Indian pacemen gets India to the Finals !!

Indian pace sensation Ishant Sharma and swing bowler Praveen Kumar have combined for eight wickets to dismiss Sri Lanka for a measly 179 in the Commonwealth Bank tri-series clash at Bellerive Oval on Tuesday.

Kumar (4-31 from 10 overs) and Sharma (4-41 from 10 overs) starred with the ball as Sri Lanka's middle order crumbled after a promising start.

After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Sri Lanka was coasting at 1-72 in the 15th over on the back of a 57-run stand between Sanath Jayasuriya (34) and Kumar Sangakkara (33).

But the loss of 6-21 on the back of some questionable shots catapulted India into the box seat as Sri Lanka crashed to 7-93.

But Chamara Kapugedera came to the rescue, scoring a career-best 57 as he combined with tail-enders Lasith Malinga (46-run stand) and then Muttiah Muralidaran (40-run stand) to lift his team to the defendable total.

Kapugedera brilliant 57 ---

Opener Dilruwan Perera looked good early with a boundary first ball, but Sharma sent a delivery crashing into the batsman's off-stump to reduce Sri Lanka to 1-15 in the fourth over.

Jayasuriya found some much-needed form at the crease with a series of boundaries as he and Sangakkara rallied to lift Sri Lanka to 1-72 after 14 overs.

But Sangakkara brought himself undone as he looked to up the tempo, charging down the wicket before eking a timid edge through to keeper MS Dhoni, who moved well to his left to take the tumbling catch.

The Sangakkara dismissal proved costly as Sri Lanka proceeded to lose a flurry of wickets.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene was the next to fall when Rohit Sharma took a ripper catch low to the ground at point, and when Chamara Silva edged Kumar behind for a duck, Sri Lanka crashed to 4-81.

And when an attempted pull by Jayasuriya skied to Dhoni for the easiest of catches, Sri Lanka slumped to 5-81, with its quest for a tri-series finals berth against Australia looking all but gone.

Sensing the kill, India refused to take its foot off Sri Lanka's throat, with Dhoni re-introducing Sharma into the attack for the killer blow.

And the 19-year-old didn't disappoint, trapping Tillakaratne Dilshan plumb in front before claiming the scalp of Chaminda Vaas to leave Sri Lanka struggling for survival at 7-93.

But Kapugedera stepped forward to lead the fightback, combining with Malinga and Muralidaran to lift the total before swatting a return catch to spinner Harbhajan Singh to conclude his fine knock and Sri Lanka's innings with 17 balls still on offer.