Colombo

India on Thursday created history by recording their ninth one-day win on the trot when they thrashed Sri Lanka by 67-runs in the inconsequential fourth match here tonight, riding on Gautam Gambhir's career-best 150-run knock.

The Indian victory also spoiled Muttiah Muralitharan's party as the Sri Lankan spin wizard today became the highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket.

Apart from Gambhir's scintillating knock captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored 94 to propel India to an imposing 332 for five, after winning the fourth successive toss.

The visitors then skittled out the hosts for 265 in 48 overs to take a 4-0 lead in the five match series.

Kumar Sangakkara played a defiant innings of 56 from one end but perished while attempting to put the accelerator button on, in the wake of mounting required run-rate.

Indian spinners, led by Pragyan Ojha, bowled in tandem and played an important role in keeping the Sri Lankan scoring rate quite low.

Paceman Irfan Pathan, playing his first match in the series, emerged as the most successful bowler with three wickets while Virender Sehwag and Praveen Kumar took two wickets apiece.

The last match of the series will be played on Sunday at the Sinhalese Sports Club and the brief tour will come to an end on February 10 with a Twenty20 match.

Sanath Jayasuriya (27) and Tilakratne Dilshan (38) had provided the hosts a fiery start as they race away to 50 in just 43 balls.

However, both the openers could not build on to their good starts and it was left to skipper Mahela Jayawardene (28) and Sangakkara to romp home the hosts. The Sri Lankans batsmen though failed to up a good partnership and lost wickets at regular intervals which only helped the Indian cause.

The left-handed Jayasuriya looked in sublime touch as he took the comeback man Irfan Pathan for some special treatment hitting him for a four and a six in the sixth over.

Jayasuriya welcomed the left-armer Pathan with a powerful flat six off his first ball in eighth over but the Indian had the last laugh when he saw dismissed him in the next ball.

Pathan pitched one short and Jayasuriya while attempting a big one miscued the shot and Rohit Sharma at short extra cover took a smart catch, bringing relief in the Indian camp.

Stumper Kumar Sangakkara joined Dilshan in the middle but paceman Praveen Kumar did not let the pair settle as he dismissed the latter when he had him caught by Yuvraj Singh.

Skipper Jayawardene forged a 61-run stand with Sangakkara to revive the innings but the scoring rate was no where near to what was required. At half-way mark, Sri Lanka had not even touched the 150-run mark and then Sehwag dealt a severe blow to the hosts when he dismissed Jayawardene.

Jayawardene failed to negotiate a sharp-turning ball and edged the ball towards Dhoni, who on his second attempt caught the ball to see the back of his counterpart.

Yusuf Pathan then trapped Thilina Kandamby (10) and when Sangakkara departed writing was clear on the wall for Sri Lanka.

Thanks to some late fire-works by Nuwan Kulasekara (39 not out), who shared a 45-run stand with Dilhara Fernando (9) for the last wicket, that Sri Lanka could cross the 250-run mark.

Earlier, the visitors, who had gone into the match with series in pocket, relied on Gambhir and Dhoni's record 188-run second wicket partnership to get to the competitive total.

The 27-year-old Gambhir notched up his sixth ODI century and his third against Sri Lanka.

He also became the highest individual scorer in a one-dayer in Sri Lanka, eclipsing the previous best of 145 jointly held by Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva and Zimbabwe's Andy Flower.

Despite being on the backfoot for most part of the innings, spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan had something to cheer about in the fag end when he broke Wasim Akram's world record of highest one-day scalps.

Muralitharan dismissed Gambhir to take his one-day tally to 503 in his 328th match.

With Sachin Tendulkar being given rest, the Indians reverted to their regular opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gambhir but it failed to provide a flourishing start.

Sehwag (5) perished early with the ageing Jayasuriya pulling off a spectacular catch in the cover region off Nuwan Kulasekara.

Captain Dhoni promoted himself to the number three slot and alongwith Gambhir not only consolidated India's position but laid the foundation for an imposing total.

Gambhir and Dhoni did not take much risks in the initial stages of the innings but unleashed some exquisite shots on both sides of the wicket during their marathon partnership to put the hosts completely on the back foot.

Gambhir picked up Angelo Mathews, who replaced Ajantha Mendis in the team, for special treatment as he clobbered him for a mighty six to bring about his half century.

In the very next over, Dhoni lifted Muttiah Muralitharan for a six to notch up his 27th one-day half century and steer the team past the 100-run mark in the 18th over.

Dhoni and Gambhir tormented the islanders and took the score past 200 before a tired-looking Dhoni fell six runs short of a century.

The Indian captain went for an aerial shot and Dilhara Fernando grabbed a one-handed catch much to the delight of his teammates.

Dhoni's 96-ball 94 contained four boundaries and two sixes and dismissal triggered off a mini-collapse as the visitors lost three wickets in the span of five runs to suddenly slump to 207 for four from a comfortable 202 for one.

Paceman Kulasekara accounted for Yuvraj Singh (5) and Yusuf Pathan (0) off successive deliveries to be on a hat-trick.

Yuvraj fell victim to a good yorker by Kulasekara while Yusuf Pathan was then bowled in the very first ball he faced much to the delight of the crowd.