Consolation Victory For Sri Lanka
Kulasekara - match-winning four-for.
Paceman Nuwan Kulasekara and spinner Ajantha Mendis claimed four wickets apiece as Sri Lanka eased to a consolation 112-run win over India in the final one-dayer at the Premadasa Stadium on Friday.
Kulasekara picked off the top-order wickets of Virat Kohli (31), Gautam Gambhir (11), Suresh Raina (10) and Rohit Sharma (three) as India, chasing a rain-revised target of 216 to win from 44 overs, stuttered.
An 80-minute rain delay did the tourists no favours and after they resumed Ajantha Mendis ripped through their middle order as India lost seven wickets for just 33 runs to meekly concede defeat.
Mendis finished with figures of four for 10 as India were bowled out for 103 in just 26.3 overs.
India, however, had already clinched the series with three consecutive wins in the previous matches.
Sri Lanka, batting first after captain Mahela Jayawardene won his first toss in the series, posted a target of 228 to win.
Zaheer Khan gave India a flying start, removing flamboyant opener Sanath Jayasuriya (one) in the second over, but Malinda Warnapura (30) and Mahela Udawatte (43) put Sri Lanka back on track with a 77-run stand for the second wicket.
Thilan Thushara
weighed in with a knock of 54 off 46 deliveries and his unbeaten partnership of 94 for the seventh wicket with Jehan Mubarak helped Sri Lanka finish on 227 for six from their allotted 50 overs.
Zaheer and Munaf Patel, India's new-ball bowlers, again turned in tight opening spells to put the Sri Lankans under pressure.
Jayasuriya was dismissed while attempting to cut a delivery from Zaheer, but top-edged to Pragyan Ojha at third man.
Warnapura, dropped on six by Rohit Sharma, and Udawatte were unconvincing but effective as they built the innings.
But Pathan, brought into the team for Praveen Kumar, removed both Warnapura and Udawatte in the space of four deliveries.
Warnapura skied a delivery to Gautam Gambhir at cover, while Udawatte was trapped in front three deliveries later.
Kumar Sangakkara (one) recorded another failure, attempting a lazy cut shot off RP Singh and nicking to Gambhir in the slips.
Ojha had troubled Chamara Kapugedera (26) at the start and thought he had the middle-order batsman when he dived forward to take a return catch.
Kapugedera was on six, but he survived that close call after third umpire Gamini Silva deemed the ball had touched the ground.
Ojha, however, struck in successive overs to send back Jayawardene (12) and Kapugedera as the hosts' middle-order caved in yet again.
Thushara recorded his maiden one-day half-century with some lusty hitting at the end and together with Mubarak helped Sri Lanka finish on a roll.
Gambhir and Kohli, who had both survived confident shouts for lbw against Kulasekara earlier on, got India off to a shaky start.
But just when they seemed to have done all the hard work, Gambhir edged a Kulasekara delivery to Sangakkara, who had come up to the stumps in an attempt to stop Gambhir from stepping out.
Kohli was next to go lbw and Kulasekara had his third victim when Raina attempted to hit over the top, only to be caught at mid-off by Dilhara Fernando.
India were 70 for three from 14.2 overs at that stage when a sharp shower halted play for 80 minutes.
Kulasekara returned after the break to trap Sharma, although replays showed umpire Tyron Wijewardene had got it wrong.
Mendis then bowled Yuvraj Singh (17) off his first delivery and picked up the wickets of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (one), Pathan (seven) and Ojha (five) as India folded.