05 January,2010 03:48 PM IST | | A Correspondent
Chanaka Welegedara halted India's whirlwind start with three scalps in his opening spell to force India slow down the scoring rate in Sri Lanka's tri-series tie against India here.
After 15 overs, India were 89 for three, with Yuvraj Singh (9 off 15) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (8 off 24) at the crease.
Despite Gautam Gambhir's (8 off 14) loss in the third over, Virender Sehwag (47 off 31) cut loose after that. In the sixth over of the innings, he hit RAS Lakmal for three successive boundaries and followed it up with two more in the next over, bowled by Welegedara.
After his impressive century against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens, Virat Kohli (9 off 12) was promoted at No 3. The Delhi youngster looked good in the company of his senior statemate but only for a brief while.
In the seventh over, which was the most exciting over of the match thus far with a wicket, a catch off a free-hit, two wides, and three boundaries, Kohli edged one to skipper Kumar Sangakkara.
And in Welegedara's third over, Sehwag threw it away when he was set for a big one yet again to leave India 71 for three in the ninth over.
Earlier, Sangakkara won the toss and preferred to field instead of exposing his inexperienced batting line-up. Sri Lanka suffered a jolt as Tillakaratne Dilshan, Monday's centurion against Bangladesh, and Chamara Silva missed out on the match as they are nursing injuries.
For India, S Sreesanth returned to the XI after a forced break due to swine flu.
