Skipper Hemang Badani led from the front with an unbeaten 85 as India entered the final of the Kenstar Asian 'A' Teams' cricket tournament after a fluent seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Kolkata on Friday.

Chasing a target of 201, the Indians got the required runs in 39.2 overs and garnered six points, including one bonus, to boost their points tally to 13 from three outings.

Sri Lanka have 10 points from three matches, while Pakistan have a solitary point from two outings.

The Sri Lankans, who batted first after winning the toss, found the Indian bowling too hot to handle and folded up for 200 in 47 overs.

In reply, the hosts lost Sanjay Bangar (15) and Mohammad Kaif (0) early on, before Badani and opener Gautam Gambhir (51) added 85 runs for the third wicket to swing the game India's way.

In-form batsman Gambhir (86 balls,6 fours) continued his fine show to notch his third 50-plus score in the tournament in as many innings. He had earlier got 113 and 82 in the first two matches.

Badani, who was unable to get a big score for quite some time, found his touch and proved his detractors wrong with a fine innings. His 85 included eight fours and a six.

Once Gambhir departed, Yuvraj Singh (33 not out -- 34 balls, three fours) joined man of the match Badani and the two remained unseparated with a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket to carry India to victory with ten balls to spare.

Earlier, the Indian bowlers came up with another fine performance to restrict Sri Lanka to 200 on a slow wicket.

The Lankans found the going tough, especially early on as the Indian pacemen utilised the juice on the track to pick three quick wickets.

Struggling at 39 for three, the visitors were rescued by a fine 85-run fourth wicket partnership between opener S Jayantha (65; 83 b, 6x4, 2x6) and Naveed Nawaz (57; 78 b, 3x4, 2x6). But once they left, the other batsmen failed to come to terms with the pitch and the Indian attack as the visitors' innings folded for 200 in 49 overs.

Earlier the match was off to a sensational start when pacer Amit Bhandari, the hero of the hosts' emphatic win over Pakistan A yesterday, scalped Kalavitigoda without a run on the board. The batsman offered a defensive shot to an away-going ball and Sanjay Bangar took a simple catch in the slips.

Jehan Mubarak (0) also did not last long but the Lankans suffered a big blow when in-form skipper Russel Arnold (9) got out for the first time in the tournament giving a catch to Gautam Gambhir off first change bowler Bangar.

Arnold, who scripted Lanka's triumph against both India and Pakistan in the earlier matches, now has a tally of 205 runs.

Jayantha and Nawaz played responsibly without taking risks and kept the scoreboard moving with singles and twos. Jayantha hit the first six of the match, despatching Bhandari over the square leg fence and completed his 50 in the 22nd over, off 62 balls, before he tried to sweep Sairaj Bahutule and holed out to Dinesh Mongia at deep square leg.

A little later, Nawaz got his second 50 of the tournament in great style, as he lifted Bahutule over long off to move from 48 to 54. However, he was adjudged leg before to a Sarandeep Singh delivery soon after and his dismissal set off a procession of the rest of the Sri Lankan batsmen to the pavilion.

Bangar (3/43) was the most succssful Indian bowler, with Bhandari, Munaf Patel and Sarandeep picking two wickets each.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka
S Kalavitigoda c Bangar b Bhandari 0
S Jayantha c Mongia b Bahutule 65
J Mubarrak lbw Patel 0
R Arnold c Gambhir b Bangar 9
N Nawaz lbw b S Singh 57
C Silva b Patel 17
P Jayawardene c Bahutule b S Singh 1
P Maharaoof c Kaif b Bhandari 6
N Zoysa c Gambhir b Bangar 20
R Herath not out 10
N Kulasekara lbw Bangar 2

Extras: (lb-8, nb-2, w-3) 13

Total: (all out in 47 overs) 200

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-3, 3-39, 4-124, 5-153, 6-159, 7-162, 8-176, 9-196.

Bowling: Bhandari 8-2-33-2, Patel 10-0-33-2, Bangar 9-1-43-3, Bahutule 10-0-52-1, Sarandeep Singh 10-1-31-2.

India:
G Gambhir c Arnold b Zoysa 51
S Bangar c Nawaz b Kulasekara 15
M Kaif lbw b Maharoof 0
H Badani not out 85
Y Singh not out 33

Extras: (lb-5, nb-7) 17

Total: (for 3 wkts in 39.2 overs) 201

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-45, 3-130

Bowling: Zoysa 10-1-40-1, Maharoof 6-0-23-1, Kulasekara 8-0-48-1, Jayantha 3-0-13-0, Arnold 6.2-0-39-0, Herath 6-0-33-0.