INDIA VS SRILANKA 1st ODI:INDIA WON WITH EASE

IND VS SRI 1st ODI HIGHLIGHTS

Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina failed to capitalise on their half-centuries as both fell in quick succession as India chased Sri Lanka's 246-7 in the first of the five-match series in Dambulla on Wednesday.Gambhir and Suresh Raina combined for a 113-run second wicket stand, before Gambhir, struggling with cramps jumped down the track off Muralitharan for 62, only to offer a catch to Kandamby. Raina also completed his half-century, but fell soon after, run out for 54.Sachin Tendulkar was adjudged leg before for 5 by former Sri Lankan international Kumar Dharmasena, officiating in his maiden one-day international, as India began their run chase.Milestone man Sanath Jayasuriya (107) rolled back the years and hit his 28th ODI century as Sri Lanka set India a 247-run victory target.Put in to bat, the hosts lost in-form opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) in the third ball of the day but Jayasuriya's 114-ball 107 and Kumar Sangakkara's 86-ball 44 helped Sri Lanka post 246 for seven — highest score at the venue — in their allotted 50 overs.Indian bowlers did a good job by restricting the hosts to a moderate total on a sluggish pitch and Ishant Sharma (3-52) turned out the pick of the visitors' attack.

A perennial thorn in India's flesh, Jayasuriya's 28th ODI century was studded with 10 fours and a six off Pragyan Ojha.Jayasuriya also became the second man, after Sachin Tendulkar, to score 13,000 runs in ODIs when he steered Ishant in the 14th over for his 37th run.At 39 years and 212 days, Jayasuriya also became the oldest cricket to score an ODI century. Geoff Boycott held the previous record for scoring 105 against Australia in 1979 when he was 39 years and 51 days old.Earlier, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won an important toss at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium and asked the hosts to take first strike.

Yet to open their account and Sri Lanka suffered their first setback when Jayasuriya responded to Dilshan's call before sending him back when it was too late.And with Zaheer Khan looking virtually unplayable, runs were not easy to come by. Zaheer began with two maidens and in fact the first run came off his 18th delivery, such was his accuracy. The left-arm seamer's incredible five-over spell yielded just eight runs.Jayasuriya decided to go after Munaf Patel and managed boundaries in each of the Indian pacer's first three overs to keep the scoreboard ticking.Apart from Ojha, the lone specialist spinner in the side, Dhoni pressed in service Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina as well and all of them did a decent containing job.Boundaries not really flowing, Jayasuriya and Sangakkara ran hard between the wickets and there was a 10-over stretch when not a single boundary could be scored off the Indian spinners.Once he reached his fifty, Jayasuriya provided a glimpse of his characteristic savage batting when he stepped out to hit Ojha to the sightscreen for a clean six.

A half-century, however, eluded Sangakkara who came down the track to hit Ojha but didn't get the elevation and found Raina at mid-on. His partnership with Jayasuriya was worth 118 runs.A couple off Rohit brought up Jayasuriya's hundred but the toil had started taking its toll on his stamina and the opener soon developed cramps. A visibly tired Jayasuriya eventually perished in the 40th over when he lobbed a slower full toss from Zaheer to mid-off.Sent ahead of captain Mahela Jayawardene (11), Farveez Maharoof played a 27-ball cameo of 35, including two fours and a six off Ojha, before an inside edge off Ishant disturbed his timber.Virender Sehwag was ruled out of the match with a lower back injury picked up during training.