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.
The hosts lost skipper Rohit 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.
The left-handed Dhawan stayed firm
with Dinesh Karthik, who made 26, for company as India bounced back with
two straight wins after losing the opener in Dharamsala.
Earlier
Sri Lanka had got off to a strong start with opener Upul Tharanga
making a 82-ball 95 after the visitors were invited to bat first.
Tharanga's
121-ball second-wicket partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama, who
made 42, was the highlight of the Sri Lankan innings that fell apart
from a commanding 136-1.
Leg-spinner Chahal got
Samarawickrama, who was included in the XI in place of Lahiru
Thirimanne, caught at deep cover to end the stubborn stand.
The
in-form Tharanga, who registered his 36th ODI fifty, kept up the
pressure with an attacking innings as he passed 1,000 runs in 2017.
But
Yadav checked Sri Lanka's surge in the 28th over with a twin strike,
denying Tharanga a hundred and then sending Niroshan Dickwella (8)
trudging back to the pavilion.
Tharanga, who hit 12 fours
and three sixes, was beaten by a tossed-up delivery from the left-arm
wrist spinner and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni pulled off a sharp
stumping.
Chahal soon joined in to take the key wickets
of Angelo Mathews, for 17, and skipper Thisara Perera, for six, as Sri
Lanka slipped to 197-6 and failed to survive their full quota of 50
overs.
Meanwhile veteran fast bowler Lasith Malinga
continued to be kept out of Sri Lanka's Twenty20 squad that will play
three matches against India starting Wednesday in Cuttack.
