Colombo: Sri Lanka beat India by three wickets in the third and final one-dayer to lose the series 1-2 here on Friday.Chasing 227 for a win under D/L calculations, Sri Lanka reached the target with 48 balls to spare. They reached 227 for 7 in 39 overs.
Opener Avishka Fernando top-scored with 76 while one-down Bhanuka Rajapaksa contributed a 56-ball 65 to help Sri Lanka script the win.
For India, Rahul Chahar was the most successful bowler with three wickets for 54 runs.
The match was reduced to a 47-over-a-side affair after rain interruption in the first innings.
Opting to bat, India were all out for 225 in 43.1 overs. Prithvi Shaw (49), Sanju Samson (46) and Suryakumar Yadav (40) were the notable contributors but none could score big.
For Sri Lanka, Akila Dananjaya and Praveen Jayawickrama took three wickets apiece.
India have already clinched the three-match series after winning the first two matches.
Shikhar Dhawan, said, ‘It didn’t go our way. We tried some new players. We got a good start but again we lost too many wickets in the middle overs. We were 50 runs short in the end. I am glad the players made their debut because everyone was in quarantine for such a long time, and we had this chance because we sealed the series in the last game. I always analyze where I can improve and get better in strategies. Looking forward to the T20 series. Of course we were positive that we could defend the target but we knew that we were short. The boys gave a good fight and it was interesting in the end. We always have to keep learning.’
Suryakumar Yadav, Man of the Series, said, ‘I think I have been doing the same things for the last two years. Just look to keep it simple and the mantra has been working. I would have loved to make it big in the last two games, but I am learning. The atmosphere in the camp is really positive and am looking forward to the T20 series.’
Dasun Shanaka, said, ‘Congrats to India for winning the series. It was a very good series throughout and I am really happy with how we played. The bowlers showed maturity, that’s what I expect from the youngsters. I hope they will continue this in the future tours as well. When you play international cricket for long, the guys will improve and play consistently. It is a very big win for the fans. We have been waiting for very long and have won after very long against India at home. I want to thank all my players and the support staff. Actually I enjoy captaining.’