The duo carved through the top order as India, defending a modest 179, bowled out the world champions out 98 with 11 overs to spare.

Sri Lanka's third successive defeat left them tottering on the brink of elimination from the three-nation event, while India cruised through to the final next Friday with three wins in a row.

Sri Lanka's slim hopes of making the final rest on a comprehensive victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday - provided India also defeat the Zimbabweans in the last league match on Wednesday.

That would leave Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe with one win, with India's opponents decided on net run-rate.

Agarkar finished with three for 35 and Srinath two for 20. Left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi polished off the tail with 3-17 from 10 overs.

The slide began with the second ball of the innings when Sanath Jayasuriya played on an outswinger from Srinath.

Agarkar, a 21-year-old from Bombay, also struck in his first over as he trapped the other opener Avishka Gunawardena leg-before to make it two for 2.

Agarkar was unlucky not to strike again six runs later when New Zealand umpire Steve Dunne turned down an appeal for a catch at the wicket against Aravinda De Silva.

Television replays showed a big edge. De Silva, however, was only to make 29 before falling to a contentious catch behind the stumps off Joshi.

Agarkar, however, hit back as he yorked Marvan Atapattu and had Roshan Mahanama leg-before off successive deliveries in his fourth over.

Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga prevented the hat-trick, but perished to a superb reflex catch at short leg by Robin Singh off Srinath for nine and when Romesh Kaluwitharana was run out for zero by a direct throw from Joshi the Sri Lankans were struggling at 47-6 in the 14th over.

De Silva was seventh out at 66. This time the replay showed he had not touched the ball but De Silva was still booed off the field by some 10,000 Indian supporters and banged his bat on the pavilion steps before storming inside.

Ranatunga played down the umpiring errors and instead blamed the continued failure of the batsmen for his team's poor showing.

``The batsmen struggled for the third match in a row in this tournament and that really let us down,'' he said.

``We did exceptionally well in the field in the first session but then undid all the good work. It's not going to be easy now to make the final.''

Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin said: ``Srinath and Agarkar did us proud this evening. I though it was all over when we were bowled out for nothing.''

Sri Lanka's defeat marred their outstanding display in the field during the first session.

Atapattu stood out with three catches and two run-outs and spinner Kumara Dharmasena took three for 31 after Ranatunga won the toss and sent the Indians in.

Vice-captain Ajay Jadeja, who walked in at 18 for two and saw his team slip to 118 for six, shored up India's tottering innings with 64. Azharuddin's decision to drop himself down the order backfired as he walked in the 13th over at 36 for four after Sachin Tendulkar fell for 18 and his opening partner Saurav Ganguly without scoring.

Early Report...

Sri Lanka bowl out India for 179 in must-win match

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Nov 9 (AFP) - Sri Lanka, a defeat away from being knocked out of the Champions Trophy, shot India out for 179 in their return game here on Monday.

Marvan Atapattu stood out with three catches and two run outs and Kumara Dharmasena took 3-31 as the world champions fought back after losing both their matches in the first round of the double-leg league. The Indians, the only unbeaten team in the three-nation event also fea= turing Zimbabwe, put up a lacklustre display after being sent in to bat in the day-night international.

Vice-captain Ajay Jadeja, who walked in at 18-2 and saw his team slip to 118-6, shored up the tottering innings with a defiant 64. The slide began early in the second over when Saurav Ganguly was run o= ut by a direct throw from Atapattu when Sachin Tendulkar turned down his call f= or a sharp single.

Pramodaya Wickremasinghe, playing his first match in the tournament in place of the injured Nuwan Zoysa, then had Mongia and Tendulkar caught at mid-off by Atapattu to make India 29-3 in the 12th over. Tendulkar, who scored his 20th one-day century on Sunday against Zimba= bwe, made 18 when he failed to clear the infield with a lofted drive. Mohammad Azharuddin's decision to drop himself down the order backfired as he walked in the 13th over at 36-4 after Robin Singh was caught behind off Dharmasena.

Azharuddin made 26 in a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket with Jadeja, before Atapattu gobbled up his third catch, this time on the deep mid-wicket fence as the batsman pulled Tilan Samaraweera. Nikhil Chopra hit the fourth boundary of the innings in the 37th over, lofting Sanath Jayasuriya to mid-on, when he fell to a spectacular diving catch at mid-wicket by Roshan Mahanama. Mahanama, who had earlier let off Tendulkar in the slips, flung himsel= f to his left as Chopra pulled Dharmasena, catching the ball with both hands inches off the ground.

Jadeja reached his half-century in the 41st over by smashing Aravinda De Silva out of the stadium for the only six of the innings. Atapattu ended the innings by running out Anil Kumble in the last over.