Seamers take the plaudits

Zaheer Khan removes Kumar Sangakkara en route to superb figures of 3-23

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India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni paid tribute to opening bowlers Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar after they set up a 33-run win over Sri Lanka in the third one-day international.

Dhoni admitted he felt his side had not scored enough after they posted a target of 237 for nine, but Zaheer (3-23) and Kumar (2-62) soon allayed those fears with stunning new-ball spells in Colombo.

The pair combined to reduce Sri Lanka to 40 for four and give the tourists a strong grip on the game.

That hold was loosened slightly following an 81-run stand for the eighth wicket between captain Mahela Jayawardene (94) and Thilan Thushara (30), but Zaheer returned to the attack with immediate effect to bowl Thushara with a yorker.

Munaf Patel then removed Jayawardene as the Sri Lanka recovery mission finally ran out of steam to ensure India take a 2-1 lead into the fourth game of the five-match series.

"We played an extra batsman in this game and I thought we were 15 to 20 runs short because you need that extra when your part-time bowlers get hit for runs," said Dhoni, who was named man of the match after he contributed a valuable 76 from 80 balls.

"It was a good track to bat on. There wasn't much for the bowlers, although the new ball did a bit and Zaheer and Praveen bowled really well. They helped us maintain the pressure.

Chamara Kapugedera becomes Praveen Kumar's second wicket as Sri Lanka's pursuit falters

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"But in the end, Sri Lanka got that partnership and then it went right down to the wire."

Jayawardene was left to reflect on another top-order collapse, which ultimately cost his side victory.

Following their three-wicket defeat in Dambulla on Wednesday, Jayawardene pinpointed the need for a bigger contribution from his established batsmen.

"We made a few mistakes upfront while batting and that cost us the game," Jayawardene said. "It's not much fun when you lose a match.

"The ball spun a bit towards the end, but it was a good wicket to bat on.

"The new ball does tend to do a bit under lights, but once you get through that batting is a lot more easy.

"I think it was a gettable target, but we probably leaked a few runs because we attacked a bit at the start."

Jayawardene praised Thushara for his role in their doughty stand, adding: "Thushara and the others are getting some good experience in these games and the development part has been really good. It's just that we need to be consistent."