MUMBAI, (Reuters) – India secured top spot in the  test rankings for the first time after handing Sri Lanka a  second successive innings defeat and wrapping up their  three-match series 2-0 yesterday.

Zaheer Khan took three more wickets to record his eighth  five-wicket haul as India won the third and final test by an  innings and 24 runs on the final day.

“I think the real tough task from now on is to maintain this performance,” said India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“The real tough job starts from here.”

Left-arm Zaheer dismissed overnight century-maker Kumar  Sangakkara (137) caught behind in the day’s opening over to  kill off any hopes Sri Lanka had of saving the test.

Resuming on 274-6 and needing 60 runs to make India bat a  second time, Sangakkara edged the third ball to wicketkeeper   Dhoni.

Zaheer then dismissed Rangana Herath (three) and overnight  batsman Nuwan Kulasekara (19) in a fiery four-over spell to  finish with five for 72.

“Zaheer is back in the rhythm and it was good to see the fast bowlers do well in India,” Dhoni said.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh then dismissed Muttiah  Muralitharan for 14 as India wrapped up the tail in 7.4 overs.

“It was tough but India outperformed us in all three  departments of the game in the last two tests,” Sri Lankan  captain Sangakkara said.

“In this game, we nearly put 400 but (Virender) Sehwag came  and took the game away from us.”

The 2-0 series victory saw India jump from third in the  rankings to displace South Africa at the top.

“Fantastic to be at this position,” Indian batting great  Sachin Tendulkar told the official broadcasters.

“I have been waiting a long time to get to this position.  In fact just not me, (the) entire nation.”

Sri Lanka, who are still looking for their first test win  on Indian soil, dropped from second place to fourth in the  rankings, behind Australia.

Opener Sehwag, named player of the match and the series,  scored a spectacular 293 and Dhoni cracked 100 not out to guide  India to their highest innings total of 726 for nine declared.

Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a century and Angelo Mathews  missed out on his maiden century by one run in Sri Lanka’s  first-innings 393.

India opened up 1-0 lead by winning the second test by an innings and 144 runs after the first test ended in a draw.

Sri Lanka will play two Twenty20 internationals and five  one-day internationals starting on Wednesday.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka first innings: 393 (T. Paranavitana 53, T.  Dilshan 109, A. Mathews 99, H. Singh 4-112)
India first innings: 726-9 dec (M. Vijay 87, V. Sehwag 293,  R. Dravid 74, S. Tendulkar 53, V. Laxman 62, M. Dhoni 100 not  out, R. Herath 3-240, M. Muralitharan 4-195)

Sri Lanka second innings (274-6 overnight)
T. Paranavitana lbw b Sreesanth                                54
T. Dilshan lbw b Harbhajan                                           16
K. Sangakkara c Dhoni b Zaheer                               137
M. Jayawardene c Dhoni b Zaheer                             12
T. Samaraweera c Laxman b Zaheer                           0
A. Mathews c Dhoni b Ojha                                             5
P. Jayawardene lbw b Ojha                                          32
N. Kulasekara c Laxman b Zaheer                             19
R. Herath c Ojha b Zaheer                                               3
M. Muralitharan c Dhoni b Harbhajan                    14
C. Welegedara not out                                                      0
Extras (b-12, lb-1, w-1, nb-3)                                     17
Total (all out; 100.4 overs)                                      309
Fall of wickets: 1-29 2-119 3-135 4-137 5-144 6-208 7-278  8-282 9-307
Bowling: Harbhajan 34.4-5-80-2, Ojha 23-4-84-2, Zaheer  21-5-72-5 (nb-1), Sreesanth 13-4-36-1 (nb-2, w-1), Sehwag  9-2-24-0