PHOTOS DURING 4TH ODI INDIA VS SRILANKA

India beats Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in 4th ODI

Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli struck a century each to guide India to a seven-wicket victory Thursday in the fourth one-day international against Sri Lanka.

The victory clinched the series for the hosts who now hold a 3-1 lead in the five-match tournament.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first, reaching 315-6 but could not hold off India's pursuit of the target. The hosts eventually reached 317-3 in 48.1 overs.

India was forced to fight off an early onslaught when openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were dismissed with just 23 runs on the board but Gambhir and Kohli rebuilt the innings with a 224-run partnership for the third wicket.

Gambhir finished the match on 150 not out, a knock that included 14 boundaries, and Kohli scored 107 with 11 fours and a six.

It was the highest run chase in a one-day international at Eden Gardens.

Earlier, Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga scored 118 and Kumar Sangakkara 60 as Sri Lanka set the hosts the imposing target of 316 runs in its 50 overs.

Mahela Jayawardene and Thissara Perera also chipped in with 33 and 31, respectively.

The hosts struck early when Ashish Nehra removed opener Tillakaratne Dilshan for nine as he went for a big hit and was caught by Virat Kohli.

Sanath Jayasuriya was also dismissed cheaply, for just 15, when he was caught by Tendulkar off Zaheer Khan, before Sangakkara came in to steady the ship.

Together with Tharanga, Sri Lanka's captain put on 126 for the third wicket before Sangakkara was stumped by Dinesh Karthik off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh.

Tharanga was finally bowled by Khan in the 43rd over after smashing 14 boundaries and two sixes.

Play was held up for 26 minutes when the floodlights failed with just four balls remaining of Sri Lanka's innings.

No clear winner in Jharkhand, Soren emerges kingmaker

Thu, Dec 24 02:47 AM

Jharkhand was headed for a hung Assembly on Wednesday with the Congress-JVM alliance leading with 24 seats and the JMM and RJD emerging as kingmakers since government formation will require any combination to touch the 41-seat mark in a House of 81.

The BJP-JD(U) combine, which won 36 seats in the 2005 elections, was emerging as the second largest grouping with 20 seats. In New Delhi, BJP parliamentary board spokesperson Ananth Kumar said his party did not rule out the possibility of forming a government in Jharkhand and had authorised president Nitin Gadkari to take a final call.

The Shibu Soren-led JMM, which had participated in the first UPA government, was leading in 17 seats while the RJD was ahead at seven places.

Indications of a tough bargain came from the JMM which said it would back anyone who would support Guruji, the name given to Soren by his supporters.

The Congress was leading in 13 seats and ally JVM in 11. Both have indicated they are not averse to taking support from any party to form a 'secular' government.

RJD chief Lalu Yadav said in Patna that he would work for formation of a 'secular' government. The leaders of Congress, JVM, RJD and JMM, he said, would sit together to explore the possibility of forming a government.

The 'Others', including five belonging to the All Jharkhand Students Union were ahead in 13 seats.

JVM chief Babulal Marandi said his party fought alongside Congress and would stand by it. "All well-wishers should support our alliance," he said.

Soren was being wooed by both the Congress and BJP-led coalitions. "We have the option to shake hands with the JMM and other like-minded parties," said BJP MP and former chief minister Arjun Munda. State Congress leader Keshav Rao had an identical view on this.

Among the first results announced on Wednesday was the victory of Geeta Koda, wife of Madhu Koda, from Jagannathpur. She defeated her nearest rival Sonaram Birua of the BJP by over 20,000 votes.