Kumar takes five, Sri Lanka all out for 238

PACEMAN Bhuvneshwar Kumar grabbed his maiden five-wicket haul as an unrelenting India restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 238 in the fifth and final one-day international in Colombo yesterday.

Kumar, 27, made the most of the conditions, taking 5-42 after Sri Lankan captain Upul Tharanga won the toss and elected to bat under an overcast sky.

The visitors are eyeing a 5-0 ODI whitewash after blanking the hosts 3-0 in the preceding Test series.

Kumar reduced Sri Lanka to 40-2 before Lahiru Thirimanne (67) and Angelo Mathews stitched together a 122-run stand for the fourth wicket to steady the innings.

But Mathews gave an easy catch to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off spinner Kuldeep Yadav (1-40) after making 55 off 98 deliveries.

Thirimanne hit three fours and a six in his 102-ball knock. Tharanga, who missed the previous game due to injury, chipped in with a valuable 48.

Dhoni passed a career milestone when he stumped Akila Dananjaya (four) off the bowling of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, his 100th in ODIs.

Dhoni became the first to achieve the feat, surpassing former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara who had 99 stumpings to his credit.

In all, the last five wickets fell for just 44 as steady partnerships eluded Sri Lanka following the dismissal of Thirimanne and Mathews. – AFP