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JAIPUR, India, Oct 31 (AFP): Mahendra Dhoni slammed a blistering 183 not out as India scored a superb six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third one-day international at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here Monday.
The swashbuckling batsman set an Indian record of sixes, registered the highest score by a wicketkeeper in one-dayers and the second-highest by an Indian batsman as his team overhauled Sri Lanka's 298-4 with 23 balls to spare.
Dhoni struck 10 sixes and 16 fours to upstage his counterpart Kumar Sangakkara's career-best 138 not out and helped India to a 3-0 lead in the seven-match series.
The 24-year-old bettered Australian Adam Gilchrist's 172 against Zimbabwe in Hobart in 2002, the previous highest by a gloveman.
Dhoni took four sixes off Upul Chandana and two each off Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas and Farveez Maharoof to beat the mark of seven sixes by Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who did it twice each.
His tally of sixes was just one short of Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya and Pakistan's Shahid Afridi, who jointly hold the world record of 11 sixes in a match.
Dhoni's score was three adrift of Sachin Tendulkar's Indian record of 186 not out set against New Zealand in Hyderabad six years ago and equalled the second-highest score -- by Sourav Ganguly.
Dhoni went in after the first-over dismissal of Tendulkar for two. He chased and edged a ball outside the off stump from Vaas after scores of 93 and 70 not out in the first two matches.
India raced to 148-2 in just 20 overs but Dhoni was in no mood to let up, dominating crucial stands of 92 with big hitting opener Virender Sehwag (39) and 86 for the third wicket with captain Rahul Dravid (28).
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