Pathan bowls India to Twenty20 win

Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan produced another match-winning performance as the visitors beat Sri Lanka by 39 runs in the one-off Twenty20 international at Pallakele on Tuesday.

Pathan, whose five for 61 helped India win the fifth one-day international on Saturday, took three for 27 runs to break the back of the Sri Lankan batting.

Sri Lanka never recovered from that early setback and were dismissed for a disappointing 116 runs in 18 overs in reply to India's moderate total of 155 for three.

Pathan gave India the ideal start by shattering the stumps of Tillakaratne Dilshan for a duck and then went onto dismiss Upul Tharanga for five and Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene for 26.

Although Sri Lanka fought back through contributions from Lahiru Thirimanne (20) and Angelo Mathews (31), India kept picking up wickets at regular intervals to peg their rivals down.

Fast bowler Ashok Dinda brought a swift end to the Sri Lankan innings by capturing three wickets in his third over to end with four for 19.

India's batting was dominated again by the inform Virat Kohli who scored his maiden Twenty20 half-century.

Kohli's exquisite batting brought him 68 runs off 48 balls including 11 fours and one six.

He shared a partnership of 74 with Ajinkya Rahane (21) and one of 48 with Suresh Raina who finished on 34 not out.

Shamind Eranga was Sri Lanka's best bowler with two for 30.

India also won the five-match one-day series 4-1 to complete their short tour on a high note.

Scoreboard

India
 G.Gambhir b Eranga                 6
 A.Rahane c and b Mendis           21
 V.Kohli c Thirimanne b Eranga     68
 S.Raina not out                   34
 M.Dhoni not out                   16
 Extras: lb-7, w-3)                10
 Total: (three wickets, 20 overs) 155
 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-81, 3-129.
 Did not bat: R Sharma, M Tiwary, I Pathan, R Ashwin, U Yadav, A Dinda.
 Bowling:
 Mathews 3-0-23-0, Eranga 4-0-30-2 (w-2), Malinga 4-0-31-0 (w-1), Perera 4-0-34-0, Herath 3-0-17-0, Mendis 2-0-13-1.

Sri Lanka innings
 M.Jayawardene lbw b Pathan         26
 T.Dilshan     b Pathan              0
 U.Tharanga c Raina b Pathan         5
 L.Thirimanne b Ashwin              20
 A.Mathews c Dhoni b Dinda          31
 J.Mendis c Rahane b Yadav          11
 D.Chandimal c Kohli b Dinda         7
 T.Perera run out                    1
 S.Eranga c Ashwin b Dinda           6
 L.Malinga c Dhoni b Dinda           0
 R.Herath not out                    0
 Extras: lb-2, w-7)                  9
 Total: (all out, 18 overs)        116
 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-14, 3-35, 4-68, 5-96, 6-100, 7-102, 8-116, 9-116, 10-116.   
 Bowling:
 Pathan 4-0-27-3 (w-3), Yadav 3-0-24-1 (w-2), Dinda 3-1-19-4, Kohli 3-0-13-0, Sharma 1-0-9-0 (w-1), Ashwin 4-0-22-1 (w-1)

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