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Lanka wrap up one day series: win third one-dayer by nine runs

World champions Sri Lanka affirmed India's misery by pulling off a nine-run win in the third and final one-day interna- tional played at the SSC grounds yesterday, to make a clean sweep of the 3-match one-day series by 3-0.

India failed to match up to Sri Lanka's total of 264, and fin- ished on 255 for 8 at the completion of the 50 overs.

India thus return home having lost five out of six one-day contests against Sri Lanka which includes two in the Asia Cup and three in the one-day series. One match played on Saturday ended in a no-re- sult, due to bad light and rain which resulted in a replay of the third day game yesterday.

India's solitary victory in the overs limited game was beating Bangladesh by nine wickets in the Asia Cup.

''The guys tried their best but nothing seems to be clicking for us. I hope these things don't happen to us in the Sahara Cup in Canada,'' said Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar. The Sahara Cup commences on September 13.

''There are many things we have learnt from this trip, and we hope to put it right by the time Sri Lankans come to us in Decem- ber,'' said Tendulkar.

Sri Lanka put into bat first based their total around vice- captain Aravinda de Silva's ninth one-day hundred.

De Silva struck seven fours in his innings of 104 scored off 117 balls which enabled Sri Lanka to recover from losing Sanath Jaya- suriya and Marvan Atapattu for three apiece.

De Silva shared in stands of 83 for the third and 82 for the fifth wickets with Roshan Mahanama and Lanka de Silva.

Mahanama scored 50 off 61 balls with five fours, and wicket- keeper Lanka de Silva hit a maiden half-century off 58 balls with three fours.

India however, struck to their task manfully to derive Sri Lanka of batting out the full quota of overs, when fast bowler Abey Ku- ruvila (4 for 43) and left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni (3 for 73) both returned their one-day best figures.

Following an opening partnership of 50 of which skipper Ten- dulkar made 39 off 32 balls with three sixes and an equal number of fours, India prospered to 221 for 4 in the 44th over.

Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin kept India's hopes alive with another fine knock of 65 off 68 balls (three fours) until he was run out in the 45th over at 227.

Azharuddin's dismissal was the last straw as Sri lanka tight- ened the screws with some brilliant fielding, and tactical bowling which has made them the top one-day side in the world.

De Silva took the 'Man of the Match' award for his century, but the 'Man of the series' award, picked by International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee John Reid, went to Sanath Jayasuriya, who also won a similar award for the short Test- series against India. Sri Lanka v India scoreboard Scoreboard in the third and final one-day internationals between India and Sri Lanka on Sunday: