India lose tri-series final in Dhaka by four wickets

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DHAKA - A dismal batting and bowling performance in the tri-series final in Dhaka cost the Indian team dearly, as they lost the series to Sri Lanka by four wickets.

Chasing 246 runs to win, Sri Lanka managed the score with six wickets and 1.3 overs to spare.

Mahela Jayawardene (71 not out) and skipper Kumara Sangakkara (55) slammed half centuries as the Sri Lankan looked to romp home easily.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera and Thilina Kandamby played the supporting roles to their senior players as most of the Indian bowlers disappointed to perform when it mattered the most.

The most successful bowler for India was off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who took two wickets for 41 runs in his 10 overs.

Earlier, middle-order batsman Suresh Raina had helped Team India to recover from a horror start to reach a competitive score of 245.

India was undone by a combination of poor shot selection, where the top order including Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni fell cheaply to Sri Lanka’s disciplined pace bowling, losing wickets at regular intervals after being put in to bat in the day-night match.

The team was wobbling at 60 for five following a deadly opening spells from fast bowlers Nuwan Kulasekara and Chanaka Welegedara, but Raina came to his team’s rescue with a superb 106 for his third One-day hundred.

Raina steadied the innings with Ravindra Jadeja, who had a partnership of 106-run stand for the sixth wicket.

While, the two Sri Lankan bowlers shared seven wickets among them destroying Indian top order that hardly could come out of the early losses. Kulasekara finished with 4-48 and Welegedara grabbed 3-53. (ANI)