Sri Lankan batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Kapugedera steered the home side to a comfortable eight wicket victory in the opening match of their one-day international cricket series with India in Dambulla yesterday.
The pair put on an unbeaten 102 for the third wicket after the visitor’s Munaf Patel had dismissed openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakarra.
Jayasuriya was first to go, caught by Irfan Pathan off Patel for 10 before Sangakarra was caught and bowled by the Indian pace bowler for 19.
Jayawardene finished on 61 and Kapugedera was unbeaten on 45 as the hosts knocked off the 147 runs they needed for victory in only 34.5 overs.
Earlier, Sri Lanka spinners Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed three wickets each to leave India struggling.
Mendis took three for 21 and senior bowling partner Muralitharan three for 37 to rip through the batting in 46 overs after the visitors won the toss and elected to bat.
India, missing in-form opening batsman Virender Sehwag due to injury, struggled from the start with Yuvraj Singh the top-scorer with just 23.
Left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas struck in the first over, bowling Gautam Gambhir for a duck with a delivery that nipped back.
His new ball partner Nuwan Kulasekera trapped Virat Kohli leg before for 12, the former under-19 captain having come in after Sehwag twisted his ankle in practice on Sunday.
Kulasekera also had Suresh Raina caught at short cover by Chamara Silva, the batsman mistiming his drive on the slow-paced pitch to reduce the innings to three for 36.
India hinted at a recovery with Yuvraj and Rohit Sharma (19) adding 37 for the fourth wicket but wickets tumbled once spin was introduced, with Mendis bowling Yuvraj in his first over.
Mendis also claimed the prize scalp of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (6), Jayawardene taking a sharp catch at slip off an attempted cut.
Thilan Thushara, Sri Lanka’s third seamer in a five-bowler line-up, then had Sharma caught at slip.
Muralitharan was fortunate to remove Irfan Pathan (7), adjudged leg before after playing a “doosra” delivery onto his pads, before he had Zaheer Khan (12) caught in the deep and dismissed Harbhajan Singh (12).
Pragyan Ohja (16 not out) and Munaf Patel (15) added 29 runs for the last wicket.
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