Champions Trophy: India in slam mode

Four wins in four games — that’s how commanding India have been in the Champions Trophy. The Sri Lankans haven’t been stretching their neighbours in the big matches. Somehow, they fail to bring their A game into the park against India.

Put in to bat, Sri Lanka never got going. India’s quicks, Ishant Sharma (3/33), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/18) and Umesh Yadav, kept the batsmen on a leash. At 36/3, Sri Lanka were never in the game.

Only skipper Angelo Mathews (51) and Mahela Jayawardene (38) presented a semblance of a challenge. A target of 182 was never going to be enough.

Prising out early wickets was Sri Lanka’s only hope. But Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma continue to surprise with each outing. They shared 77 for the first wicket, their fourth successive 50-plus stand in this tournament.

Both Dhawan (68) and Sharma (33) rode their luck. Dhawan was given two lives on 18 — Mathews and Sangakkara spilled fairly easy chances off Nuwan Kulasekara.

Dhawan, by and large, looked assured as he squirted the off and once cleared third man. Sharma wasted yet another start. He was bowled attempting an extravagant drive off Matthews.

Dhawan, meanwhile, raced to his 50, though he was put down again — this time by substitute Sachitra Senanayake.

He was eventually dismissed stumped, with India nearing victory. With Virat Kohli (58*) playing a chanceless innings, India were always in control.

Spare a thought for Ishant Sharma whose opening spell killed the contest.

Sharma snaffled the in-form Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne — Suresh Raina took both the catches at slip — and Sri Lanka never recovered from the early setbacks.

The rebuilding job was done by Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Mathews. Although the fourth-wicket stand fetched 78 runs, Sri Lanka were never able to accelerate.