Dhawan, spinners lead Indiato series-clinching ODI win

VISAKHAPATNAM: Opener Shikhar Dhawan´s blazing century and a decisive spell by their wrist spinners powered India to a series-clinching eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third one-day international on Sunday.

Chasing 216 for victory, India rode on a 135-run partnership between Dhawan (100 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (65) to romp home in 32.1 overs in Visakhapatnam.Dhawan completed his 12th ODI hundred in 85 balls, his knock laced with 13 fours and two sixes, before taking India to their eighth consecutive ODI series victory since June 2016.

But it was Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal who set up the comprehensive victory after taking three wickets each to help restrict the visitors to 215 all out in 44.5 overs. “They haven´t bowled much together as bowlers, but whenever they have played, they bowled really well. They put us in the driver´s seat,” India skipper Rohit Sharma said of his spinners.

“The youngsters bring a lot of energy, enthusiasm and talent to the group and it´s a perfect time to try them,” Sharma added. The hosts lost Sharma early after he was bowled by off-spinner Akila Dananjaya for seven but it was only a minor blemish in an otherwise comfortable chase.

Iyer, who registered his second successive half-century in just his third ODI, combined with Dhawan to take the attack to the opposition bowlers.Starting with a fast-spin combination of Suranga Lakmal and Akila Dananjaya from either end, the visitors built up some early pressure only to lose steam against the in-form batsmen. Iyer, who made 88 in the Mohali ODI, hit eight fours and a six during his 63-ball knock before falling to skipper Thisara Perera. The batsman mistimed a pull to be caught at mid-on.

Sri Lanka innings:

D. Gunathilaka c Sharma b Bumrah 13

U. Tharanga st Dhoni b Yadav 95

S. Samrawickrama c Dhawan b Chahal 42

A. Mathews b Chahal 17

N. Dickwella c Iyer b Yadav 8

A. Gunaratne c Dhoni b Kumar 17

T. Perera lbw b Chahal 6

S. Pathirana c Chahal b Pandya 7

A. Dananjaya b Yadav 1

S. Lakmal lbw b Pandya 1

N. Pradeep not out 0

Extras: (lb4, w4) 8

Total: (all out, 44.5 overs) 215

Fall: 1-15 (Gunathilaka), 2-136 (Samarawickrama), 3-160 (Tharanga), 4-168 (Dickwella), 5-189 (Mathews), 6-197 (Perera), 7-208 (Pathirana), 8-210 (Dananjaya), 9-211 (Lakmal), 10-215 (Gunaratne)

Bowling: Kumar 6.5-0-35-1, Bumrah 8-1-39-1, Pandya 10-1-49-2 (w1), Yadav 10-0-42-3 (w2) Chahal 10-3-46-3 (w1)

India innings:

R. Sharma b Dananjaya 7

S. Dhawan not out 100

S. Iyer c Lakmal b Perera 65

D. Karthik not out 26

Extras: (b4, lb2, w15) 21

Total (2 wickets, 32.1 overs) 219

Fall: 1-14 (Sharma), 2-149 (Iyer)

DNB: M. Pandey, M.S. Dhoni, H. Pandya, B. Kumar, K. Yadav, J. Bumrah, Y. Chahal

Bowling: Lakmal 5-2-20-0 (w1), Dananjaya 7.1-0-53-1 (w6), Mathews 3-0-30-0, Pathirana 4-0-33-0, Pradeep 3-0-10-0, Perera 5-0-25-1, Gunaratne 4-0-30-0 (w8), Gunathilaka 1-0-12-0

Toss: India

Result: India beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets

Series: India won the three-match series 2-1.