India v Sri Lanka, 2005-06

At Ahmedabad, November 6, 2005 (day/night). Sri Lanka won by five wickets. Toss: Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's first victory of the tour was not without moments of anxiety. With the series won, and alive to the need to keep players fresh for the arduous season ahead, India rested Tendulkar, Pathan and Harbhajan Singh - and still managed to stretch the Sri Lankans in a good indication of their bench strength. The regular Test opener Gambhir, in his first one-day international for 30 months, made his maiden hundred at this level, and put on 128 for the fourth wicket with Dravid, who also scored a century after Dhoni had departed for a first-ball duck. The callow middle order was exposed by the supersub Maharoof, who took four wickets, but 285 was nonetheless defendable under the lights. India struck at regular intervals to peg Sri Lanka back, and looked favourites at 155 for five; but, with the dew making the ball increasingly slippery, Dilshan, whose 81 came from only 67 deliveries, and Arnold took charge.

Man of the Match: T. M. Dilshan.