DAMBULLA: Sri Lanka rode on Tillakaratne Dilshan’s century to clinch the tri-series title with an emphatic 74-run win over India yesterday, ending Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s sequence of four consecutive series triumphs on Sri Lankan soil.
The hosts first amassed an imposing total of 299 for eight largely built around Dilshan’s (110) eighth ODI century and then shot out the visitors for 225 in 46.5 overs in a rather lop-sided floodlit contest.
The Indians paid the price for a sloppy bowling display which allowed the hosts to put up a big total on the board on what appeared to be a good batting track at the Rangiri Dambulla International stadium. It turned out to be Dhoni’s first ODI series defeat on Sri Lankan soil, as the hosts had lost to India in four finals in the past two years at home, with the most recent being the Asia Cup in June.
The hosts lost a five-match bilateral series 3-2 in 2008 and another 4-1 in early 2009. Later that year India beat Sri Lanka in a tri-series final also involving New Zealand.
While Dilshan, who notched up his maiden century on Sri Lankan soil, played a pivotal role in his team’s victory, captain Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Mahela Jayawardene (39) chipped in with useful contributions. Chasing a stiff target of 300 for win, only Dhoni could provide some resistance with a gritty 87 while a few other batsmen like Virender Sehwag (28), Virat Kohli (37) and Suresh Raina (29) got the starts but could not make it count.
The Indian innings began on a disastrous note with Dinesh Karthik, who has been having a wretched time with the bat, being dismissed for a duck off Lasith Malinga. Unfazed by the early loss of his opening partner, Virender Sehwag luanched into the offensive with a flurry of boundaries picking up Nuwan Kulasekera and Angelo Mathews for special treatment.
But Sehwag’s belligerence was shortlived as he was run-out trying to steal a non-existent leg bye, much to the disappointment of his team-mates. Sehwag survived a confident shout for leg-before after he was hit on the pads by a Kulasekara inswinger but the appeal was turned down by the umpire.
He then tried to steal a leg bye and turned back but it was too late by then to beat a direct hit. The Indians then suffered another jolt when Yuvraj Singh also returned to the pavilion, falling prey to Thisara Perera with a ball which kicked up from short of a  length.

SRI LANKA innings
M. Jayawardene c Karthik b I. Sharma    39
T. Dilshan c I. Sharma b Kumar    110
U. Tharanga c Dhoni b Singh    6
K. Sangakkara c R. Sharma b Patel    71
C. Kapugedara c Karthik b Nehra    12
A. Mathews c R. Sharma b I. Sharma    1
C. Silva not out    26
T. Perera c Dhoni b Patel    6
S. Randiv run-out    4
N. Kulasekara not out    0
Extras: (lb-12, w-12)    24
Total: (eight wickets, 50 overs)    299
Fall of wickets: 1-121, 2-132, 3-217, 4-242, 5-258, 6-261, 7-294, 8-298.
Bowling: Kumar 10-0-72-1 (w-5), Patel 9-1-43-2 (w-1), Nehra 10-0-60-1 (w-5), I. Sharma 8-0-54-2 (w-1), Singh 8-0-37-1, Sehwag 5-0-21-0.

INDIA innings
V. Sehwag run-out    28
D. Karthik c Sangakkara b Malinga    0
V. Kohli c Mathews b Perera    37
Y. Singh c Sangakkara b Perera    26
M.S. Dhoni b Randiv    67
S. Raina c Dilshan b Randiv    29
R. Sharma stp. Sangakkara b Randiv    5
P. Kumar b Malinga    14
I. Sharma b Perera    0
A. Nehra c Perera b Mathews    2
M. Patel not out    0
Extras: (b-4, lb-1, nb-4, w-8)    17
Total: (all out, 46.5 overs)    225
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-38, 3-88, 4-109, 5-158, 6-177, 7-201, 8-210, 9-224.
Bowling: Malinga 9-0-49-2 (w-1, nb-2), Kulasekara 9-0-47-0 (w-2), Mathews 10-0-48-1 (w-2, nb-2), Perera 9-2-36-3 (w-2), Randiv 9.5-1-40-3 (w-1).