India extends series lead to 4-0

India spoiled Sri Lankan off spinner Muttiah Muralidaran's world-record celebrations by winning the fourth one-day

international by 67 runs Thursday to lead 4-0 in the five-match series.

Muralidaran dismissed Gautam Gambhir on 150 as India plundered 332-5 off 50 overs to take his 503rd one-day international wicket and surpass former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram's mark.

Sri Lanka never looked in the hunt after losing Tillakartne Dilshan for 38 and Sanath Jayasuriya for 27, being bowled out for 265 in 48 overs at R. Premadasa Stadium.

Kumar Sangakkara fought a lone battle to score 56 off 74 balls, while No. 9 batsman Nuwan Kulasekara remained unbeaten on 39 off 22 balls with no other batsman converting good starts.

Indian left-arm swing bowler Irfan Pathan took 3-58 in his first match of the series, with medium-pacer Praveen Kumar claimed 2-38 and part-time spinner Virender Sehwag 2-43.

Play was stopped for nearly 20 minutes in the 18th over of Sri Lanka's innings when Indian fielders complained about a stone-throwing incident near the boundary line.

Earlier, Gambhir's career-best 150 off 147 balls, including 14 fours and a six, was well supported by Dhoni's 94 off 96 balls as Sri Lanka conceded too many runs with poor ground fielding and wayward bowling that included 15 wides.

Dhoni's decision to bat first after winning the toss and promoting himself at No. 3 paid off despite Sehwag being caught on 5 by Jayasuriya at mid-off in a low two-handed diving catch off Kulasekara in the third over.

Gambhir featured in two century partnerships — 188 off 184 balls with Dhoni and 103 off 75 deliveries with Suresh Raina (49 not out).

Dhoni and Gambhir capitalized on Sri Lanka's sloppy fielding, converting singles into twos with brisk running between the wickets.

Gambhir scored his half-century with a six over mid-wicket off Angelo Mathews, and Dhoni soon followed in identical fashion when he hoisted Muralidaran over the fence.

Mathews dropped a regulation catch in the deep off Dhoni's mistimed drive when India's captain was on 92. On the very next delivery, Dilhara Fernando took a head-high, one-handed catch at short third man off the bowling of Jayasuriya.

Sri Lanka rallied briefly through Kulasekara's twin strikes in his return spell. He clean bowled Yuvraj Singh for 5 and Yusuf Pathan with successive deliveries.

Gambhir raised his century off 113 balls in the 39th over when he drove Kulasekara over cover for a boundary. He soon bettered his previous best limited-overs score — 113 against Australia at Sydney last year — with another boundary.

Raina also cut loose, hitting four boundaries and a six in 37 balls as India piled up 80 runs in the last 10 overs.

Kulasekara was the pick of Sri Lanka's bowlers with 3-63.

Having clinched the series, India rested Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan and brought in Rohit Sharma and Pathan. Mathews replaced Ajantha Mendis in the Sri Lankan team.