.
India win by 46 runs and alongwith it, they win the Idea Cup 3-1 with 1 game to spare.
Suresh Raina is the Man of the Match for his brilliant knock of 76 which played a crucial part in the 4th wicket stand with Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Chaminda Vaas receives a special award. He joined the elite club of 400 wickets in this match.
India: Virat Kohli 54 runs (his ODI highest), Suresh Raina 76, Mahendra Singh Dhoni 71 and Harbhajan Singh 3 wkts, Munaf Patel & Yuvraj Singh 2 wkts each, Zaheer Khan 1 wkt.
Srilanka: Sanath Jayasuriya 60 runs, Chamara Kapugedera 30, Thilan Thushara 40 and Thilan Thushara 5 wkts.
What a clinical performance by the Indians, they would be a satisfied lot after what they all went through during the lost Test series and the horrendous first ODI. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has led his side to yet another win and he has once again done that with a resounding example. His team got off to a good start and he took up the charge alongwith Raina to ensure that their team got to a par total.
It was always going to be one of those challenging run chases where Sri Lanka needed a good start. Warnapura was patchy but the dangerous Jayasuriya was firing from the other end. Wickets kept tumbling at crucial periods and the spinners were responsible for all that. The pitch assisted them and even a part-timer like Yuvraj dictated terms to the genuine batsmen. Sri Lanka never looked like winning and the Indians were the clear favourites.
This victory makes the final one dayer a dead rubber but don't forget to join us for that. The Sri Lankans will be eager to salvage some pride and that would call for some exciting action. Hope you have enjoyed today's game. We'll see you again on the 29th of this month.
