Hyderabad, Nov 9:
Clinical India notched up another resounding win to humble a hapless Sri Lankan side by six wickets and clinch the five-match series in the third One-Day International, here today.
If the bowlers, led by Umesh Yadav (4-53) and Axar Patel (3-40), set up the win by restricting the visitors to 242 all out on a good batting track, then the Shikhar Dhawan (91 off 79 balls) inspired batting line-up did its job to make the opponents look ordinary yet again.
By virtue of this win India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The next ODI between the two sides will be played at Kolkata on Thursday.
Earlier in overcast conditions, Mahela Jayawardene struck a fluent century to wage a lone battle as the Islanders managed a respectable score of 242 all out in 48.2 overs after being reduced to seven for two and 158 for seven.
In reply, India capitalised on a 62-run opening stand between Ajinkya Rahane (31) and Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli’s sublime 53 to canter to their target in 44.1 overs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal.
Rahane was finally scalped by Thisara Perera in the 12th over after the opener tried to fiddle with a rising delivery, giving away a simple catch at first slip.
Dhawan carried on the good work alongwith with last match centurion Ambati Rayudu (35) as the duo stitched another 69-run partnership to put the hosts in a comfortable position. The left-handed Dhawan reached his 2000-run mark in ODIs at the start of the 23rd over and soon hit a six to register his 11th fifty.
Rayudu though lost his wicket post a silly-looking mix up when the former Hyderabad player was left stranded at the non-strikers end as an Angelo Mathews and Kumar Sangakkara combination did the rest.
But Dhawan (283 runs in 3 innings) continued to be the top-scorer in the series so far as the left-hander enthralled the crowd with eight fours and a six to make India’s win look like a stroll in the park.
Skipper Kohli (53 runs – 32nd ODI fifty) also joined the party to ably guide the Men in Blue in Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s absence.
The Delhi dasher, who became the fastest player to register 6000 runs in 144 ODIs, played to the galleries after displaying a few wristy flicks that brought memories of VVS Laxman back in the minds of one and all.
India took the batting powerplay come the 33rd over as Dhawan-Kohli combination managed a 70-run stand to help hasten the proceedings.
Dhawan was finally caught behind off Nuwan Kulasekara in what seemd like an umpiring misjudgment as from the replays one could only see the ball brushing the helmet en route to the wicketkeeper. (PTI)
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