Sachin, who made a masterly 138, notched up his 44^th ODI century and guided India to a massive 319 and Harbhajan did the rest picking up 5 wickets to give India a 46-run victory in the final.

“This is one of my best innings. I will rate this high considering the conditions and the ground, the humidity,” said Tendulkar, who was declared both Man of the Match and Man of the Series for his stupendous show with bat in the tournament.

Tendulkar added 95 runs with his new partner Rahul Dravid for the opening stand before adding 110 with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the second wicket. It was a flawless knock by the veteran batsman who defied cramps in his leg to keep batting.

Sachin said hostile conditions made batting difficult and he was happy to score at a time India needed him to perform. Veterans Rahul Dravid and Sanath Jayasuriya also did well in the tournament and Tendulkar said their success proved age was just a number.

“I think, more than age what really matters is how much you are able to give to the game,” he said.

Looking ahead, Tendulkar said conditions would be better in South Africa and India should do well in the Champions Trophy there. “In Champions Trophy, it will be different conditions but since we have played in tougher conditions here, it should not be a problem for us,” he said.

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara was upset with the defeat and felt the hosts should have capitalised on the flying start provided by openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Jayasuriya. “Maybe our players should have capitalised on the start. We played to a plan and could have defeated India,” he said.

Even in the defeat Sangakkara found some positives.

“The plus point of the series is that we have now got a good middle order. It’s clicking. (Chamara) Kapugedera and (Thilina) Kandamby are batting really well,” he said.

India, who were humiliated by 139 runs in the last league match which also cost them the world No.1 spot, first scored 319 for five and then bowled out Sri Lanka for 273 in 46.4 overs to settle the score.

If there were any doubts about Sachin Tendulkar having passed his prime, those were all put to rest by the little master as he scored his 44^th ODI century making 138 off just 133 balls. He played strokes all around the ground and looked at his fluent best throughout the innings. Interestingly, amidst all the debates about his retirement and him having passed his prime, this is Sachin’s 9^th hundred in the last two years and to add to that he has reached the 90’s on seven other occasions!

Dhoni won a crucial toss and decided to bat first and India were given the perfect start by the new opening pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. They added 95 runs for the first wicket in just 17.2 overs before Dravid (39) held out to Dilshan in the covers off the bowling of Jayasuriya.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni promoted himself up the order to bat at No.3 and it paid off. Sachin and Dhoni added 110 for the second wicket as they took the game away from Sri Lanka with each passing over. Dhoni scored 56 off 62 balls before he was caught by Kandamby off the bowling of Malinga.

But there was no stopping Tendulkar. He brought up his 44^th ODI century as India pushed on the scoring rate. He was eventually dismissed for a brilliant 138 off 133 balls which included 10 fours and a six, But Yuvraj made sure that the scoring didn’t stop there. He made a quick fire 56 off just 41 balls including 6 fours and a six to propel India’s total past 300.

Chasing a mammoth 320-run target, Sri Lanka got the perfect start from Tillakaratne Dilshan (42 off 29 balls) and Sanath Jayasuriya (36) before running out of steam. Down the order, the 70-run stand between Thilina Kandamby (66) and Chamara Kapugedera (35) was a mere act of defiance and not enough to turn the match on its head.

Dilshan hit 42 off 29 balls when his dismissal in the eighth over, bowled by Harbhajan Singh, triggered a dramatic collapse in which five wickets fell for the addition of 67 runs.

Off-spinner Harbhajan finished with 5-56 signaling India’s morale-boosting win ahead of the eight-nation Champions Trophy which opens in South Africa on September 22.

Brief Scores:

India 319 for 5 (Tendulkar 138, Yuvraj 56*, Dhoni 56) beat Sri Lanka 273 (Kandamby 66, Harbhajan 5-57) by 46 runs

Man of the Match: Sachin Tendulkar

Man of the Series: Sachin Tendulkar

Sri Lanka reaffirmed their dominance at home, scoring 307 with the help of some brilliant batting from Sanath Jayasuriya and Thilina Kandamby and then Angelo Matthews strangled the Indian batsmen and took wickets at regular intervals to completely thrash India in the dress rehearsal for the final which will be played on Monday.

Although India were assured of a place in the final of the tri-series, they needed to continue an unbeaten run throughout the tournament to retain their No.1 ranking which they had claimed by beating New Zealand in the first match of the series.

Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat first on a pretty good batting track. Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan gave them a perfect start adding 57 runs in just 8.4 overs before Ishant Sharma accounted for Dilshan (23) as he edged one to wicket-keeper Dhoni.

But Jayasuriya remained unperturbed as he smashed the Indian bowlers all around the ground, reaching his 50 in just 45 balls. The hosts were cruising comfortably when some brilliant glove-work from the Indian captain resulted in the wicket of Mahela Jayawardene (17) off Yusuf Pathan and then Harbhajan trapped the Sri Lankan skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, lbw for 5 as Sri Lanka slipped to 102-3.

India did look like coming back in the game at that point of time but Jayasuriya continued in his aggressive way as he put on 70 runs with Angelo Matthews (19) for the fourth wicket before he was dismissed just 2 short of what would have been his 29^th ODI century. Matthews followed soon as he was foxed by a Raina delivery and Dhoni made no mistake behind the stumps.

That brought Kandamby and Kapugedera at the crease and they batted brilliantly to take Sri Lanka to a very competitive total of 307. Kandamby in particular, batted brilliantly for his 91 off just 73 balls which included 11 boundaries while Kapugedera made 36 off 43 balls as Sri Lanka ended their innings at 307-6 off their 50 overs.

In reply, India got off to a good start with Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik looking comfortable at the crease. Sachin played with his customary ease and looked well on his way to score a big one. But Thushara accounted for Karthik (16) in the 5^th over of the innings as he gloved one to Sangakkara behind the stumps.

From there on both Tendulkar and the new man in Rahul Dravid found the going tough although the master blaster managed to find the fence in between. Tendulkar hit some elegant flicks and glances to score some boundaries before Nuwan Kulasekara got the vital wicket in the 14th over with India’s scoreboard read 67. He struck five fours in his short but classy 33-ball 27-run innings.

India’s Vice captain Yuvraj Singh made his arrival in style, smashing Kulasekara for a four-over mid-on on the very second ball that he faced but thereafter went to a shell as he played and missed Lasith Malinga on several occasions.

Boundaries were far and few as Dravid and Yuvraj kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos before the right-hander cut loose in the 19th over, hitting a four and a six of Dilshan’s consecutive deliveries to pick 13 runs off the over. But Malinga broke the dangerously-looking 38-run fourth wicket stand as Yuvraj edged one to Sangakkara.

After that the famed Indian batting line up crumbled like a pack of cards as they lost five wickets for mere 25 runs as Angelo Mathews wreaked havoc, picking up six wickets for just 20 runs in his six overs.

Suresh Raina’s misery with the bat continued as he made a duck. Dravid was the next to follow, bowled by Mathews as the right-hander went for an extravagant drive. In his next over and innings 28th, Mathews struck twice, first castling skipper Dhoni’s stumps and then Yusuf Pathan handed a regulation catch to Sangakkara, thereby dashing India’s hopes, with the scoreboard reading 130 for seven. Mathews’ rampage continued as he disturbed both Harbhajan Singh and Asish Nehra’s timbers.

The duo of RP Singh (19 not out) and Ishant Sharma (13) did make a last ditch effort to take India’s score to some respectability by adding 29 runs before Ajantha Mendis wrapped up the proceedings.

The final will be played in Colombo on Monday.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka 307 for 6 (Jayasuriya 98, Kandamby 91*) beat India 168 (Dravid 47, Mathews 6-20) by 139 runs

Man of the Match: Angelo Matthews

With the destructive Virender Sehwag and speedster Zaheer Khan already not in the team due to injuries, the Indian squad has been further depleted with an injury to their in-form opener Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir will be returning home after straining his groin muscle during practice and has been advised rest for ten days. Young Delhi middle order batsman Virat Kohli has been named as his replacement.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni conceded that it is a big loss to the Indian team. He went on to add that the team would definitely miss Gautam Gambhir and revealed that Dinesh Karthik will replace him as the opener in the Compaq Cup tri-series. Dinesh Karthik will be opening the innings with Sachin Tendulkar.

“Dinesh Karthik will open tomorrow because he is doing well in the net sessions, and also because we do not have a replacement right now,” Dhoni said on the eve of India’s tournament opener.

“Dinesh has done that job in the West Indies and has done well for us in Test series also. Definitely he will open tomorrow,” he said. “Our best opener Sachin Tendulkar is also there.”

