Though India won the five-match Idea Cup series 3-2 but Friday's loss their heaviest in Sri Lanka proved a dampner to the series win.

Chasing a revised target of 216 from 44 overs after rain interrupted the match for 90 minutes when India were wobbling at 70 for 3 in the 15th over, the visitors were skittled out for just 103 from 26.3 overs, their lowest score in Sri Lanka after the hosts had put up 227 for 6 from 50 overs.

None of the visiting batsmen offered any resistance to Lankan bowlers Nuwan Kulasekara and Ajantha Mendis who shared eight wickets between themselves, with Virat Kohli top-scoring with 31 while seven batsmen were out for just 33 runs in 12.1 overs.

Kulasekara ran through the Indian top order claiming four for 40 from nine overs with the scalps of openers Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma while Mendis claiming another four for 10 from 4.3 overs. Dilahara Fernando chipped two wickets for 24 runs.

The Indians began on a cautious note with openers Gambhir and Kohli scoring just three runs after three overs with the first and third overs bowled by Kulasekara being maiden overs.

But two fours by Gambhir off Thilan Thushara and a huge six by Kohli off Kulasekara eased off the pressure and India were 20 after the fifth over and the run rate of four was maintained till Gambhir was out in the last ball of ninth over after scoring a mere 11 from 16 balls which included two fours.

The senior of the Delhi openers knicked a Kulasekara delivery while playing away from the body and Kumar Sangakkara did the rest behind the wicket to reduce India to 38 for one.

Kohli paid the price for playing across for too many as he was plumbed LBW nine balls after Gambhir's departure though after making a useful 31 off 46 balls which included three fours and a six.

India were at a spot of bother at 45 for two but Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina began the repair work with some lusty blows.

Raina, however, was to be blamed for getting out off a poor shot and the Uttar Pradesh youngster tried to play a pull shot off Kulasekara to a ball which was not short enough only to hole out at mid-off to Dilhara Fernando for 10 (13 balls; 2X4).

Rohit Sharma, who came after the 90-minute rain intervention, did not last long and was out LBW to Kulasekara for 3 though he was unlucky to have got the verdict as the ball was outside the line at the point of impact.

Nine balls later mystery bowler Ajantha Medis claimed Yuvaraj's wicket in his first ball which hit the stumps after having an inside edge and India were looking down the barrel at 79 for 5 then.

Any hopes of fightback went up in smokes after Dhoni was out for one in the 20th over with Fernando cleaning up the Indian captain's stumps for just one off seven deliveries to send the visitors to 85 for six.

Pathan (7), Zaheer Khan (3) and RP Singh (4) and Pragyan Ojha (5) went back to the pavillion like a processionn to complete the route.

Earlier, gritty unbeaten knocks by Thilan Thushara (54) and Jehan Mubarak (47) down the order helped Sri Lanka reach 227 for six in their allotted 50 overs after electing to bat.

Sri Lanka were gasping for breath at 133 for six when the two joined hands and mauled the Indian attack to lend some sort of respectability to the hosts' total with a sterling unbeaten 94-run stand off just 78 balls.

The home side received a rude jolt in the second over when run-machine Sanath Jayasuriya (1) perished, much to the dejection of the crowd at the Premadasa Stadium.

The 39-year old, slashed at a Zaheer Khan delivery only to see the top edge flying to Pragyan Ojha at third man.

Malinda Warnapura (30) and the new man Mahela Udawatte (43) then tried hard to consolidate the innings but runs proved hard to come by. In fact, the first 10 overs produced only 28 runs and the pressure started mounting on the batsmen.

Warnapura was lucky to be dropped by Rohit Sharma at cover point even though it was a tough chance, while Udawatte gained in confidence by smashing a Zaheer delivery.

Despite best of their efforts, Sri Lanka's 50 runs came in 79 balls before both decided to up the tempo.

Zaheer gave away 33 runs in his first spell of seven overs even though Munaf Patel was more economical, conceding just 15 runs in his six-over spell.

The Indians then fought back with Irfan Pathan inducing a top edge from Warnapura with Gautam Gambhir running back from cover to take a well judged catch.

The Baroda bowler then struck again as he trapped the well-settled Udawatte.

R P Singh then joined the party as Kumar Sangakkara (1) once again flopped with the bat and perished at first slip with Gambhir taking his second catch of the match.

Jayawardene (12) got a life of sort as Pragyan Ojha almost caught him off his own bowling but he could not make the most of it as the Indian spinner had the last laugh.

Jayawardene turned away his bat to a dipping delivery from Ojha and ended up lobbing it tamely towards the cover where an agile Yuvraj Singh took the sitter.

Chamara Kapugedera (26) and Mubarak then pushed for singles as Sri Lanka reach 126 for five in 35 overs. Kapugedera's heroics, however, came to an end in the 37th over when he holed out to RP Singh off Ojha.

Sri Lanka averaged less than four at 143 for six even after 40 overs, suggesting the effectiveness of the Indian bowlers.

Thushara, however, had other ideas. After edging Pathan to the third man boundary, Thushara launched the left-arm seamer into the gap at deep cover boundary much to the delight of the flag-waving spectators.

Jehan Mubarak on a comeback trail also chipped in with the odd boundaries as the two toiled to take the islanders to a meaningful total.