Dilshan's 123 guides Sri Lanka to three-wicket win over India

Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan's brisk 123 led Sri Lanka to a three-wicket victory over India in the second limited-overs international on Friday, reports Nilankur Das.

A boundary through point off the first ball with a gentle push from Virender Sehwag’s blade was the brightest possible start to the second one-dayer at the Vidarbha Cricket Stadium at Jamtha on a cloudy Friday afternoon. But even before quite a few could take their seats, the hero of Rajkot’s 400-plus total was sent back to a chorus of sighs and gasps.

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With the help of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s hundred India managed to cross the 300-run mark. Needing 302 for victory, Sri Lanka overhauled the target in 49.1 overs, thanks to some sloppy fieldings in the deep.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, carrying on from where he left at Rajkot, scored a 113-ball 123 to lead the Sri Lankan charge and eclipsed Dhoni’s second successive hundred at this venue.

Earlier, the fourth ball of the afternoon by Chanaka Welegedara was too close for the attempted cut and Sehwag’s thick edge was spectacularly taken by skipper Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps. That sparked two things. It pacified the crowd and with the skipper leading from the front lifted the Sri Lankan fielding a couple of notches.

A direct hit from mid-on by Angelo Mathews ended Gautam Gambhir’s stay and India lost ground early. Gambhir pushed one and set off only to collide with a back-tracking Welegedara and both fell in a heap with the left-hander visibly angry and short of his crease.

When Sachin Tendulkar, completing 20 years since his one-day debut against Pakistan, was stumped off a wrong one from Ajantha Mendis most had given up hopes that India would even get to 300.

But Virat Kohli’s half-century and a 126-run stand between Suresh Raina and Dhoni for the fifth wicket got India to 301.

The India skipper was edgy initially, had his share of luck but stayed on to ensure Sri Lanka were punished.

If Sangakkara’s brilliant take first up was responsible for raising the Sri Lankan spirits, his failure to stump Dhoni off a Mendis off-break slackened them.

Misfields and dropped catches followed as Raina and Dhoni took charge.

Unlike in Rajkot, where India lost their way in the batting powerplay, they were impeccable here adding 50 runs without losing a wicket. An explosive Dhoni then went on to score a hundred and though he would surely want to forget the way he survived, it was instrumental in getting India to the total they managed.