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12-Sep-2009 16:46:00 GMT
Sri lanka v India, Compaq Cup, Colombo

Mathews Powers Sri Lanka beat India by 139-runs

Colombo: India's position at the top of the ICC rankings lasted less than 24 hours as Angelo Mathews took 6 wickets to hand Sri Lanka a 139-run win in the third ODI.

India's 139 run loss is their biggest on Lankan soil. The 22-year old young pacer disturbed the furnitures of Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh besides taking two more wickets to claim his best figures in the 50-over format.

The famed Indian batting collapsed today and as against Sri Lanka's top partnership of 83, the Indians could only 38 for the third wicket between Dravid and Yuvraj Singh. Rahul Dravid, who struggled early on was the top scorer today with 47 and like Tendulkar yesterday missed out on a half century.

Sri Lanka will have a huge psychological going into the final match as Team India, for most part of the day were only doing the catching job.

The Man of the Match award is an easy pick today as the worthy winner is Angelo Mathews for his sensational bowling spell of 6-0-20-6. It happens to be the best figures at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo and also against India by a Lankan bowler. The award for most stylish player goes to Thilina Kandamby for his unbeaten 91. Jayasuriya picks up the award for fastest fifty.

Earlier, opting to bat Sri Lanka rode on Jayasuriya's blistering 98 off 79 balls and Kandamby's unbeaten 91 down the order to score 307/6 in their allotted 50 overs.

Needing 308 for win, India's makeshift opening duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik (16 off 23) started the innings on a positive note adding 32 runs in the first six overs before Sri Lanka pulled back with the wicket of Karthik.

Trying to glide a leg side delivery to the fine-leg boundary, the Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper gloved a simple catch to Kumar Sangakkara off left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara's bowling in the sixth over.

From there on both Tendulkar and new man in Rahul Dravid found going tough although the master blaster managed to find the fence in between.

Tendulkar hit some elegant flicks and glances to score his boundaries before Nuwan Kulasekara got the vital wicket in the 14th over with India scoreboard reading 67. He struck five fours in his short but classy 33-ball 27-run innings.

Vice-captain Yuvraj Singh made his arrival in style, clobbering Kulasekara for four over mid-on in the very second ball he faced but thereafter went to a shell as he played and missed Lasith Malinga on several occasions.

Boundaries were far and few as Dravid and Yuvraj kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos before the right-hander cut loose in the 19th over, hitting a four and a six of Dilshan's consecutive deliveries to pick 13 runs off the over.

Jayasuriya returned to form with a blistering fashion. The 40-year-old left-hander, who had failed to score a half-century in his last eight previous outings, smashed 13 boundaries in his innings.

However, after the good start Sri Lanka were struggling at 176/5 at one stage but Kandamby and Chamara Kapugedara (36) rattled up 83 runs for the sixth wicket to pour water on India's hopes.

The duo batted sensibly dealing mostly on singles with occasional fours and saved their last for the final power-play.

A direct hit by RP Singh separated the pair at the fag end but Kandamby batted with vigour and punished all the Indian bowlers with utter disdain.

His 91 came off just 73 balls which included 11 shots to the fence as the last four overs yielded 46 runs.

Sri Lanka got off to a flying start with Dilshan (23) and Jayasuriya relishing batting on a good track.

Dilshan hit a flashy square cut to fence off Nehra in the first ball of the match and then sent an exquisite straight drive to boundary ropes, to start the proceedings in a brilliant fashion.

With Both Nehra and RP Singh not making any impact, Dhoni brought gangling pacer Ishant into the attack as early as in the fifth over of the innings.

The lanky bowler soon produced result, dismissing Dilshan, who played a casual drive to give an easy catch to Dhoni behind the wicket.

Jayasuriya was unperturbed and severely punished RP Singh, fetching 15 runs from his over, en route to his half-century, which came off just 45 balls.

The hosts were cruising comfortably but some exceptional glove work by Dhoni resulted in the fall of Mahela Jayawardene (17) off Yusuf Pathan and then Harbhajan Singh trapped Kumar Sangakkara (5) to make it 102/3.

Jayasuriya continued with his aggressive batting as he hit Yuvraj Singh for successive boundaries. He survived a run out chance and together with Angelo Mathews (19) put up 70 runs for the fourth wicket before his heartbreaking dismissal.

Mathews too joined him soon when he gave charge to Raina, got foxed by the spin and Dhoni stumped him.

Sri lanka and India will played final match at same Venue on Monday.

Brief Score
Sri Lanka: 307 for 6 (Jayasuriya 98, Kandamby 91*)
India: 168 (Dravid 47, Mathews 6-20)
Results: Sri Lanka won by 139 runs
Man of the match: Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)
Points: Sri Lanka 5, India 0


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