Sri Lanka’s Chamara Kapugedera (left) and captain Mahela Jayawardene in Karachi on Thursday. (AFP)

Karachi: India exhibited their batting prowess to perfection with their top order firing in unison to score an easy six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Thursday in their must-win Asia Cup Super Four match, and set up a summit clash against the same opponents on Sunday.

India chased down the target of 309 with 19 balls to spare and after losing four wickets, thanks to a half-century each by Gautam Gambhir (68), captain M. S. Dhoni (67) and Suresh Raina (54), and a valuable 42 from Virender Sehwag, after Sri Lanka, electing to bat first, had made 308 for eight.

Yuvraj Singh (36 not out) and Rohit Sharma (22 not out) romped home with an unfinished 57-run stand for the fifth wicket. Thursday’s result extinguished Pakistan’s hope of making it to the final and rendered Friday’s last Super Four match between the hosts and Bangladesh here inconsequential.

India made a blazing start with the opening duo of Sehwag and Gambhir carrying their solid form from their match against Pakistan on Thursday, putting on 92 runs from 70 balls. The duo drove, pulled and cut the Lankan opening bowlers without taking much risk, hitting boundaries in regular intervals and keeping the required rate always lower than the original required rate of 6.18 per over.

Sehwag played second fiddle to his junior partner, but did not shy away from hitting odd balls for boundaries including a huge six off Nuwan Kulasekara early in the innings. The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ fell to a soft dismissal in 12th over, being deceived by a Kulasekara slower ball, holing out to Dilhara Fernando at fine leg after scoring 42 off 34 balls, studded with six fours and a six.

Gambhir raised his 11th ODI fifty by hitting a four off Thilan Thushara after facing 45 balls in the 15th over with the help of nine fours.

Gambhir, however, failed to read a Muttiah Muralidharan doosra and fell lbw in the 21st over at the team total of 135 for two for a well-made 68, compiled with the help of 11 fours from 61 balls, to allow Sri Lanka come back into the match.

Suresh Raina, who got a life when he was on 11 when Lankan 12th man Jehan Mubarak failed to hold on to an easy chance, made the most of the reprieve to hit his fifth ODI fifty and consolidated with his captain Dhoni, who also struck his 22nd ODI half century. The required rate dipped a bit after the return of the opening pair to the hut but Dhoni, who promoted himself up the order, and Raina, survived the middle overs while keeping the scoreboard ticking.

The duo scored in ones, twos and occasional boundaries including Dhoni’s six off Sanath Jayasuriya, and frustrated the Lankan bowlers before Raina was run out in the 36th over after facing 66 balls for his 54 (3x4), at the team total of 234 for three.

Just when it seemed Dhoni would open up to end the run chase in quick time, the Indian captain fell to Muralidharan, bowled for 67 (62 balls; 5x4; 1x6) in the 38th over.

Needing just 47 runs from from the last 10 overs, Yuvraj and Rohit Sharma romped home with the Punjab southpaw hitting the winning runs, a four off Kulasekara, to reach 310 for four in 46.5 overs. For Sri Lanka, Muralidharan was the most successful bowler with figures of 10-0-44-2.

Earlier, Sri Lanka made 308 for eight with half centuries from Chamara Kapugedera (75), captain Mahela Jayawardene (50) and Chamara Silva (50).

Jayawardene fell just one ball after completing his half-century from 62 balls. (PTI)