Zaheer and Praveen to the fore

Zaheer Khan is mobbed after claiming the prized scalp of Kumar Sangakkara

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Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar demolished Sri Lanka's top order with four early wickets to set up India's 33-run victory in the third one-day international in Colombo.

Chasing India's total of 237 for nine, the hosts were plunged into early trouble for the second game running as Zaheer (3-23) and Praveen (2-62) produced stunning new-ball spells.

Sri Lanka's hopes were all but dashed when they were 40 for four and, although captain Mahela Jayawardene contributed a valiant 94, his team's early collapse proved too much to overcome as they were bowled out for 204.

It was the second game running that the Sri Lanka top order had failed – they slipped to 75 for five en route to a three-wicket defeat in Dambulla on Wednesday – and leaves India 2-1 up in the five-match series.

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had laid the foundations for victory by winning a crucial toss and then top-scoring with 76.

Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma chipped in with 53 and 32 respectively as India recovered from 91 for four to post a competitive 237 for nine.

Jayawardene had reckoned at the toss that his team could successfully chase a score of 250, but his plans went awry when Zaheer and Praveen struck in tandem.

Sanath Jayasuriya was caught behind by Dhoni as he attempted to cut Praveen, and Kumar Sangakkara was trapped leg before by Zaheer, who also got rid of Chamara Silva in similar fashion courtesy of a delivery that nipped back.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raini lead the recovery operation for India in Colombo

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Praveen picked up his second wicket when he had Chamara Kapugedera lbw and, though Tillakaratne Dilshan hit Praveen for consecutive boundaries in the 11th over, he was soon sent back for 16, edging Munaf Patel behind.

Jayawardene and Thilan Thushara shared an 81-run stand for the eighth wicket to maintain Sri Lanka’s faint hopes, but Zaheer returned to end the home resistence by bowling Thushara for 30.

Munaf claimed the final wicket, that of a tired Jayawardene, to finish with 3-42.

Earlier, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir put on 39 for the first wicket for India, but the former was run out for 25 attempting to pinch a single to Silva at mid-off.

Gambhir departed shortly after, lbw to Nuwan Kulasekara, and Yuvraj Singh and Subramaniam Badrinath also fell cheaply.

However, Raina and Dhoni hauled India back as they rebuilt the innings with a 54-run stand for the fifth wicket and, after Raina was run out, Sharma’s cameo helped carry India beyond 200.

Spinner Ajantha Mendis, who conceded 55 runs in his first nine overs, picked up the wickets of Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh to return figures of 3-56.