India secure finals berth in style

Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar claimed four wickets each to dismiss Sri Lanka, who needed to win to keep alive their hopes of facing Australia in the best-of-three final, for 179.

Tendulkar (63) and Gambhir (64) then guided India home to their 180-run target with just over 17 overs to spare.

India opener Robin Uthappa (11) departed soon after being given a reprieve by Mahela Jayawardene at slip when he was caught by Ishara Amerasinghe at mid-on off Lasith Malinga to bring Tendulkar to the crease to join Gambhir.

Tendulkar reached his half-century from just 44 balls, which included nine fours, and after the pair brought up India's 100 in the 17th over and their 100 partnership in 108 balls, Gambhir notched his 50 off 72 balls.

The partnership was finally broken as Tendulkar was caught at long-off by Chamara Silva off Muttiah Muralitharan at the start of the 21st over to leave India 120 for two.

Yuvraj Singh contributed a quickfire 36 off 35 balls before being caught in the covers by Tillakaratne Dilshan off Dilruwan Perera at the end of the 30th over with India at 171 for three, but by then the game was over as a contest.

Earlier, after losing the wicket of opener Perera in just the third over, Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara shared a 50-run partnership, before Sri Lanka lost six wickets for only 21 runs in just over 10 overs.

But after slumping to 93 for seven, Chamara Kapugedera's 57 helped Mahela Jayawardene's side at least give the bowlers a total to defend.

Kumar, whose dismissal of Sangakkara was his first in one-day cricket, returned figures of four for 31 off 10 overs, while Sharma's wickets cost 41.