Asia Cup Cricket - @ Sri Lanka

Maharoof hat-trick helps Sri Lanka thump India Dambulla: Farveez Maharoof bagged a sensational hat-trick to destroy the Indian batting and helped Sri Lanka coast to a resounding seven-wicket win in the Asia Cup on Tuesday.         When the lanky allrounder came to bowl the 39th over, just after Indian skipper MS Dhoni was run out, India were in a rather strong position at 189 for five. But when he completed it. India were close to the end of their innings. India made 209, the last five wickets yielding just 20 runs.In reply, Sri Lanka romkped home iwth 75 balls to spare, The teams will meet again in the final on Thursday.        Kumar Sangakkara (73 off 82 balls, 10x4 1x6) gave himself good match practice ahead of the final. He and Mahela Jayawardene (53 not out), put on 104 runs for the third wicket. The Indian bowlers, in contrast, were all at sea.        Maharoof, who became the third Sri lankian bowler to get a hat-trick after Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga, completed his extraordinary effort by dismissing Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar and Zaheer Khan in that order.        Maharoof, a surprise selection for the Asia Cup, started an excellent over by taking out Jadeja, who was expected to hand in there to support Rohit Sharma. Bu the left-hander moved across the stumps and a straight ball rapped his pads, Praveen edged an incoming ball on to his stumps and then Zaheer edged an angled delivery to Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps.        Earlier, Sri Lanka opted to field first. In the dress rehearsal to the final, the hosts preferred to field first considering the fact that they might be needed to bat second in the title clash.       The Indians got a rude shock and now will have to come up with a special effort on Thursday, Only Rohit looked determined to stay at the crease. His crafty 69 was the saving grace in the Indian innings along with skipper Mahendr4a Singh Dhoni's 41. They added 79 runs for the fifth wicket.