Mahela Jayawardene helped Sri Lanka become the first team to enter the final of the one-day triangular series as they defeated India by four wickets in a crucial encounter at Rangiri Dambulla Stadium here Wednesday.

It was Sri Lanka's third win in as many matches, while India have one win from three matches. West Indies, the third team in the competition, have yet to record a win in two matches.

India won the toss and opted to take the first strike, but they failed to take advantage of a good pitch and managed just 220 runs for eight wickets in 50 overs.

Sri Lanka reached home with two overs to spare as they made 221 for six in 48 overs, with Man-of-the-Match Jayawardene scoring 94 not out (114 balls, 9x4s, 1x6) and Upul Chandana making an equally crucial 45 not out (62 balls, 4x4s).

It was India's second defeat in three matches under new coach Greg Chappell and new captain Rahul Dravid, who did an early favour for his team by winning the toss. The advantage was, however, negated by most of the top order batsmen who failed to live up to their potential.

India started the defence of their total bravely when Irfan Pathan had Upul Tharanga caught behind with the total at four. Kumara Sangakkara (16) also went early when Lakshmipathy Balaji, one of the three changes that India effected from the last match, found his pads in front of the stumps.

Then, at 78, Sri Lanka also lost Marvan Atapattu when Suresh Raina again showed his class as a fielder with a brilliant pickup and a throw that went straight into the gloves of wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to run the home captain out.

Then left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra dealt two quick blows within six runs to keep the match on an even keel. He first got rid of Tillakaratne Dilshan (seven) and then Russel Arnold (four).

Only one more wicket fell after that, of Dilhara Lokuhettige (0) as Jayawardene and Arnold steered their team home with a professional batting display.

They batted with purpose after six wickets had gone at 95. First Jayawardene and Arnold consolidated the innings and then dominated a bowling attack that has been the high point for India in the tournament so far.

On Wednesday, however, the attack comprised Pathan, Balaji, Nehra, Sehwag, Ganguly and Harbhajan.

Only an injured Zaheer Khan was missing from the scene, but that was no excuse for Indian batsmen for not putting up a big enough total to allow the bowlers to defend it.

Indian fielding, particularly Mahendra Singh Dhoni's wicketkeeping, was patchy. He failed to collect a few crucial balls while keeping against Harbhajan and they resulted in boundaries, which made matters worse for India.

Earlier, Ganguly, returning to international cricket after a four-match ban, scored a fine 51 to take India to a total that at one stage did not look like it was coming.

Playing as an ordinary member of the side for the first time in over five years, Ganguly looked in good nick as he came in fresh after a stint with Glamorgan in the English county championship.

During his 110-ball knock, Ganguly completed 10,000 runs in one-day cricket to join Sachin Tendulkar (13,642 runs) and Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq (10,933).

Sehwag, who had Ganguly as the third opening partner in three matches here, also batted with some assurance after failures in the first two matches. Although he began as tentatively as ever and even got reprieves at four and 10, after a few overs the vice-captain settled down to play a decent knock of 32 (39 balls, 5x4s).

The important thing was that Ganguly and Sehwag gave India a good start worth 67 runs.

Sehwag was the first wicket to fall when an inside of his bat sent the ball on to his stumps. The lucky bowler was debutant pacer Pradeep Jayaprakash Daran.

V.V.S. Laxman, after missing the first two matches of the tournament due to back spasms, returned to the team but did not have a memorable outing at No.3 and managed just 22, though he played a couple of his trademark wristy shots. He and Ganguly added 50 for the second wicket before Tillakaratne Dilshan castled Laxman with his off-spinner.

Ganguly was eventually bowled by leg-spinner Chandana when the ball found its way between his bat and pad.

Wicketkeeper Dhoni was again given an opportunity up the order to make him show his batting abilities, but he was out when he gave a tame return catch to Dilshan, who emerged the surprise packet and eventually finished with excellent figures of four wickets for 29 in 10 overs.

