25 Jun 2010

India win Asia cricket Cup

5:43 am on 25 June 2010

India have captured the Asia cricket Cup for the first time since 1995 with an 81-run victory over defending champions Sri Lanka in the final in Dambulla.

Having opted to bat first, India were given a fine start by Dinesh Karthik, who struck nine fours in his 66, as they reached 268 for 6.

Sri Lanka lost Tillakaratne Dilshan for a second ball duck and Ashish Nehra took 4 for 40 as they were all out for 187.

It was India's fifth Asian Cup title, taking them above the Sri Lankans as the most successful team in the history of the event, which was first staged in the United Arab Emirates in 1984.

Sri Lanka had won three of the most recent four competitions and beat India by seven wickets in the round-robin match between the teams on Tuesday.