Four-wicket Jadeja sparks Sri Lanka collapse

CUTTACK (India) (AFP) Ravindra Jadeja led a disciplined spin attack with a career-best 4-32 as India dismissed Sri Lanka for 239 after a blazing start in the third one-day international here on Monday. Sri Lanka were strongly placed at 165-1 in the 23rd over after electing to bat in the day-night match, but left-arm spinner Jadeja sparked the collapse which saw the visitors lose their remaining nine wickets for 74. The spinner bowled opener Upul Tharanga (73) in his opening over before he accounted for Chamara Kapugedera (15), Nuwan Kulasekara (10) and Ajantha Mendis (six). Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the other bowler to keep the batsmen silent, conceding 29 runs off nine overs for one wicket. The five-match series is tied 1-1. In-form opener Tillakaratne Dilshan, who smashed brisk centuries in the last two matches, helped Sri Lanka get off to an explosive start with an 18-ball 41 as the visitors raced to 65 off just 6.2 overs. Dilshan, who survived a run-out chance on 36, was caught by wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik off a mistimed pull off seamer Ashish Nehra after hitting 10 fours in his impressive cameo. There was no respite for India as Tharanga and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (46) put on 100 for the second wicket to put their team on course for a big total on an easy-paced track. Tharanga cracked one six and six fours in his 81-ball knock. But India fought back after the dismissal of Sangakkara, stumped by Karthik off part-time spinner Virender Sehwag. They then never allowed Sri Lanka to build a partnership, striking at regular intervals. Paceman Ishant Sharma, who conceded 46 runs in his opening three overs, came back strongly to remove Thilina Kandamby for 22 and Suraj Randiv for duck off successive deliveries. SCOREBOARD SRI LANKA U. Tharanga b Jadeja 73 Dilshan c Karthik b Nehra 41 S'kara st Karthik b Sehwag 46 J'wardene c Raina b H'bhajan 2 Kandamby b Sharma 22 Kapugedera b Jadeja 15 Kulasekara lbw b Jadeja 10 Randiv c Karthik b Sharma 0 Malinga b Nehra 13 Mendis b Jadeja 6 Welegedara not out 2 EXTRAS: (b1, lb2, w6) 9 TOTAL: (for all out; 44.2 overs) 239 Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-165, 3-169, 4-173, 5-204, 6-210, 7-210, 8-218, 9-236, 10-239 BOWLING Zaheer 7-0-49-0 (w4) Sharma 7-0-63-2 Nehra 6.2-0-32-2 (w1) Harbhajan 9-0-29-1(w1) Sehwag 4-0-26-1 Jadeja 10-0-32-4 Yuvraj 1-0-5-0 Toss: Sri Lanka Umpires: Marais Erasmus (RSA) and Sanjay Hazare (IND) TV umpire: Shavir Tarapore (IND) Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS)

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