Electing to bat, it was not a fiery start for Sri Lanka as both the openers took some time to settle down and opened up gradually to pile up the misery on the visitors.

After the first few overs, the Indian bowlers seemed to lose their rhythm and bowled a lot of loose deliveries.

The home crowd had a lot to cheer when Tillakaratne Dilshan hit two cracking fours off Praveen Kumar and Mahela Jayawardene produced a lofted drive off Ashish Nehra in the first few overs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan struck a blistering century as Sri Lanka exploited a sloppy bowling display by the Indians to amass an imposing 299 for eight in the tri-series final in Dambulla on Saturday.

In reply, India's youngsters failed yet again as they were bowled out for 225 to lose by 74 runs.

Photographs: Reuters

Ishant Sharma provided the breakthrough for the visitors by claiming the experienced Mahela Jayawardene (39) with Dinesh Karthik latching on to a well-judged catch.

Jayawardene reached forward and tried to wrist a length delivery across the line but only succeeded in spooning a catch to Karthik at the sweeper cover.

But his dimssal came only after he had achieved a personal milestone of completing 9000 runs in ODIs, becoming only the third Sri Lankan to achieve the feat after Sanath Jayasuriya (13,428 runs) and Aravinda de Silva (9824 runs).

Part-timer Yuvraj Singh then struck for his team by dismissing Upul Tharanga (6) who edged the ball to captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.

After the two quick wickets, Dilshan and captain Kumar Sangakkara re-build the innings by playing cautiously.

The duo kept the scoreboard ticking by gentle nudges and pushes before unleashing some exquisite shots on both sides of the wicket.

The two batsmen piled up the runs with ease and with the Indian pacers struggling to check the run flow, the Indians badly missed the services of a specialist fifth bowler.

Dilshan (110) notched up his eighth ODI century to provide the impetus to the Lankan innings who capitalised on some wayward bowling by the Indians.

Dilshan, who slowed down in the 90's, took two runs off Ishant to notch up his eighth ODI century and his first on Sri Lankan soil. It was his third ton against India.

Dilshan, however, could not survive for long after completing his century with Ishant Sharma taking a good catch on the boundary line off Praveen Kumar.

The Indian innings got off to a disastrous start when Dinesh Karthik (0) was caught by Kumar Sangakkara down the leg to give Lasith Malinga a birthday present and Sri Lanka their first breakthough.

The in-form Virender Sehwag (28) though helped ease the pressure with some trademark agggressive batting. However, he was unfortunately run out in the six over having survived a similar attempt two balls earlier.

Virat Kohli (37), survived two leg before appeals in a span of three balls in Nuwan Kulasekara's second over before settling down.

However, Yuvraj Singh (26), who for the first time in the series looked in good touch, didn't survive long. Thissara Perera induced an inside edge of his blade and Sangakkara made no mistake.

Yuvraj's 31-ball essay was inclusive of four boundaries and his third-wicket partnership with Kohli yielded his side valuable 50 runs.

Suresh Raina tried to revive the Indian innings as he hit a couple of sixes.

He came down the track and smashed Thissara Perera over long-off for the first maximum of the Indian innings. A few overs later, Raina helped himself to another maximum, on this occasion over long-on off Suraj Randiv.

However, Raina's cameo ended sooner than wanted, the southpaw skying a Randiv delivery straight to Dilshan at covers.

Rohit Sharma scored just five before he was stumped off Randiv, while Pravin Kumar's stumps were shattered by a fast yorker from Malinga.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni waged a lone battle as India's batting once again came undone under pressure.

The right-hander scored 67, the only half-century of the Indian innings, before he was the last man dismissed.

Dhoni charged down the wicket to Randiv but got an inside edge and was bowled as India were bundled out for 225 in 46.5 overs to lose by 74 runs.