Dhoni said Gambhir picked up the injury during the BCCI Corporate Trophy but nothing could be done about that.

“I think it was during the corporate tournament (that he picked up the injury), if I am not wrong. But I think in the batting session it got aggravated,” Dhoni said. “So that is a big blow of course as he has really done well for us in the past one-and-half years.”

“You can take precautions against injury. You can train yourself not to get injured. But once you get an injury you cannot do much about it. So we are expecting he gets fit before the Champions Trophy and that we have a replacement,” Dhoni said. “Of course we will miss Gautam Gambhir but nothing can be done about it. It is for the player who replaces him and takes up the responsibility.”

Gambhir’s absence would definitely put added responsibility on senior players like Sachin Tendulkar but the real pressure would be on comeback man Rahul Dravid to rise up to the occasion and Dhoni said that Dravid would bat at number three and not be promoted to open the innings.

“Rahul is an ideal batsman for number three, particularly in these conditions and if we bat in the evening it would be a very demanding situation,” Dhoni said. “Dravid is one batsman who has proved that you need him when the bowl moves or seams. More often than not he will be batting at number three.”

“If the overs are cut short because of rains and if we need to accelerate, then we reshuffle the order. We have done this in the past by not resorting to one fixed batting order but under normal circumstances Rahul will bat at number three,” Dhoni said.

Interestingly, Dhoni made it clear that though Virat Kohli has been flown in from India in place of Gambhir, he would stick with Karthik as the opener.

“We will see how Dinesh does in the series. I think it is unfair to give an individual just one game to prove himself,” Dhoni said. “Personally I feel Virat Kohli is not an opening batsman. Last time when we came here, Sehwag got injured during a practice session and Virat had to open and he did very well for us. But it is unfair to push a newcomer for the role.”

“I would prefer Dinesh to open and give an opportunity to Virat Kohli where he fits and he has most chances of performing. This is a very short series,” he said.

India would become the number one ODI team if Dhoni’s men win the title but the stumper was not ready to let it become a distraction.

“Ranking and rating take care of themselves. We are just concentrating on the part which is under our control and that is playing and performing on the field and adapting to the situation. The conditions are different. We have got the potential and the talent and we just need to perform according to our potential and talent,” he said.

Dhoni also said that the players are happy to be back to international cricket after a two-month break. Asked whether the players would be fresh or rusty due to the break, Dhoni quipped in his customary style, “Depends on the match result. The way you want to take it. If you lose the first game you are rusty and if you win the first game you are fresh.”

“If you see the kind of effort that has been put in by the team not only in the two days but in the Corporate Trophy, everybody was playing at his best and giving 100 per cent on the field. So that is a good sign”, Dhoni said.

“I am really not worried about what people will say about us — whether we are rusty or fresh. If you want to make a judgment, it should be made before the result. Definitely the energy level is up. The interest and intensity is up. So definitely that is good sign,” he added.

“Obviously missing players like Sehwag is huge. He is a high quality player and any team would love to have him in their mix. We have got a lot of depth in our cricket at the moment,” Kirsten told reporters in a pre-departure press conference here.

The Indians left for the island nation on Wednesday to play in the series that has New Zealand as the third team. The coach said the team can draw inspiration from its past record in Sri Lanka to make a clean-sweep, which would catapult it to the top of the ICC one-day rankings.

“We have done well in Sri Lanka in January this year. We won the series 4-1. We are familiar with the conditions there. But we know we are playing against two very good cricket teams,” he said. “We have been performing well and we need to maintain our performance. We know that every day and against every team, we have got to be lot better and make sure that we are always on top. We go to Sri Lanka with confidence. We certainly do not look at the result of the past but think ahead.”

When Asked who would be given the opening slot with Gautam Gambhir, Kirsten said that it would be decided once the team reaches Sri Lanka. “We are not sure as to what the combination is going to be in Sri Lanka. We will decide on the match day,” he said.

The South African was also excited about India’s middle-order mainstay Rahul Dravid’s comeback and said the team would benefit from his vast experience. “It is good to have him in the team. With that sort of experience, he is always going to help the team. It is wonderful to have him back in the squad,” he said.

Kirsten said winning the toss would be crucial on Sri Lankan pitches which are known to be harsh on teams batting second. “Winning the toss is quite important. But if you are going to be a world class team and a champion side at that, you need to win from any situation or condition. We are not going to look at that as an excuse.”

