India’s feted openers did not cause significant damage and the inexperienced middle order succumbed to old failings, but their bowling allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin showed admirable poise to steer a wobbly chase home. Virat Kohli’s authoritative 77 set the agenda, but India began to falter when he had cramps around the mid-point of the innings. His exit, run out while attempting a hopeless single, left India’s lower order 53 tricky runs to get. Ashwin and Jadeja did the rest, braving the Lasith Malinga threat and the epidemic of nerves that had blighted the middle order.

For some reason Sri Lanka did not go hard enough at India after Kohli’s fall. Malinga, who yorked the stumps with a slingshot throw from mid-on to catch a diving Kohli short in the 36th over, had four overs left. Mahela Jayawardene brought his trump card on quickly, but didn’t provide him with the attacking fields the situation demanded. Malinga was off after two quick overs that were handled well, and by the time he returned for the 45th over, India needed only 17 more. It was too late - Ashwin and Jadeja had played themselves in, and ticked the runs away with composure.

Smart stats
Sachin Tendulkar went past 3000 runs against Sri Lanka in ODIs. He is the only player to pass that mark against two teams (Australia and Sri Lanka). His century tally of nine and eight against these two teams is also the highest for a batsman against a particular opposition.
Virat Kohli’s half-century is his 19th in ODIs to go with eight centuries. He now has 2968 runs in 76 matches at an average of 47.11. It is also his sixth half-century against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s score of 233 equalled their highest total in Perth. The previous one was in a defeat against Australia in 2006. The target chased by India is the fifth highest they have achieved in ODIs in Australia.
The 234-run target is also the joint fifth-highest chased by any team in Perth. Three of those have come against Australia.
R Ashwin picked up three wickets in an innings for the seventh time, and for the first time against Sri Lanka. The 3 for 32 is also his third-best performance and second three-wicket haul outside India.
The 53-run stand between Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is the sixth fifty-plus stand for the seventh wicket for India against Sri Lanka. It is also the second half-century stand against Sri Lanka for the pair, after their 51-run partnership in Harare in 2010.
Dinesh Chandimal’s half-century is his first against India and fourth overall in ODIs. He also has two centuries in 23 matches at an average of 37.63.
The only moment of indiscretion came when India needed one to win. Ashwin tried to loft Angelo Mathews down the ground and hit it straight up in the air. Three men converged, and mid-off, who should have taken it easily, backed off following some miscommunication, as India scrambled through for the win. The fielder at mid-off was Malinga.