India outplay Sri Lanka, enter final

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DHAKA - India put up a clinical performance to outplay Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the fifth Oone-Day International and enter the final of the tri-nation series tournament here Sunday.

Indian first bowled Sri Lanka out for a paltry 213 and then crossed the victory line in just 32.4 overs.

Openers Gautam Gambhir (71) and Dinesh Karthik (48) gave a fine start, scoring 89 runs in 11.2 overs. Virat Kohli then struck an unbeaten 71 off 68 balls to take the team home.

Gambhir made the most of the two dropped chances, hitting 10 fours in his 86-ball stay. Karthik, who came in place of Virender Sehwag, did a good job, opening the innings with Gambhir. He struck nine fours in his 55-ball innings.

Kohli scored up his fifth half-century with the help of nine fours.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni made a few changes in the team, resting key players — Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra — and he would be happy with the outcome.

India will meet Sri Lanka in Wednesday’s final.

Nothing went right for Sri Lanka after they won the toss and elected to bat.

Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra took three wickets each as India bundled Sri Lanka out in 46.1 overs.

Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals. At one time, they were struggling at 84 for six before skipper Kumar Sangakkara (68) and Suraj Randiv (56) bailed the team out with a 59-run stand.

Randiv and Thilan Thushara (28) then took the total past 200, adding another 59 runs.

The bowling was a problem for the Indian captain earlier on in the series, but Sunday’s performance was a welcome change for the team.

Mishra, who had fallen out of favour after the drubbing he got in the Ahmedabad Test, made the most of the opportnuity with an impressive figure 3-40.

India got off to a good start with Tyagi dismissing Upul Tharanga off the fourth ball of the innings as he was caught by Dinesh Karthik at first slip.

Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a quicfire 33 off 17 balls with the help of eight fours before Zaheer removed him.

The left-hand seamer struck again, dismissing Mahela Jayawardene in the 10th over.

S. Sreesanth got rid of Thilan Samaraweera, trapping him leg before while Thilina Kandamby was run out.

Mishra took his first wicket when he had Thissara Perera (11) caught by Yuvraj Singh at deep mid-wicket.

Sangakkara and Randiv then started the repair job. The captain hit nine fours in his 78-ball 68 before giving his wicket to Yuvraj.

Randiv played patiently for his half century. He struck five fours in his 76-ball innings before Mishra rattled his stumps.