SL lose to Dhoni-led India

India made four changes to their playing eleven – Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan and the Kumars (Praveen and Vinay) made way for Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Twenty20 International debutant Umesh Yadav and Ashok Dinda.

Sri Lanka made half-a-dozen Cha(mara)nges to their playing eleven – Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Kapugedera, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Suraj Randiv and Thilan Thushara made way for Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Twenty20 International debutant Shaminda Eranga and Rangana Herath.

On winning the toss, Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s skipper, inserted the visitors.

The Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 50, and lost a wicket.

Gautam Gambhir, whose eight-ball innings included a boundary, scored eight. Ten balls into the match, Eranga had a reason to be in seventh heaven.

India scored 50 off 5.4 overs (34 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded an extra at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 34 balls. While Rahane’s contribution to the partnership was eight, the contribution of Virat Kohli, the player of the series, to it was 41. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

Kohli’s half-century – which included 10 boundaries – came off 32 balls.

Rahane, whose 25-ball innings included a six, eventually scored 21. Fifty-nine balls later, he was caught by Mendis, who broke the 74-run partnership.

India scored 100 off 12.5 overs (77 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded three extras at that point.

Kohli, whose 48-ball innings included 11 boundaries and a six, eventually scored 68. Thirty balls after Rahane’s dismissal, he was caught by Thirimanne. Eranga broke the 48-run stand.

India scored 150 off 19.2 overs (116 balls). Sri Lanka had conceded 10 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Suresh Raina, whose 25-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, scored 34. He was unbeaten, as was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, who scored 16. His 14-ball innings included a couple of boundaries.

India scored 155 for the loss of three wickets off 20 overs. Angelo Mathews and Herath bowled three wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 23, the latter conceded 17. Perera and Malinga bowled four wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded Thi(sara)rty-four, the latter conceded (Lasi)thirty-one.

Mendis, who bowled a couple of overs, conceded 13. He picked up a wicket. Eranga, who bowled four overs, conceded 30. He picked up a couple of scalps.

The Powerplay of Sri Lanka’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 52, and lost three wickets.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark. Five balls into the chase, Irfan Pathan, the player of the match, had a reason to be in seventh heaven.

Tharanga, who faced four balls, scored five. Eight balls later, he was caught by Raina. Pathan broke the seven-run stand.

Jayawardene, whose 19-ball innings included five boundaries, scored 26. Thirteen balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Pathan, who broke the 21-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 50 off 5.5 overs (35 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point.

Thirimanne, whose 15-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 20. Twenty-eight balls after Jayawardene’s dismissal, Ravichandran Ashwin broke the 33-run stand.

Mathews, whose 29-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 31. Twenty-three balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Ashok Dinda broke the 28-run stand.

Sri Lanka scored 100 off 14.2 overs (86 balls). India had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Mendis, who faced 15 balls, scored 11. Nine balls later, he was caught by Rahane. Yadav broke the four-run stand.

The seventh-wicket pair put on a couple. Perera, who faced five balls, scored a run. Five balls later, Tiwary ran him out.

Although his 11-ball innings included a boundary, Chandimal had no reason to be in seventh heaven – a dozen balls later, he was caught by Kohli. Dinda broke the 14-run stand.

The ninth-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Although his seven-ball innings included a boundary, Eranga wasn’t in seventh heaven – he scored half-a-dozen. A couple of balls later, he was caught by Ashwin off the bowling of Dinda.

The last-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Malinga, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. A couple of balls later, he was caught by Dhoni off the bowling of Dinda.

Herath, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

India eventually conceded nine extras. Sri Lanka, who were dismissed for 116 off 18 overs, lost by 39 runs. Rohit Sharma bowled an over, conceding nine. He was wicketless, as was Kohli, who bowled three overs, conceding 13.

Yadav bowled three overs, conceding 24. He picked up a wicket, as did Ashwin, who bowled four overs, conceding 22. Pathan bowled four overs, conceding 27. He picked up three wickets. Dinda bowled three overs, including a maiden. He conceded 19, picking up four scalps.    

India won the one-off match.