India's captain, Mahendra Dhoni, celebrates after hitting the winning runs against Sri Lanka in their one-day international at the Adelaide Oval, yesterday. India won with four balls to spare after Sri Lanka made 238 in their innings. - AP

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP):

MAHENDRA SINGH Dhoni posted the winning runs and his half century with the same shot, leading India to a two-wicket win over Sri Lanka with five balls to spare in yesterday's tri-series limited-overs international.

Dhoni, expected to be one of the hottest commodities at today's player auction for the new India Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 series, shared a momentum-building 59-run fifth-wicket stand with Yuvraj Singh and finished unbeaten on 50.

He faced 68 balls, but did not hit a boundary in a patient two-hour, 20-minute innings to guide India to 239 for eight chasing Sri Lanka's 238 for six in the narrowest result so far in the tri-series.

Kumar Sangakkara provided the backbone of Sri Lanka's innings, scoring 128 after going to the crease in the first over.

The win moved India to 12 points in the standings, five behind league-leading Australia and six in front of Sri Lanka.

Yuvraj held the top order toge-ther after a shaky start, belting 76 from 70 balls, including 10 boun-daries and a six, after India lost star opener Sachin Tendulkar (0), Gautam Gambhir (15) and Robin Uthappa (10) to be struggling at 35 for three.

Aggressive approach

"Tonight I thought three wickets down we couldn't afford to give the batsmen lower down more than five an over to chase, so I went out to be aggressive," Yuvraj said of his first 50 of the series.

His innings was ended by a perfect yorker from Chaminda Vaas in the 33rd over. Irfan Pathan added 31 with Dhoni and India were coasting to victory until Ishara Amerasinghe took wickets in consecutive overs and Lasith Malinga chimed in to send the game into the final over.

Dhoni hit Farveez Maharoof through the covers on the first ball of the final over to secure the win.

Earlier, Sangakkara rescued Sri Lanka's innings from a precarious start and combined with Mahela Jayawardene in a 153-run stand.

Sangakkara went in with the total at four for one in the first over when Tillakaratne Dilshan (four) was caught behind off Munaf Patel on the fourth ball.

He was joined by his skipper in the third over when veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya was unluckily run out at the non-striker's end by Patel to make the total six for two.

The third-wicket partnership ended when Jayawardene was run out for 71 in the 38th over after facing 99 balls.