India v Sri Lanka, 2005-06

At Pune, November 3, 2005. India won by four wickets. Toss: India.

India belied their reputation as poor chasers with another commanding performance, making light of the early loss of Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh to overhaul Sri Lanka's competitive total with remarkable ease and clinch the series. After his amazing performance in the previous match, Dhoni showed he was also capable of normal batting, with a sensible innings that pushed his side over the line after Dravid and Venugopal Rao had repaired the early damage. Dhoni, India's newest pin-up boy, displayed much common sense to shepherd Suresh Raina, an 18-year-old left-hander, in a seventh-wicket partnership that ensured victory, brought up by Dhoni with successive sixes off Arnold. Earlier, Sri Lanka had looked like setting a more challenging target, after Atapattu made a solid 87, but the last six wickets tumbled for 30. The chief destroyer was Agarkar, who finished with five for 44 and also ran out Zoysa.

Man of the Match: A. B. Agarkar.