Sharma (right) took 4-57, including the vital early wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya

India beat Sri Lanka by 15 runs in Colombo to win the second one-day international, and take a 2-0 lead in the five-game series.

After India won the toss and batted first, Virender Sehwag hit a rapid 42 and Yuvraj Singh (66) top-scored as they made 256-9 from their 50 overs.

Having been reduced to 36-3, Sri Lanka's hopes rested on Thilina Kandamby, who hit an unbeaten 93.

But paceman Ishant Sharma took 4-57 as the home side were bowled out for 241.

Although the out-of-form Sachin Tendulkar was trapped lbw for six by Nuwan Kulasekara - harshly according to TV replays - his opening partner Sehwag's characteristically brisk innings set the tone for India.

Sehwag took just 26 balls to score his 42 before Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya combined with a relay throw to run him out to leave India 83-3 in the 13th over.

606: DEBATE I feel batting powerplays make it a more even game - I find myself watching the middle overs more closely DelhiGunner

But Kulasekara returned to remove Yuvraj with his second lbw of the innings - although the batsman looked stunned by umpire Gamini Silva's decision - and India managed just 14 runs from their five-over batting powerplay as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Yuvraj's apparent show of dissent saw him reported for an alleged breach of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct.

However, match referee Chris Broad cleared him of the charge.

"He did stay at the crease but the delay in departing was not excessive and I felt he showed a level of disappointment rather than dissent," Broad explained.

Muralitharan - who began the game on 501 ODI wickets, one behind all-time leader Wasim Akram - bowled economically but was wicketless, taking 0-32 from his 10 overs.

India must have fancied their chances after Sri Lanka's top three Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara - who have played in a staggering total of 829 ODIs between them - made just 29 runs in total.

But they had reckoned without left-hander Kandamby, who recently returned to the ODI side after a gap of four years and whose previous best international score was 59.

He added exactly 100 with captain Mahela Jayawardene (52) and 51 with Chamara Kapugedera (31) before marshalling the tail superbly to give his side hope of an unlikely victory.

But Sharma returned to rip out three more wickets, and when tail-enders Muralitharan, Kulasekara and Ajantha Mendis were all run out in a desperate effort to give Kandamby the strike, Sri Lanka were bowled out, 15 runs short with four balls to spare.

The series continues on Tuesday, where India will bid to take an unassailable 3-0 lead.

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