India are Champions of Asia
India picked up their first Asia Cup title in 15 years as four wickets from Ashish Nehra and a measured half-century from Dinesh Karthik helped them secure an emphatic 81-run win over Sri Lanka in Dambulla.
Zaheer Khan and Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with two wickets apiece as the bowlers capitalised on an impressive batting performance of 268 for six to see India over the line with ease.
Needing 269 to win, the home side's top order crumbled in the face of strong Indian bowling and fielding. Despite a valiant unbeaten half-century from Chamara Kapugedera, the Lions were bundled out for 187 with 5.2 overs left.
Sri Lanka were off to a disappointing start, losing Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over, caught at mid on off Praveen Kumar. Their worries were compounded in the eighth over when Upul Tharanga was clean bowled by a fine in-swinger from Khan.
Skipper Kumar Sangakkara kept things stable for a while, but the home side were rocked twice in the 14th over as Nehra prompted two caught behinds in the space of three deliveries - Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews his victims.
And Nehra picked up a third wicket in his very next over, Sangakkara succumbing to the pressure and popping an easy catch to mid-on to exit for 17.
Thilina Kandamby (31) and Chamara Kapugedera (55no) managed to work together for a 53-run sixth-wicket stand, but poor calling between the wickets resulted in an horrific mix up, leaving Kandamby run out.
Kapugedera smashed Nehra for a huge six to reach his fifty, giving the Lions faint hope of a dramatic comeback, but eventually ran out of partners, leaving Sri Lanka well short of their target.
Earlier in the day, having won the toss and elected to bat, Karthik steered the Indian innings well, but some attacking bowling by the hosts in the latter overs pegged the score back.
Openers Gautam Gambhir and Karthik provided a decent start, maintaining a run-rate of six an over before Gambhir was run out for 15 while attempting a quick third run.
Karthik reached his fifth one-day fifty in 51 deliveries with a well-placed boundary off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
Virat Kohli smashed four boundaries in his 28, before being caught behind to end a 62-run second-wicket stand.
Karthik then fell to the lure of the big shot off the bowling of spinner Kandamby and lobbed a simple catch to Jayawardene at deep square leg.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni held the innings together with a patient 38 from 50 balls, but ended up being Kandamby's second victim when he was brilliantly caught at backward point by Nuwan Kulasekara.
Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina together put on 50 runs for the fifth wicket but, following a quickfire 29 off 31 balls, Raina was then trapped leg before wicket by a trademark Lasith Malinga yorker.
Sharma eventually fell in the 48th over, caught at short fine leg, as India finished up their innings on 268 for six.
Prime Minister congratulates cricket team for Asia Cup victory
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today congratulated the Indian cricket team for winning the Asia Cup after a gap of 15 years.
India yesterday overwhelmed the hosts Sri Lanka by 81 in the final to win the four-nation tournament in Dambulla.
"The players displayed team spirit and fighting qualities in bringing laurels to the country," he said.
India had last won the Asia Cup in 1995 under Mohammed Azharuddin in Sharjah.
Teams
Sri Lanka: TM Dilshan, WU Tharanga, KC Sangakkara (Captain & WK), DPMD Jayawardene, CK Kapugedera, SHT Kandamby, AD Mathews, MF Maharoof, KMDN Kulasekara, SL Malinga, M Muralitharan
India: G Gambhir, KD Karthik, SK Raina, MS Dhoni (Captain & WK), RG Sharma, V Kohli, RA Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, P Kumar, Z Khan, A Nehra
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