India clinch series as Lankans salvage pride

Colombo: India's penchant for failing to chase down totals emerged again at Premadasa Stadium on a night of rain-conspired Duckworth-Lewis drama.

Yet, Mahendra Singh Dhoni didn't seem to be too worried after the side was bowled out for their lowest ODI total in Sri Lanka – 103 in attempting to score a revised 214 off 44 overs. After all they had won the series 3-1 before the final match of the Idea Cup series.

For Sri Lanka it was a repeat of last year's series against England, also lost 3-2, but this time Mahela Jayawardene could perhaps smile and reflect a little at how winning and losing the toss is starting to play havoc with his team's plans.

When the rain interfered with the game, India were 70-3. What followed after the resumption defied belief as the batsmen lacked focus and doubts about just how serious they were in trying to win the game.

It was an abject performance as after the resumption the batting can only be described as a disgraceful capitulation: India lost seven wickets in 7.1 overs with only 33 runs scored.

It was poor batting skills and cricket and the way India batted was not the quality expected in such conditions, giving the impression they had lost interest in the proceedings as the shuttle service between the pitch and the pavilion almost ran out of fuel.

Maybe it was a hangover from winning the series 3-1, but whatever the cause, losing the game by 112 runs is far from what should have been expected in these circumstances.

One thought though, is how throughout the limited overs series, Yuvraj Singh has battled to come to terms with Ajantha Mendis and the first bowl bowled on the night by Mendis - first of the 19th over of the truncated innings - saw the end of the left-hander. He had no clue what to expect.

From the moment Virat Kohli was trapped lbw for 31 by seamer Nuwan Kalusekara with the total at 45-2, India's efforts for survival was always a matter of time. The tourists needed batsmen to try and keep the innings together but after the rain and the D/L system came into play, it was as though India had another engagement elsewhere in the city.

In fact Kohli looked nonplussed when he was dismissed lbw – the second of four Kalusekara's wickets of the innings – and what followed was far from accomplished batting performances from the rest of the side.

Suresh Raina, who had batted so skilfully through most of the series, played a horrendous stroke to lose his wicket with a top-edged shot he will try to forget as soon as he can.

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