India's Yuvraj Singh celebrates his team's victory over Sri Lanka during the fourth and final one-day international in Visakhapatnam yesterday. -Reuters

VISHAKHAPATNAM, India (AP):

YUVRAJ SINGH and Sourav Ganguly smashed unbeaten half centuries yesterday as India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets to clinch the four-match limited-overs series in both team's last match before the Cricket World Cup.

Singh (95 not out) and Ganguly (58 not out) put on 145 runs for the fourth wicket off 143 balls to race India to the victory target of 260 runs with six overs to spare.

Such was Singh's dominance that he plundered 22 runs, including four boundaries and one six, in Farveez Maharoof's last over to finish the match.

Singh's innings, studded with 11 boundaries and three sixes, marked his return to form after his three-month absence with a knee injury.

Ganguly opened the Indian innings, but left the field after playing two balls complaining of cramps in his thigh.

He resumed batting at the fall of India's second wicket and clobbered three sixes and three fours to the delight of 30,000-strong Andhra Cricket Stadium crowd.

Man of the series

Ganguly was declared Man of the Series for scoring a total of 168 runs.

The teams entered yesterday's match level at 1-1 after Sri Lanka won the second match at Rajkot and India romping home in the third game at Margao. The opening game in Calcutta was abandoned after heavy showers disrupted play.

"India played very good cricket," said Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene after the match.

"On a wicket like this if you have to control the Indian batting line-up, you have to take wickets. We didn't bowl in the right areas," Jayawardene said.

Rahul Dravid, who is yet to lose a series at home since he took over as India's captain in October 2005, said the team has to perform like this on a regular basis.

"The whole team played well. It's a good sign before the World Cup," Dravid said.

Umpires Simon Taufel and Ameesh Saheba ordered a delayed start yesterday because of a wet outfield caused by overnight dew in this southern Indian coastal city, reducing the game to 47 overs per side.

Early movement of the ball and some poor shot selection brought the downfall of key Sri Lankan batsmen when they were asked to bat first by India after winning the toss. The wicket was more playable by the time India came out to bat.

Chamara Silva compiled a determined maiden limited overs century to help Sri Lanka recover to 259-7.

After coming in with Sri Lanka at 53-3, Silva (107 not out) steered his side from a dismal position 125-5 with a 68-run fifth-wicket with Tillekaratne Dilshan (28) and a 64-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Farveez Maharoof (28).

Silva's knock, featuring 12 boundaries and one six, raised Sri Lanka's hopes of posting a challenging target.