Finance
Virat Kohli’s 45th ODI century, along with captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill fifties, propelled India to a 67-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first game of the three-match series on Tuesday at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
An opening stand of 143 between Gill (70 off 60 balls) and Rohit (83 off 67 balls) put India in command early and set the tone for a big total. Then Kohli smashed his second consecutive ODI century, 113 off 87 balls, capitalizing on two reprieves while hitting 12 fours and a six to help India reach an unlikely 373/7.
Sri Lanka made 306/8 in response, with Shanaka’s 88-ball 102 arriving too late after opener Pathum Nissanka made 72 off 80 balls. Umran Malik, a young tearaway pacer, took 3/57, while Mohammed Siraj took an impressive 2/30. The hosts now lead the three-match series 1-0 thanks to wickets from Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Hardik Pandya.
Kohli was initially wary on a flat pitch with a lightning-quick outfield. He then got his first two boundaries by driving off his wrists against Shanaka, and when Wanindu Hasaranga dropped short, he quickly went on the backfoot and whipped through mid-wicket for a pair of boundaries.
He had great timing in his drives, such as when he drove on a length ball outside the off-stump off debutant Dilshan Madushanka’s run through the fast outfield for a boundary. He was a wizard with whips off the wrist, such as the one that went over mid-wicket for six and gave him his fifty.
Kohli was in imperious form, picking slower deliveries with ease and ramping short balls over the keeper’s head while maintaining the balance between front and back foot strokeplay, and he earned reprieves when his catches on 52 and 81 were dropped.
Soon after, he hit his second century at the venue off 80 balls, punching the air in delight and receiving a rousing applause from the crowd. Kohli fell after picking two more boundaries with his slog-sweep off Kasun Rajitha brought out a top-edge and was caught by the keeper, bringing an end to a spectacular knock.
Rohit, who was forced to bat first, got India started with a silken drive through mid-off for four off Kasun Rajitha in the first over. From there, it was a boundary hitting display from Rohit and Gill, displaying their full range of shots in an appealing display of stroke play on the power-play.
The most entertaining was Gill cutting twice and slicing off Madushanka for a hat-trick of fours, while Rohit was assured in his pulls off Rajitha as India scored 75 off power-play. Rohit also survived two DRS calls on lbws before reaching his 47th ODI fifty with a sweep through backward square leg off leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
Gill also overcame a lbw review on an umpire’s call to reach his fifth half-century in 16 ODI innings off 51 balls. He completed another hat-trick of boundaries against left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage, whipping twice and driving once before smashing a six over the bowler’s head.
Gill’s opening partnership came to an end when he was beaten on the flick and trapped lbw by Shanaka. After four overs, Rohit got a big inside edge off Madushanka and his off-stump was uprooted.
Shreyas Iyer increased the tempo with quick boundaries, but his sweep to backward square leg off Dhananjaya de Silva was mistimed. KL Rahul batted well in his 29-ball 39 before his leg-stump was smashed off Rajitha.
Hardik and Axar Patel struggled with the bat as 17 runs were scored in the final three overs. However, the efforts of Kohli, Rohit, and Gill ensured that India posted a large total, as the top six batters batted with a strike rate of more than 100.
Nissanka began her chase for 374 with three boundaries off Shami. But Siraj aided India’s comeback by forcing Avishka Fernando to miscue a leading edge to mid-off and then castingling Kusal Mendis through the gate with a sharp nip-backer.
Nissanka and Charith Asalanka shared a 41-run stand before Umran had the latter gloving behind to keeper, though replays later revealed there was no bat involved. Nissanka kept driving and sweeping with ease while de Silva took time before driving, lofting and sweeping effortlessly.
Shami got a length ball to swerve away and forced the latter to nick behind without any footwork, ending the 72-run partnership for 47. Nissanka’s fighting knock ended six overs later when he mistimed a pull to mid-wicket off Umran.
Hasaranga smacked Chahal for two sixes over midwicket and lofted a four over cover. The leg-spinner, however, had the last laugh when the right-handed batter holed out to deep mid-wicket. Umran had Wellalage caught at first slip for a golden duck in the next over, cementing Sri Lanka’s crumbling.
Chamika Karunaratne was caught trying to loft off Hardik and hit straight to mid-on. Shanaka was fighting valiantly for Sri Lanka, lofting uppishly while slamming and timing the ball hard to get boundaries and get his fifty in as many balls.
On the up, he continued to drive, loft, pull, and slash before reaching his century in 87 balls with a cover drive off Shami in the final over, after Rohit withdrew his appeal for a run-out from the non-end striker’s when he was at 98.
Shanaka finished the innings with a six over deep midwicket, bringing up the century of his 73-ball partnership with Rajitha as well as the side’s 300. But it wasn’t enough to keep Sri Lanka from losing the first game of the series.
Brief Scores: India 373/7 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 113, Rohit Sharma 83; Kasun Rajitha 3/88, Dasun Shanaka 1/22) beat Sri Lanka 306/8 in 50 overs (Dasun Shanaka 108 not out, Pathum Nissanka 72; Umran Malik 3/57, Mohammed Siraj 2/30) by 67 runs
Source:OCN
