Gautam Gambhir notched up his seventh century while Virat Kohli struck his maiden to script India's series-clinching seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the fourth cricket ODI in Kolkata on Thursday .
Chasing 316 to win the tie and seal the series with one match to go, India found themselves in the morass at 23 for two before Gambhir (150 not out) starred in an 224-run stand with Virat Kohli (107) to inject fresh life into the chase and then completed the formality in Dinesh Karthik's (19 not out) company.
The wobbly start notwithstanding, it was a clinical chase by the Indians who cruised to 317 for three in 48.1 overs to go 3-1 up in the five-match series.
Gambhir, who became the newest member of the 3000-run club, faced 137 balls in his controlled innings, hitting 14 fours in the process.
Kohli's mature 114-ball knock was studded with 11 fours and a six.
Earlier, Upul Tharanga (118) hit his seventh ODI century and starred in a 126-run partnership with captain Kumar Sangakkara (60) as Sri Lanka posted 315 for six, the highest score at the venue till India overwhelmed it.
After Tharanga and Sangakkara had laid the perfect platform for a late charge, debutant Thissara Perera hit a 14-ball 31 to make the most of the batting powerplay and help the visitors cross the 300-mark.
Both the teams now move to Delhi for the fifth and final ODI on Sunday.
India's chase got off to a wobbly start and the Eden Gardens crowd watched in horror as the home side lost both their openers inside four overs with Suranga Lakmal, playing only his second ODI, being the party-pooper.
Stand-in skipper Virender Sewag (10) had begun with a bang, sending the first ball of the innings from Perera to the rope, a treatment he repeated four balls later.
Lakmal, however, had other ideas and his fourth delivery took an edge off Sehwag's blade and nestled into point fielder Tillakaratne Dilshan's safe palms.
In his next over, Lakmal induced Sachin Tendulkar (8) for a doomed cut and Suraj Randiv sent groans across the stadium when he took the catch at cover point.
Their team in dire strait, Kohli and Gambhir showed tremendous maturity as they rebuilt the innings, brick by brick, with some sensible cricket.
For someone who owes his place in the side to Yuvraj Singh's finger injury, Kohli asserted himself with four successive boundaries off Lasith Malinga's first over.
Subsequent overs were not equally rewarding but both ran hard to maintain the run rate.
Kohli fell soon after his century but by then, India had the match in the bag. PTI
