls with two fours.
India lost another wicket before the batting powerplay was out when Ravindra Jadeja (17) dragged Kulasekara on to his stumps. India were 191 for 6 in the 38th over. Parthiv Patel (4) fell cheaply and Ravichandran Ashwin (5) also didn't last long to leave India 232 for eight after 43 overs.
Pathan was brilliant with his late hitting and struck whistling clean shots in his 47 off 34 balls with seven fours.
Earlier, Sri Lanka batted solidly through the length of their innings to raise 289 for six with openers Tillakaratne Dilshan (51) and Mahela Jayawardene (45) put on 95 runs for the first wicket.
Dinesh Chandimal (38), Lahiru Thirimanne (62) and Angelo Matthews (49 not out) contributed handsomely, besides raising productive stands to chalk up an impressive total.
Jayawardene, all this while, was intelligently rotating the strike and had hit just one four, a shot past midwicket off Yadav, as the 50 of the innings came up in the 10th over.
India got their first breakthrough when Jayawardene, looking to pull Irfan Pathan, handed a catch at forward short leg to stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag, who leaped to his left to pluck an outstanding catch.
Jayawardene made 45 off 55 balls studded with two fours. Dilshan reached his half-century when he drove Ashwin to long on for a single in the 20th over. At this stage, he had faced 63 deliveries and hit five fours and a six.
The opener was dismissed soon thereafter, top edging a catch to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel as he shaped to cut Ashwin. He made 51 off 72 balls with five fours and a six.
Chandimal, who has had an outstanding series so far, was solid as rock, while left-hander Thirimanne played a few excellent cover drives and used the pace of Yadav to his advantage.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka 289 for 6 (Thirimanne 62, Dilshan 51, Mathews 49*)
India 238 (Kohli 66, Irfan 47, Kulasekara 3-40)
Result Sri Lanka beat India by 51 runs
MOM Nuwan Kulasekara (Sri Lanka)
Points Sri Lanka 4, India 0
