Viru, Yuvi smash Centuries
Adjectives would fall short for India’s overall display, which ensured the visitors won the five match series 3-0 and make it
eight consecutive wins in a row. Lankan batting crumbled under pressure and suffered an ignominious defeat of 147 runs in the third ODI.
After a splendid show by their batsmen, Indian bowlers, who had faced some flak from skipper MS Dhoni, were in no mood to let Lanka off the hook today. Pragyan Ojha broke the back of Lanka’s middle order after Kumar Sangakkara departed for 84 runs. For India Ojha took four wickets, Zaheer scalped 2, while Praveen Kumar, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan managed one each.
Chasing an improbable target of 363/5 set by India, a stunning silence gripped R Premadasa stadium as Lanka lost their main weapon Jayasuriya early to Praveen Kumar, a jolt which they never managed to recover from.
Needing 363 to avoid a series loss, Lanka lost both their openers when the scorecard read 51 after 8.4 overs. Jayawardene, who was then involved in a consolidated stand with Sangakkara, showed signs of good form but finally holed out in the deep after scoring 30 of 33 balls he faced.
Earlier, Building on the impetus provided by Yuvraj – Sehwag centuries, MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan took India to a magical total of 363/5.
Lanka’s miseries continued as burly Yusuf Pathan smashed his way to a rollicking 50 of just 33 balls with a strike rate of 152. Dhoni on the other ensured that India were comfortably ahead of the magical 350 run mark.
High point of the match definitely was scintillating centuries from Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag, who blasted away Lanka’s chances of any comeback in the series. Yuvraj was first to complete his century and Sehwag followed soon. Yuvraj however departed after scoring 117 of 94 balls giving away Muralitharan his record equaling wicket.
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