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Sangakkara's 18th ODI ton helps Sri Lanka edge past India
Sri Lanka defeated India by two wickets to register their second victory in the Asia Cup, in Fatullah, on Friday, and go to the top of the five-team table.
Sent in to bat, India posted 264 for nine in the stipulated 50 overs, and then saw Sri Lanka chase down the 265-run target with four balls to spare, at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.
Veteran Kumar Sangakkara showed the way with a breathtaking 84-ball 103, his 18th ODI hundred.
He got support from Kusal Perera (64) early on, the two adding 54 for the second wicket, before completely taking up the responsibility of seeing the team through.
Earlier, Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Matthews won the toss and elected to bowl.
India made one change to the side that beat Bangladesh in the opening game, bringing in Stuart Binny for pacer Varun Aaron.
Sri Lanka included Ajantha Mendis in place of Suranga Lakmal.
Teams:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik, Stuart Binny, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami
Sri Lanka: Angelo Matthews (captain), Kusal Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Chaturanga de Silva, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis.
Senanayeke had career-best figures in the match
The pitch behaved differently, the ball staying low right from the first over. The conditions were perfect to test the openers, who were in the middle of a prolonged lean patch.
Sharma, particularly, struggled against the odd ball as Sri Lanka, who were playing with three specialist spinners, brought on offie Senanayake in the sixth over.
Lanka were in control, conceding only 37 runs in the first powerplay, which also yielded Sharma's wicket.
After all his struggles, Sharma's (13) anxious stay finally came to an end to a dubious decision. Umpire Nigel Llong ruled the batsman out despite him being long way down the track.
Senanayeke had career-best figures of three for 41 in the match.
Dhawan missed out on a century by six runs
Shikhar Dhawan (94) and captain Virat Kohli (48) led India's recovery in a 97-run second-wicket partnership, before Mendis, more than three years after his mystery was decoded by the Indian batsmen, came back to trouble them with figures of four for 60.
With Kohli in exquisite form and Dhawan back among runs, the duo looked in control of the proceedings. Dhawan completed his half-century in 68 balls, the left-hander's first 50-plus score in nine matches.
Kohli punished Chaturanaga de Silva before Dhawan joined the party with a boundary and and a six against Perera, as India raced to 128-1 in 26 overs, when a smart decision to bring in Mendis from the pavillion end did the trick.
Mendis castled both Kohli and Dhawan with 'carrom' ball deliveries.
Sri Lanka started well
Sri Lanka were cruising at 134 for one after the butterfingered Indian fielders dropped three catches, including two by Jadeja and one by Rahane, two of India's better fielders.
Making full use of India's sloppy fielding, the in-form opening duo of Perera and Lahiru Thirimanne (38) gave the Lankans a flying start, before Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja struck.
Jadeja picked three wickets
Ravindra Jadeja, who scalped two wickets in two balls en route to three for 30, and Aswhin (two for 42), brought back the Indians, the latter's second wicket being his 100th.
The duo finished their respective quotas in the 45th over, with Sri Lanka needing 44 from 30 balls.
Making amends for his two dropped catches, Jadeja turned the match around for India with two wickets in two balls.
However, Sangakkara stood firm till the penultimate over, in the process striking 12 boundaries and a six.
With his team under pressure, the experienced campaigner ensured that he took Sri Lanka close to the target as he completed his 18th ODI century with a boundary in 83 balls, only to be dismissed by Mohammed Shami in the next ball.
By the time he was dismissed, the Lankans were close to the finishing line, requiring seven runs from nine balls.
With the scores levelled in the penultimate over, it was as good as over for India as they dropped their fourth catch, this time Dhawan goofing up at mid-off.