On whether the players would be rotated during the series, Kirsten said they would be looking to give exposure to the younger players.

“We have tremendous depth in our team. Some of the younger players have proven their worth and are capable of cementing their places in the team. We will continue with that and wherever possible we need to give opportunity to them to play. It is important to give them as much exposure as possible especially leading up to World Cup. We will continue to do that but obviously the most important thing is that we need to win more games of cricket,” Kirsten said.

The Indian team is coming off the back of a six-week break before this series and Kirsten said having the Corporate Trophy, where most of the top players competed, just a few days before the series has ensured that the players won’t turn up rusty in Sri Lanka.

“Obviously, it was good to have had the Corporate Cup now. It is important to play some matches after a six-week break and it is important for the players to get strong again. We worked hard in the camp to make sure that the players are in good condition for another eight months. I am very happy and excited about what I have seen of them. Corporate Cup was important for many players to get some game. I think that the way the tournament is scheduled a few weeks before a very big tournament is good. Some players were a bit rusty but they had some games in the Corporate Cup,” he said.

New Zealand is being seen as the weakest side in the tournament but Kirsten said the Kiwis are a competitive unit especially with comeback-man Shane Bond being a huge factor.

“It is a very good cricket team. They have done well in one-day cricket. They have some powerful hitters in the bottom line and fairly stable. That is what you want in international cricket and New Zealand is a competitive team. Shane Bond is a great asset to the New Zealand team. He has not played cricket for a while but he is a great asset. Anyone, who bowls at that pace, can be a factor,” Kitsten pointed out.

On whether the team is feeling the pressure of expectations due to the improving international results, Kirsten said the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led outfit is used to coping with the pressure.

“When you become one of the best teams in the world there is pressure involved and there is expectancy around that. If you are going to remain as the best and going to be there for a long time, you need to handle that expectancy well in that pressure. I think we are comfortable being in that position,” he said.

Kirsten also lauded the team’s batting performance in the season so far and said the middle-order has become especially strong.

“One exciting thing about the Indian cricket team is that we have great batting line up. We have exceptionally talented players and some very experienced players as well. I guess, it is only to work out what is the best combination that could be given on any given day. But, we are flexible in the middle order. We would like to mix it up little bit there. Try few different combinations. I feel that is the best way to do it. We would like to remain flexible”, Kirsten said.

Asked about the team’s targets for the season ahead, Kirsten said becoming number one is one of the top aims.

“We have set our targets as to what we have to achieve in the next eight months. Certainly, one of them is to become the best team in the World. We are heading that way and are very excited on the way that we have gone about our business to get to that position,” he said. “We know that if we continue with as hard as we do in terms of our training and how we set our sights for games, we have the best chances of reaching there. We continue with that quest to be the best in the world.”

Thilan Samaraweera (104) scored his first one day international century to take the hosts to a total of 216 for 7. Defending a modest total, Sri Lankan bowlers put in a brilliant display with Lasith Malinga being the chief destroyer picking up 4 for 28 in 6.1 overs. Sri Lanka earned a bonus point for their comprehensive win and that may prove to be crucial considering that it is a very short tournament.

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first on a slow and low wicket. And they were in trouble right from the beginning losing the in-form Dilshan in the very first over. He was clean bowled by Tuffey for just 4. The downslide continued as wickets kept falling regularly and the Lankans found themselves struggling at 69-5 in 25.3 overs.

That’s when the pair of Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Matthews came together. They put on a 6^th wicket stand of 127 runs to pull Sri Lanka out of the pit. Angelo Matthews made a brilliant 51 off just 60 balls which included four boundaries. He was eventually dismissed with Sri Lanka at 196-6 in the 48^th over.

But, the star of the day was Thilan Samaraweera. Coming on the back of some brilliant performances in the test series, Samaraweera continued his purple patch with a masterful innings of 104 off 124 balls which included 10 boundaries. He was dismissed in the 49^th over as he missed a straight delivery from Ian Butler and saw his stumps get rattled. Shane Bond, on his return to ODI cricket, was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand with figures of 3 for 43.

Chasing 217 to win, New Zealand never really got going in their innings. They were bowled out for a humiliating 119 with Grant Elliot being the only batsman to put up any sort of resistance. He made 41 off 76 balls and tried to stay at the crease. Ian Butler came in at the end to make 25 off 38 balls but the game was already over by then.

