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While the entire country was praying for India`s victory in today`s see-saw series opener, Man of the Match Virender Sehwag said he was actually supporting Sri Lanka in the high-scoring humdinger.

"I was not tense at all because I was supporting Sri Lanka," Sehwag said after India staved off Sri Lanka`s spirited response to eke out a narrow three-run win.

"I`ve this superstition that whenever I support India, we lose. So I was supporting Sri Lanka here and was never tense," explained Sehwag, who hammered a 102-ball 146 with 17 fours and six sixes in it.

In reply to India`s highest ODI total of 414 for seven, Sri Lanka were going steady at 401 for five in 48 overs before they lost the plot and could not score the 11 runs required from the last over.

On his personal form, Sehwag said he was trying to bring his ODI record at par with his Test batting and was ready to show restraint early in his innings before going berserk.

"I am in good form. I scored 200 in Tests, 50 in Twenty20 and was telling myself I am in good form I have to utilise it.

"I knew I have to be careful in the first 10-15 overs and then it would be my day when I can score 100 or more.”

"I have been scoring big centuries in Test matches but was getting out for 40s and 50s in ODIs. I thought it`s time to convert those starts into big knocks," he explained.

The Indians were guilty of dropping three catches, two of them sitters, and the ground fielding also left much to be desired. They had dropped as many as ten catches in the two Twenty matches.

The two teams will now travel to Nagpur for the second game to be played under flooodlights on Friday.

The Lankan run chase began with a flourish as the two openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga (67) tore the Indian bowling attack to shreds on a good batting strip.

None of the Indians bowlers could manage to stop the run flow in the early stages as both the batsmen unleashed a barrage of strokes.

Tharanga got a reprieve when he was on ten with Virat Kohli dropping a sitter at the point region much to the dismay of his teammates who have suddenly developed the habit of dropping catches far too often.

Dilshan and Tharanga put on a rollicking 188-run opening partnership to provide the flatform for the mammoth run chase.

Part-timer Suresh Raina provided the breakthrough when Tharanga stepped out but missed the line and Dhoni whipped off the bails behind the stumps.

Captain Kumar Sangakkara joined the action after Tharanga`s dismissal and immediately got into the act by going after the bowlers with a fine exhibition of strokeplay.

Sangakkara notched up his 50th half century in quick time as the two experienced player brought the asking rate down and took the islanders closer to the victory target.

The lankan captain seemed to be in ominous form and was nearing his century when he mistimed his pull and Ravindra Jadeja held on to a simple catch at the fence off Pravin Kumar. His 90 came off just 43 balls and contained ten fours and five sixes.

The vastly experienced Sanath Jayasuriya, who came in at the number four slot, did not survive long as he fell to Harbhajan Singh.

Harbhajan struck a vital blow in his last over by getting rid of Dilshan, who stepped out but missed the line completely to see his off-stump knocked down.

Mahela Jayawardene was run out a couple of overs later and Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother as they slipped to 345 for five from a comfortable 316 for one.

Earlier, India surpassed their previous best total of 413 for five which they made against Bermuda at Port of Spain during the 2007 World Cup.

Sehwag, who took a heavy toll of the Lanka bowlers in the Tests, was unstoppable after a cautious beginning and made a career-best 146 in just 102 balls with 17 fours and six.

Sehwag and Tendulkar, who played the perfect foil to make a fine 63-ball 69 with 10 fours and a six before being bowled by Dilhara Fernando, laid a solid foundation with a 153-run partnership after Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara opted to field first on winning the toss.

After Tendulkar’s departure in the 20th over, Sehwag and Dhoni (72 off 63 balls) got involved in a splendid 156-run partnership for the second wicket to take India past the 300-mark in the 35th over