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Skipper Rahul Dravid credits victory to match plan

     Nagpur: Indian Cricket captain Rahul Dravid said on Tuesday that a well-oiled match plan helped the team post a big win over Sri Lanka in the seven-match series opener here today. "We are very happy to start the series in this way, it was good, convincing all round performance. I think in most departments of the game we have played very well. It was a good team performance. It's not very often that you win games with such a big margin you have got to really play well especially against a very good team like Sri Lanka to win by such a big margin. Everything clicked for us today all that we planned really worked out to perfection. It does not work like that, today was just one of those days when we played really good cricket and it worked for us," Dravid told reporters at the post-match news conference.

   India amassed 350 for six wickets in 50 overs and dismissed Sri Lanka for 198 with 14.2 overs to spare. Sachin Tendulkar top-scored with 93 on his return from injury to guide India to a mammoth total. Tendulkar, who underwent elbow surgery in May, shared in a 164- run second wicket partnership with Irfan Pathan from just 137 balls after Dravid chose to bat first. Off spinner Harbhajan Singh struck three quick blows to reduce Sri Lanka to 88 for five in 15 overs as the slow bowlers took command. He finished with three wickets. Pathan, promoted up the order, hit a 70-ball 83 before Dravid took over to lash 85 not out in 63 balls. Indian cricket fans across the nation celebrated the victory, which came after a long gap. "Irfan Pathan was good and Murli Karthik's induction into the team was a good step. Overall today's game was good," said Anup Sharma, a cricket fan. Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya (27) and Kumar Sangakkara (43) added 64 runs at nearly seven an over for the second wicket but Harbhajan had the former caught at cover to trigger the collapse. The next match in the seven-game series will be played in Mohali on Friday.