For Sri Lanka, every bowler chipped in but it was Lasith Malinga who hurt New Zealand the most. He dismissed Brendan McCullum, Jacob Oram and Nathan McCullum in the same over to leave New Zealand tottering at 41-6 and almost put them out of the game.

Malinga was ably supported by the No.1 bowler in ODI rankings, Nuwan Kulasekara. He finished with figures of 2 for 18 off his 6 overs. Thilan Thushanra, too, bowled a brilliant spell at the start of the innings. He didn’t give the New Zealand batsman any opportunities to get away as his figures suggest. He ended with figures of 6-1-5-1.

Vettori now has a few days to raise his players’ morale. It will be difficult after such a comprehensive defeat, especially against India. New Zealand’s next game – and potentially last – game is on Friday. They can, at best, hope to look forward to a new pitch!

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka 216 for 7 (Samaraweera 104, Mathews 51, Bond 3-43) beat New Zealand 119 (Elliott 41, Malinga 4-28) by 97 runs

Man of the Match: Thilan Samaraweera

New Zealand received a drubbing at the hands of the Lankans in the test series where they lost 2-0. But they managed to lift themselves up and came back to win both the Twenty20 matches. Now the players from both the sides have to quickly adjust again to the 50-over format as the tri-series kicks off today with New Zealand taking on Sri Lanka.

“We were disappointed with the Test matches but the way we came back (in Twenty20) was significant and gave us a lot of confidence,” said Kiwi vice-captain Brendan McCullum. “The new guys coming in and the ones from the Tests did fantastically well. All in all, the team is shaping up pretty well at the moment and hopefully we start well in the first one-dayer.”

McCullum and Jesse Ryder have been in good nick and the burly left-hander in fact went on to win the Man of the Series award because of his sterling show in both the Twenty20 matches. The win has given the Kiwis so much confidence that they believe they have sorted out the enigma called Ajantha Mendis.

“He’s going to be a tough proposition in the one-dayers, but the guys have played him pretty well. If we can negate his ability to tear through batting line-ups, that will set us up to be a bit more aggressive later on,” McCullum added.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is coming on the back of twin defeats and captain Kumar Sangakkara has told his teammates that he was far from happy.

“Apart from that we gave it our all, I have to say they outplayed us,” the Lankan captain said after the Twenty20 defeats. “Our batting unit needs to start firing,” he added, placing the onus on the inconsistent willow-wielders.

From Indian point of view, the tri-series provides Dhoni and his men an opportunity to win their first final in a multination event here in 11 years. India had last won the final of a major one-day event on Lankan soil in 1998 and then shared the rain-marred ICC Champions Trophy with the hosts in 2002.

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (c), Shane Bond,Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (c), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan, Gihan Rupasinghe, Thilan Thushara, Isuru Udana and Mahela Udawatte.

India have the opportunity to clinch their first final in a multi-nation event in almost 11 years in Sri Lanka when they take on the hosts and New Zealand in the tri-series at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo.

India had last won the final of a major one-day event on Lankan soil in 1998 and then shared the rain-marred ICC Champions Trophy with the hosts in 2002. In 1998, the team helped by centuries from openers Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly defeated the home side, led by another ex-player Arjuna Ranatunga and clinched the Singer-Akai Nidahas Trophy. Incidentally that tri-series also featured New Zealand.

Since then India have participated in five multi-nation tournaments (excluding the abandoned Unitech Cup in 2006) but have failed to break the jinx. They have finished on the losing side to the hosts on all other occasions.

The team emerged joint winners in two tournaments -ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and the 2003 TVS Cup in Bangladesh – by sharing the top prize with Lanka and South Africa respectively. On seven occasions, India have finished runners-up, while crashing out of the tournament thrice in the league stage itself.

However, skipper Dhoni’s team has gradually gained a reputation of not being bogged down by history and past baggage. What will boost the squad’s morale further is that three of their five recent series triumphs have come against the two opponents it will face in the tri series. India have not only defeated Sri Lanka in their own backyard twice in the past two years, but also humiliated the Kiwis in New Zealand earlier this year.

A win in the tri-series will not only add another feather to Dhoni’s cap, but may also go a long way in making people forget the horrors of the Twenty20 World Cup in England where India crashed out before even reaching the semis.