Zaheer, Mishra skittle Sri Lanka out for 213

January 10, 2010 02:03 pm | Updated 08:07 pm IST - DHAKA

The Indian team celebrate after the dismissal of Thissara Perera (not seen) during the fifth ODI of the triangular series also involving Bangladesh. Photo: AP

The Indian team celebrate after the dismissal of Thissara Perera (not seen) during the fifth ODI of the triangular series also involving Bangladesh. Photo: AP

Zaheer Khan and Amit Mishra shared six wickets between them as India skittled out Sri Lanka for 213 in the ongoing cricket tri-series match here on Sunday.

Zaheer and Mishra, who replaced Harbhajan Singh in the playing XI, took three wickets each, conceding 38 and 40 runs from their 10 and 9.1 overs respectively, as Sri Lanka were bowled out in 46.1 overs.

Part-timer Yuvraj Singh and pacers Sudeep Tyagi and S Sreesanth took a wicket apiece though the last two were a bit expensive.

Earlier, his side already through to the final, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara elected to bat as he wanted his side to bowl with the wet ball in the evening dew to prepare for any such eventuality in the summit clash.

But most of the Sri Lankan top-order batsmen, except for Sangakkara, were unwilling to stay put at the wicket and decided to slog early on.

The rash shots and poor communication between their batsmen meant Sri Lanka were in trouble with five batsmen back at the hut by the 14th over.

Sangakkara top-scored with a 78-ball 68 while rookie Suraj Randiv, who made his debut in the ODI series against India last month, contributed with a valuable 76-ball 56, his maiden half century.

The seventh wicket partnership of 59 runs off 70 balls between Sangakkara and Randiv and the 69-run stand between Thilan Thushara and Randiv for the eighth wicket from 83 balls were mainly responsible for the Sri Lankan score.

The Indian fast bowlers produced an improved performance though they were helped to their cause by the Sri Lankans who looked like in a practice mood for the final on January 13.

Playing in his second ODI, young Sudeep Tyagi opened the bowling and gave India an early breakthrough by removing opener Upul Tharanga for a duck in his fourth delivery with Dinesh Karthik, who came in for Virender Sehwag, taking a smart catch at slip before Sri Lanka had opened their account.

Dilshan gives Lanka flying start

Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) was in no mood to settle down a bit after missing his side’s last two matches due to a groin strain and hammered Tyagi for three successive boundaries in the fifth over and another two from Sreesanth

Dilshan tried to give the struggling Zaheer the same treatment and greeted him with a four before the wily Indian claimed his wicket with Gautam Gambhir holding a low catch in the sixth over.

Dilshan hit eight fours, five off Tyagi, in his 17-ball 33.

Spurred by the success, Zaheer, who was pasted for 100 runs in 15 overs in the opening two games, then removed last match centurion Mahela Jayawardene (5), caught by Virat Kohli at short cover, paying the price of not keeping the ball down.

More woes awaited Sri Lanka as in the next over Sreesanth trapped Thilan Samaraweera, who had scored a match-winning unbeaten 105 against India on January 5, for a duck.

Nothing went right for Sri Lanka as a horrible miscommunication between Sangakkara and Thilan Kandamby (1) led to the latter’s fall and in-form Thissara Perera (11) fell to Mishra.

It seemed all over for Sri Lanka in the 30th over, as Sangakkara failed to control a pull shot off part-timer Yuvraj to hole out at Suresh Raina but Randiv bravely held one end together till the 45th over when he was out for 76-ball 56 with the help of five fours

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