SL end drought with India rout

New captain Thisara Perera Sunday hailed Suranga Lakmal as Sri Lanka's premier fast bowler after he led the visitors to a seven-wicket win over India in the first one-day international.

Lakmal returned career-best ODI figures of 4 for 13 to help dismiss India for just 112, with Sri Lanka achieving the target in 20.4 overs and taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The visitors lost two early wickets in their chase before opening batsman Upul Tharanga made a 46-ball 49 to help his team end a 12-match losing streak.

"First of all we have to give 200 percent credit to our bowlers. They were disciplined, and bowled the right length and the right areas," Perera said.

"This is an unplayable wicket. We didn't expect that. We expected 250-260, but after that Suranga and Angelo (Mathews) bowled very well.

"At the moment, (Lakmal) is our first fast bowler. He's done very well in the Test series as well," Perera said of Lakmal, who took eight wickets in the three Tests against India.

Tharanga, who lost his limited-overs captaincy to Perera ahead of the series, was denied his fifty by Hardik Pandya who had the left-handed batsman caught at first slip.

Angelo Mathews, 25 not out, and Niroshan Dickwella, on 26, then steered their team home for a win savoured by the visitors after losing the Test series 1-0 last week.

"I have to mention that Upul gave a good start and he's one of our best openers," Perera said of Tharanga, who had opted out of his team's Twenty20 match in Lahore and was subsequently removed as captain last month.

Pace spearhead Lakmal set up victory for the islanders after Perera won the toss and elected to bowl first at the picturesque ground overlooking the Himalayas.

The lanky paceman rattled the Indian batting during his extended spell of 10 overs as India collapsed to 29-7 before Mahendra Singh Dhoni fought back with a gritty 65 to take the total past 100.

SCORES IN BRIEF

INDIA: 112 all out in 38.2 overs (Dhoni 65, Yadav 19; Lakmal 4-13, Pradeep 2-37)

SRI LANKA: 114 for 3 in 20.4 overs (Tharanga 49, Mathews 25 not out, Dickwella 26 not out; Bumrah 1-32)

Result: Sri Lanka won by seven wickets.

Player-of-the-match: Suranga Lakmal