India overcome anxious moments before beating Sri Lanka

Perth: India overcame a mid-innings wobble before cruising to a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their second match of the cricket triangular series here today.

After restricting Sri Lanka to 233 for eight, the Indians chased down the target with 20 balls to spare after suffering a mid-innings collapse which reduced them to 181 for 6 in 36 overs.

Scorecard

Ravindra Jadeja (24) and Ravichandran Ashwin (30) then kept their nerve and put on 53 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket stand to guide India home. It was India's second win in what has turned out to be a rather nightmarish tour of Australia.

The victory capped a brilliant match for Ashwin who also claimed 3 for 32 while Sri Lanka batted first for their 233 for 8.

In-form Virat Kohli (77) and Sachin Tendulkar (48) had played a good hand among India's top-order batsmen but the rest were guilty of playing indiscreet shots to leave the team in the lurch.

Virender Sehwag (10) began blazingly by smashing off-side fours off Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga before he tried to help a rising delivery over the slips and was caught on the run by the third man fielder.

Sachin Tendulkar (48) appeared in splendid touch and it appeared that he would finally complete his historic 100th international century before he tried to cut an Angelo Mathews delivery too close to his body and dragged the ball on to his stumps.

Tendulkar faced 63 deliveries and hit five fours in his knock. Before he was out, he put on 75 runs for the second wicket with Virat Kohli off 98 balls. India then lost three wickets to poor shot selection and suddenly the match had swung back in balance.

Earlier, India recovered from initial sloppiness with a tidy bowling show and impressive fielding as they restricted Sri Lanka to 233 for eight in a cricket tri-series match here today.

Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja (1/41) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3/32) squeezed the runs dry while returning left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan was brilliant upfront with two crucial wickets after Sri Lanka elected to bat at the WACA Ground.

Zaheer began with the scalp of opener Upul Tharanga (4) in his second over and then returned midway to send back Kumar Sangakkara (26) to finish with two for 44 from his allotted 10 overs.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also put up an impeccable show, having a hand in two stumpings and a run-out, besides a catch.

Sri Lanka had things in control when Tillakaratne Dilshan (48) and Kumar Sangakkara (26) put on 62 runs for the second wicket. Apparently, a platform had been laid and Sri Lanka were eyeing a total in excess of 250 runs.

But it all changed when Sangakkara departed, caught brilliantly by Dhoni, diving to his left, off Zaheer who returned for his second spell in the 17th over.

India then wrested back control, conceding at one stage only 44 runs from 15 overs. The bowling powerplay, which India took in the 16th over, cost only 11 runs for a wicket.

Ashwin began with a maiden over but then was held back for final overs. Dhoni pressed on with Praveen Kumar and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and the two squeezed the runs dry.