Asia Cup: India record 50-run win over Sri Lanka

DHAKA: India defeated Sri Lanka by 50 runs in the second day-night match of the Asia Cup one-day tournament here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a huge target of 305 runs, Sri Lanka took the challenge in a brave manner as their two main batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara posed threat for India.

Jayawardene hit a brilliant 78 from 59 balls with ten fours and two sixes while Sangakkara played a patient innings of 65 from 87 balls with only two fours and a six.

At one stage, Sri Lanka needed 109 runs in 15 overs with eight wickets remaining but then the collapse began as Indian bowlers dominated the scene.

Irfan Pathan was the most successful bowler with four for 32 while Vinay Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed three wickets each.

Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli smashed centuries to help India pile up a huge total of 304 for three in 50 overs after Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and chose to field.

Kohli scored a solid 120-ball 108 and left-handed opener Gambhir a 118-ball 100, each hitting seven boundaries.

Interestingly, each of them completed his tenth hundred in one-day international cricket.

It was Kohli's second successive hundred against Sri Lanka, having made an unbeaten 133 at Hobart in a recent triangular one-day series in Australia.

The pair added 205 runs which was a new Asia Cup record for the second wicket partnership. The previous record was 198, set by Virender Sehwag and Suraish Raina, also from India, against Pakistan at Karachi in 2008.

Both reached their centuries in the 42nd over before both falling in the next over off seamer Farveez Maharoof as they bid to step up the run-rate.

Gambhir, dropped on 36 by Dinesh Chandimal at long-on off, made the most of the chance and hit seven fours, while Kohli also struck the same number of boundaries.

Later, captain Mahinder Singh Dhoni and Suraish Raina plundered 78 runs off the last 7.1 overs, with Dhoni smashing a 26-ball 46 not out and Suresh Raina an unbeaten 30 off just 17 balls.

Pacemen Maharoof and Suranga Lakmal were the only wicket-takers for Bangladesh, with two for 57 and one for 67.

Tendulkar, chasing an elusive 100th international century, could make only six runs before pushing a Suranga Lakmal full-toss straight to skipper Mahela Jayawardene in the covers.