Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni constructed an unbroken 157-run stand to help India beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the third ODI match in Pallekelle on Sunday.
With this win, India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series with the final two games scheduled to be played in Colombo.
Sharma slammed his 12th ODI century along with Dhoni who posted his 65th half-century to chase down a target of 218 after seamer Jasprit Bumrah took his career-best figures of 5 for 27 to restrict Sri Lanka to 217 for 9 in 50 overs.
Angry, unruly home fans threw empty water bottles onto the field and to delay play for more than 30 minutes as players walked off with India needing eight runs to win.
Earlier, Lasith Malinga and Vishwa Fernando hurt India’s reply dismissing Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli cheaply, leaving the visitors at 2 down for just 19 runs. Sharma and KL Rahul, added a 42-run partnership before spinner Akila Dananjaya who mesmerized the Indians in the previous game tempted Rahul to go aerial and hole out to deep mid-wicket and caught Kedhar Jadav plumb in front in his first two overs as the visitors were tottering at 61 for 4.
Earlier in the afternoon, stand-in captain Chamara Kapugedara won the toss and elected to bat first. Niroshan Dickwella survived a leg-before-decision but two balls later, was caught plumb off Bumrah and Kusal Mendis edged to second slip with Rohit Sharma completing a neat catch diving to his right as Bumrah struck early twice.
Dinesh Chandimal who came in for injured Danushka Gunathilaka made a 71-ball 36 before perishing for a short delivery off Hardik Pandya.
Chandimal was later ruled out for the rest of the series due to a hairline fracture on his right thumb after a Pandya bouncer caught him on the glove, as he attempted to work the ball towards the leg side while he was on 25.
Lahiru Thirimanna who came in for suspended regular skipper Upul Tharanga scored a 105-ball 80 on his first ODI match since January, 2016 to anchor the Lankan innings and give some respect to the final score. His 72-run stand for the third wicket alongside Chandimal was the lone bright spot in the innings after the latter opened the batting after five years.
Former skipper Angelo Mathews was trapped LBW while attempting a reverse sweep off Jadav while Kapugedara was castled by Axar Patel as the disappointing display of batting by the Lankan middle order continued this series.
Milinda Siriwardana, who sparkled in the previous game, once again started off in fine fashion but Bumrah ended his stay after a short rain break to complete his five-wicket haul.