Dilshan's other scalps included Rahul Dravid (0) and Suresh Raina (two).

Dravid seemed to have got a hard leg-before-wicket decision as he failed to connect a front-footed drive and Sri Lankan umpire Tyron Wijewardena gave him out after a long thought even as took a few side steps.

But Mohammed Kaif (34, 48 balls, 1x4) and Irfan Pathan (36, 28 balls, 5x4s) played sensible innings to help India past 200. The two added 33 important runs for the seventh wicket.

Kaif, as usual, played a workmanlike knock, running his singles quickly and rotating the strike. Pathan, on the other hand, preferred to play his shots with gay abandon and he largely succeeded in his efforts and remained unconquered.

India made three changes from the team that beat the West Indies Sunday, while Sri Lanka effected a solitary change from the side that thrashed the West Indies here Tuesday.

Along with Ganguly, who returned to the side after serving out the four-match ban, Laxman, who will play his first match of the tournament, and pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji returned to the team as Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Y. Venugopal Rao went out.

Sri Lanka brought in debutant pacer Pradeep Jayadharana in place of off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

Fourth match, Sri Lanka vs. India (day/night), one-day triangular series, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, Aug 3

India:
V. Sehwag b Jayaprakashdaran 32
S. Ganguly b Chandana 51
V.V.S. Laxman b Dilshan 22
M. Dhoni c and b Dilshan 20
R. Dravid lbw b Dilshan 0
M. Kaif c and b Maharoof 34
S. Raina c and b Dilshan 2
I. Pathan not out 36
Harbhajan Singh run out 4
L. Balaji not out 1
Extras: (b 1, lb 3, w 10, nb 4) 18
Total: (for eight wickets in 50 overs) 220

Fall of wickets: 1-67 (Sehwag, 15.1 overs), 2-117 (Laxman, 29.5), 3-127 (Ganguly, 32.6), 4-128 (Dravid, 33.2), 5-157 (Dhoni, 39.6), 6-161 (Raina, 41.4), 7-194 (Kaif, 47.6), 8-207 (Harbhajan, 48.5)
Bowling:
Farveez Maharoof 10 0 52 1 (no balls 4, wides 3)
Dilhara Lokuhettige 7 1 32 0 (w 1)
Pradeep Jayaprakashdaran 6 1 21 1 (w 5)
Dilhara Fernando 10 0 51 0 (w 1)
Tillakaratne Dilshan 10 0 29 4
Upul Chandana 7 0 31 1

Sri Lanka:
U. Tharanga c Dhoni b Pathan 4
M. Atapattu run out 29
K. Sangakkara lbw b Balaji 16
M. Jayawardene not out 94
T. Dilshan c Dhoni b Nehra 7
R. Arnold lbw b Nehra 4
L. Dilhara c Dhoni b Harbhajan 0
U. Chandana not out 45
Extras: (byes 4, leg byes 4, no balls 2, wides 12) 22

Total: (for six wickets in 48 overs) 221
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Tharanga, 0.6 overs), 2-36 (Sangakkara, 11.1), 3-78 (Atapattu, 19.4), 4-88 (Dilshan, 22.2), 5-94 (Arnold, 24.3), 6-95 (Dilhara, 25.6)
Irfan Pathan 10 0 38 1
Lakshmipathy Balaji 10 0 48 1 (w 4)
Ashish Nehra 10 1 23 2 (w 1)
Sourav Ganguly 5 0 30 0 (w 2, nb 2)
Harbhajan Singh 9 0 49 1 (w 4)
Virender Sehwag 4 0 25 0
Result: Sri Lanka won by four wickets
Man of the Match: Mahela Jayawardene
Umpires: T.H. Wijewardene (Sri Lanka) and Daryl Harper (Australia)
Third umpire: Asoka De Silva (Sri Lanka)
Match referee: Mike Proctor (South Africa)