From The Gleaner

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC): India, propelled by impressive swing bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, booked a place in the final of the Celkon Mobile Cup ODI series and will oppose Sri Lanka at Queen’s Park Oval tomorrow.

Kumar’s timely haul of four wickets for eight runs, from six overs, squeezed India into the play-off and dashed the hopes of West Indies as the world champions defeated Sri Lanka by 81 runs in their rain-hit match yesterday.

The match was reduced to a 26-over contest after India, sent in to bat, had their innings curtailed by persistent rain, having reached 119 for three off 29 overs. With limited time left in the afternoon, after more than four hours were washed out, Sri Lanka were set 178 to win off 26 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis system.

CONVINCING TRIUMPH

It meant that India needed to win the game convincingly and to restrict Sri Lanka to under 167 to secure a bonus point and a place in the final. They achieved it, finished on 10 points, and pushed out West Indies by virtue of a superior net-run-rate.

Paceman Kumar, also named man of the match, gave the Indians early control of the important match as he found the edge of Upul Tharanga’s bat in his second over and won a first-ball LBW appeal against Kumar Sangakkara, rocking Sri Lanka at 13 for two in the third over.

Kumar, on a pitch offering good bounce and getting the ball to seam around, claimed his third and fourth wickets as Mahela Jayawardene (11) cut to Vijay and Lahiru Thirimanne lofted a drive to Kohli. This quickly reduced Sri Lanka to 31 for four in the ninth over and they never recovered.

Paceman Yadav and the Indian spinners, Jadeja and Ashwin, then tightened the grip, and the end came quickly as the last six wickets collapsed for 65 runs.

PHOTO: Sri Lanka batsman Dinesh Chandimal (left) is stumped by India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik for 26 runs during their Tri-Nation Series cricket match in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, yesterday. – AP

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