Sri Lankan attack humiliates India

India stumbled to 54 all out, the third lowest score in one-day internationals, as rampant Sri Lanka crushed them by 245 runs in the final of the Champions' Trophy yesterday.

India stumbled to 54 all out, the third lowest score in one-day internationals, as rampant Sri Lanka crushed them by 245 runs in the final of the Champions' Trophy yesterday.

The pace of Chaminda Vaas and spin of Muttiah Muralitharan tore India apart as they chased a target of 300. Vaas took 5 for 14 in 9.3 overs and Muralitharan, who took a world-record 7 for 30 against India in a qualifying game on Friday, 3 for 6 in six overs.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya struck a thunderous 189 off 161 balls to power his side to 299 for 5 off their 50 overs. The swashbuckling left-hander hit 21 boundaries and four sixes to pulverise the Indian attack after he won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night international.

A sell-out crowd of 28,000 watched in awe as Jayasuriya raced to his first century at this desert venue and the ninth overall in 217th one-dayers. He reached the 6,000-run mark when he was on 166, but fell five short of Pakistani Saeed Anwar's world record of 194 when he was stumped off the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly in the 49th over.

The breathtaking assault left India what proved an impossible target to win the series and take home the champions' purse of $100,000. Russel Arnold (52 not out) helped Jayasuriya add 166 for the fifth wicket after the Indians had done well to contain Sri Lanka to 116 for 4 in the 28th over.

The lowest one-day score is 43 by Pakistan against West Indies in 1992-93; the second-lowest, 45, is by Canada against England in 1979.