Rohit ton powers India to win

Rohit Sharma hammered his second successive ODI century as India crushed Sri Lanka by seven wickets in its second match and put its campaign back on track in the cricket tri-series here on Sunday.

Chasing 243, India made a rather slow start and lost both its openers inside 10 overs before one-down Virat Kohli (82) and Rohit (101 not out) resurrected the innings to help India romp home with 6.3 overs to spare at the Queens Sports Club.

Earlier, the tidy Indian bowlers produced a disciplined effort to bundle out Sri Lanka for 242 after captain Suresh Raina had opted to field.

Sunday's win also marked Raina's first victory as captain.

Coming together in the 10th over, Kohli and Rohit added 154 runs from 168 balls for the third wicket to take the game away from Sri Lanka.

Rohit, who hit 114 against Zimbabwe in India's first match though for a lost cause, hit six fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 100-ball knock, his second ODI century in his 44th match.

He got superb support from Kohli whose 82 came from 92 balls with the help of four boundaries.

After opening bowler Nuwan Kulasekara and Ajantha Mendis achieved early success by removing Murali Vijay (14) and Dinesh Karthik (18) respectively, the Sri Lankan bowlers were left high and dry with Kohli and Rohit stamping their authority.

The duo initially dealt mostly in singles with occasional boundaries before opening up later on. They also did not allow the asking rate to jump over five.

Rohit took 60 balls to reach his fifty which came of a single off Mendis in the 28th over and Kohli reached his seventh half-century an over later with a single off Dilhara Fernando.

Kohli, however, perished in the 38th over while trying to finish the game early. He came down the track to play a lofted shot off a Suraj Randiv delivery only to hole out to long-on fielder Fernando.

When Kohli fell, India needed just 42 runs from more than 12 overs and Rohit ensured that it wrapped up the match without any hiccup.

Rohit took a four off Mendis in the 43rd over to reach his second successive ODI century while Raina hit the winning runs in the next over.

India, which lost its opening match against Zimbabwe on Friday, plays the host again in its next match on Thursday at the Harare Sports Club.

Sri Lanka: U. Tharanga (run out) 1 (2b), T. Dilshan (run out) 61 (84b, 4x4, 1x6), T. Samaraweera st. Karthik b Ojha 19 (24b, 2x4), A. Mathews b Yadav 75 (95b, 2x4, 2x6), C. Kapugedera c Vijay b Jadeja 20 (48b), C. Silva lbw b Jadeja 5 (5b, 1x4), T. Perera c Raina b Ojha 32 (23b, 2x4, 1x6), N. Kulasekara b Dinda 19 (14b, 1x4, 1x6), S. Randiv (run out) 1 (2b), D. Fernando (not out) 0 (0b), A. Mendis b Dinda 2 (2b); Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-3): 7; Total (in 49.5 overs): 242.

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-39, 3-97, 4-150, 5-156, 6-204, 7-226, 8-239, 9-240.

India bowling: Yadav 10-1-61-1, Dinda 9.5-0-44-2, Ojha 10-0-44-2, Mishra 10-0-40-0, Jadeja 10-1-49-2.

India: D. Kartik c sub b Mendis 18 (26b, 3x4), M. Vijay lbw b Kulasekara 14 (20b, 1x4), V. Kohli c Fernando b Randiv 82 (92b, 4x4), Rohit Sharma (not out) 101 (100b, 6x4, 2x6), S. Raina (not out) 24 (23b, 3x4); Extras (lb-1, w-3): 4; Total (for three wkts. in 43.3 overs): 243.

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-47, 3-201.

Sri Lanka bowling: Kulasekara 9-1-34-1, Fernando 8.3-0-58-0, Mendis 10-0-64-1, Randiv 9-0-51-1, Perera 7-0-35-0.