India takes the lead in ODI series

India beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the third ODI to take a 2-1 series lead.Gautam Gambhir cracked a century and Suresh Raina smashed a brisk 65 not out to power India to a thrilling five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third one-day international in Colombo on Saturday.Opener Gambhir hit an impressive 102 for his 11th one-day hundred and Raina hammered one six and six fours in his 45-ball knock as India achieved a stiff 287-run target with two balls to spare for a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
India needed six runs to win in the last over, bowled by seamer Angelo Mathews, Irfan Pathan (34 not out) completing the victory with a boundary off the fourth delivery in the day-night match.

Man-of-the-match Raina and Pathan added 92 off 11.1 overs.
“Gautam did really well and we needed one of the top three to put in a performance like this,” said India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“We all had belief in Raina.”

Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga bowled Dhoni and out-of-form Rohit Sharma off successive deliveries. Sharma has so far made just five runs in three matches.Wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara (73), Mathews (71 not out) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene (65) earlier hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka recover from a poor start.

“They are a quality team. I thought we played a good game but made a few mistakes,” said Jayawardene.”We bowled poorly in the end.”
Sangakkara, who scored a century in the opening match of the series, also put on 41 for the fifth wicket with Mathews before being caught by Kohli at point off Dinda in the 38th over.