RAJKOT (India), Feb 11: Sri Lanka pulled off a thrilling five-run victory over India in the second One-day International on Sunday, taking a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
Wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara stroked a classy 110, his sixth one-day hundred, to rescue the visitors from 58 for four to reach 257 for eight. They then restricted India to 252 for nine.
In a game of fluctuating fortunes, India needed 11 runs to win off the final over but Sanath Jayasuriya conceded just five with his left-arm spin, removing the aggressive Mahendra Dhoni for 48 off the penultimate delivery.
Sangakkara, 29, added 108 runs for the fifth wicket in the morning with Tillekeratne Dilshan, who made 56, and then put on 61 with Farveez Maharoof (17) for the seventh wicket.
The left-handed batsman struck 11 fours and four sixes until he was caught in the deep off paceman Munaf Patel in the 49th over.
Patel, who dropped Sangakkara on 91 off his own bowling, claimed four for 50.
Sri Lanka were boosted in their final World Cup build-up, but the defeat put pressure on Indian players before Monday's selection meeting to name the final squad for the tournament starting in West Indies next month.
Opener Saurav Ganguly (62) and Sachin Tendulkar (54) added 100 runs for the third wicket when India chased as the hosts appeared to be coasting towards victory. However, leg spinner Malinga Bandara broke the partnership when he had Tendulkar stumped giving the charge against a sharp leg-break.
Sri Lankan bowlers put on a spirited display despite the absence of experienced paceman Chaminda Vaas and off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who have both been rested for the series.
Ganguly edged a wide ball from paceman Lasith Malinga to Sangakkara and Sehwag, playing his first knock since an abysmal South African tour, nicked Bandara behind the stumps trying to glide the ball to third man.
Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik (31) added 66 runs for the sixth wicket before Malinga trapped Karthik leg before to force the close finish.
Paceman Maharoof took three for 42, including the wicket of skipper Rahul Dravid, who played on to his stumps for five.
The first game of the four-match series was abandoned because of rain in Kolkata on Thursday. The next match will be played in Goa on Wednesday.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA
W.U. Tharanga c Tendulkar b Sreesanth 11
S.T. Jayasuriya c Dhoni b Patel 9
M.S. Atapattu lbw b Patel 15
K.C. Sangakkara c Sehwag b Patel 110
D.P.M.D. Jayawardene c Dhoni b Sreesanth 4
T.M. Dilshan b Harbhajan 56
R.P. Arnold lbw b Tendulkar 7
M.F. Maharoof c Karthik b Patel 17
C.M. Bandara not out 3
K.M.D.N. Kulasekera not out 4
EXTRAS (LB-14, W-4, NB-3) 21
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 257
FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-31, 3-53, 4-58, 5-166, 6-188, 7-249, 8-249.
DID NOT BAT: S.L. Malinga.
BOWLING: Munaf Patel 9-0-49-4 (2nb, 2w); Sreesanth 10-1-39-2 (1nb, 1w); Ganguly 2-0-14-0; Harbhajan Singh 10-0-41-1; Kumble 10-1-59-0; Tendulkar 9-0-41-1 (1w).
INDIA:
A.R. Uthappa c J’wardene b Maharoof 7
S.C. Ganguly c Sangakkara b Malinga 62
R. Dravid b Maharoof 5
S.R. Tendulkar st Sangakkara b Bandara 54
V. Sehwag c Sangakkara b Bandara 19
M.S. Dhoni c Maharoof b Jayasuriya 48
K.D. Karthik lbw b Malinga 31
Harbhajan Singh c J’wardene b Maharoof 2
A. Kumble run out 2
S. Sreesanth not out 0
M.M. Patel not out 0
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-9, NB-7) 22
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 252
FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-29, 3-129, 4-154, 5-169, 6-235, 7-241, 8-248, 9-252.
BOWLING: Malinga 10-0-75-2 (5nb, 4w); Maharoof 10-0-42-3 (2nb, 3w); Kulasekera 10-0-48-0 (1w); Bandara 10-0-36-2 (1w); Jayasuriya 9-0-38-1; Dilshan 1-0-7-0.
RESULT: Sri Lanka won by five runs.
UMPIRES: S.L. Shastri (India) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia).
TV UMPIRE: G. A. Pratapkumar (India).
MATCH REFEREE: A.G. Hurst (Australia).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Kumar Sangakkara.
FIRST MATCH: Kolkata, no-result.
THIRD MATCH: At Goa on Wednesday.
FOURTH MATCH: At Visakhapatnam on Saturday.—Agencies