NEW DELHI: Just when the Sri Lankan run chase was gaining momentum, Praveen Kumar dismissed their captain Mahela Jayawardene to reduce the hosts to 118/3 in 18.2 overs in the third ODI in Colombo on Tuesday.
Jayawardene tried to hit a delivery over mid-off but didn't time it properly and Virender Sehwag just took a couple of steps behind to grab the all important wicket of the Sri Lankan captain.
Jayawardene added 67 runs for the third wicket with his deputy Kumar Sangakkara.
Sangakkara and Jayawardene completed the 50-run partnership off just 41 balls keeping their team in the hunt for the huge victory target.
Sangakkara reached his 46th ODI fifty off 48 balls with the help of six fours and Jayawardene hit four fours in his 32-ball 30.
When he reached 18 with an inside out shot over the covers for four off Ishant Sharma, Jayawardene became the fourth Sri Lankan to complete 8000 ODI runs.
The resurrection act came after Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan dismissed Tillakaratne Dilshan to reduce Sri Lanka to 51/2 in 8.4 overs.
Zaheer cramped Dilshan for room who tried to free his arms by pulling the delivery from outside off to mid-wicket but ended up edging it onto his stumps. The Lankan opener hit four fours and a six in his 26-ball 30.
This was after Sri Lanka got off to a disastrous start as Praveen Kumar dismissed Sanath Jayasuriya for a duck.
The Meerut medium pacer made the early inroad on the first ball of the second over of the Lankan run chase when Jayasuriya looked to cut a delivery that was too close to his body and ended up edging it onto his stumps.
The huge Indian total of 363/5 in 50 overs was powered by centuries from Yuvraj Singh (117) and Virender Sehwag (116) and late big-hitting by all-rounder Yusuf Pathan (59).
Pathan reached his 2nd ODI fifty off just 33 balls and remained not out on 59 with the help of 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni seemed content in taking singles early in his innings and his score of 35 off 45 balls contained only one boundary.
This is the third time that India has scored more than 300 runs against Sri Lanka on their soil. No other team has achieved the feat.
Muthiah Muralitharan failed to break Wasim Akram's world record of 502 ODI wickets as he finished his quota of 10 overs with only one wicket.
Earlier, Ajantha Mendis had Suresh Raina stumped by Kumar Sangakkara to reduce India to 280/5 in 39 overs.
Mendis made Raina (9) come down the pitch giving the ball a bit of air, Raina charged but failed to connect with the ball that spun away for Sangakkara to do the rest.
Raina's dismissal came after India lost centurions Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag in space of three overs.
Sehwag was run out by Sanath Jayasuriya with a direct hit from mid-off after scoring 116 runs off 90 balls with 17 hits to the fence.
Shortly before that, Sri Lankan off spin genius Muthiah Muralitharan put an end to Yuvraj's magnificent innings to equal Wasim Akram's world record of 502 ODI wickets.
Murali had Yuvraj caught by his captain Mahela Jayawardene at cover point after the dashing southpaw scored 117 runs off 95 balls with the help 17 fours and a six and added 221 runs with Sehwag for the third wicket.
Yuvraj reached his 11th ODI century, his first against Sri Lanka, off just 82 balls.
Sehwag reached his 10th ODI hundred off 76 balls and was studded with 15 boundaries.
India took the batting powerplay as soon as both the bowling powerplays ended to continue inflict misery on the Sri Lankan bowlers.
No Sri Lankan bowler was spared as both Sehwag and Yuvarj scored at almost eight runs per over.
The partnership came after India lost Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar in quick succession.
Gambhir followed Sachin back into the pavilion as he was unlucky to get out after Dilhara Fernando's hand touched the ball on the follow through and hit the stumps at the bowlers end.
Dilhara Fernando gave a denting blow to India early on as he trapped Sachin in front of the wicket after Indian skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first.
Sachin once again became umpire's victim as the ball was visibly going down the leg side. Sachin has also been a victim of poor umpiring decisions in the previous two matches.