India march past Lanka
SCOREBOARD
Pallekele (Sri Lanka), Aug. 4: Irfan Pathan claimed five wickets and contributed valuable 29 runs as India managed a 20run win over Sri Lanka in the dead fifth rubber to complete a 4-1 series drubbing, here on Saturday.
India posted a challenging 294/7 after electing to bat and completed the win by bowling out the hosts for 274 in 45.4 overs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. India had lost the second ODI but were dominant in all the other matches.
Opener Gautam Gambhir (88), Manoj Tiwary (65) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (58) scored half-centuries while Rohit Sharma (4) failed yet again today.
Dhoni along with Pathan (29 off 28) plundered 77 runs in just 9.5 overs before falling to Lasith Malinga in the penultimate over of India innings. Later, the pace trio of Pathan (5/60), Ashok Dinda (2/55) and Zaheer Khan (1/53) ripped apart the Sri Lankan top- India: G. Gambhir c Malinga b Senanayake 88, A. Rahane lbw b Perera 9, V. Kohli lbw b Pradeep 23, R. Sharma b Pradeep 4, M. Tiwary c Perera b Malinga 65, S. Raina c Thirimanne b Malinga 0, Dhoni c Chandimal b Malinga 58, Irfan Pathan not out 29, R. Ashwin n.o. 2. Extras (lb10, w6) 16. Total (for seven wickets; 50 overs) 294. FoW: 1-29, 2-77, 3-87, 4-197, 5-197, 6-213, 7-290. Bowling: Malinga 10-0-64-3, Perera 10-0-53-1, Mathews 5-0-29-0, Pradeep 10-0-63-2, Senanayake 100-50-1, Mendis 5-0-25-0. Sri Lanka: Tharanga c Rahane b Pathan 31, Dilshan c Khan b Pathan 0, Thirimanne run out 77, Chandimal lbw b Dinda 8, Angelo Mathews run out 13, Kapugedera lbw b Khan 9, J. Mendis c Dhoni b Pathan 72, Thisara Perera c Kohli b Pathan 18, Senanayake b Pathan 7, Lasith Malinga c Raina b Dinda 10, Nuwan Pradeep n.o. 0. Extras (b2, lb14, w13) 29. Total (all out in 45.4 overs) 274. FoW: 1-13, 2-61, 3-74, 4-89, 5102, 6-204, 7-252, 8-256, 9-266, 10274. Bowling: Z Khan 9-1-53-1, IK Pathan 10-0-61-5, A.B. Dinda 7.4-055-2, V Kohli 1-0-3-0, R. Ashwin 9-037-0, RG Sharma 6-0-23-0, Raina 20-12-0, Tiwary 1-0-14-0. order, tilting the scale in favour of India. — PTI Irfan Pathan’s allround skills helped India nail Sri Lanka in the fifth and final ODI in Pallekele on on Saturday.
The left-arm seamer was in his element both with the bat and with the ball. Irfan finished with figures of 5 for 61, his second five-wicket haul in one-dayers, as his side scripted a comfortable win.
Taking first strike, India were in a spot of bother at 213-6 when Irfan (29 n.o.) teamed up with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to add 77 for the seventh wicket that helped the World champions set a formidable target for the Sri Lankans.
With the ball, Irfan struck in his very first over, removing the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan for a duck that put India on top. Irfan also accounted for Upul Tharanga, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera and Sachithra Senanayake that derailed the hosts.