India defeated Sri Lanka by 317 runs: With a 317-run thumping of Sri Lanka on Sunday at Greenfield International Stadium, Virat Kohli delivered another batting masterclass with his 46th ODI century, Shubman Gill scored his second hundred, and Mohammed Siraj collected 4 wickets in 3rd ODI. This gave India a 3-0 series win.
On a slow but calm pitch, Kohli got his innings going fast and held it together for a good portion of it as he reached his ninth hundred against Sri Lanka and remained unbeaten at 166 off 110 balls. In his third century in the past four ODI innings, Kohli blasted a weak bowling attack with 13 fours and eight sixes.
He collected 84 of the 116 runs India scored in the final ten overs, effectively batting Sri Lanka out of the game. Along with Gill, he shared a 131-run partnership that helped India reach a massive 390/5. Gill was brilliant in his 116 off 97 balls, striking 14 fours and two sixes.
Mohammed Siraj collected 4 wickets
In response, Sri Lanka collapsed to score just 73 runs in 22 overs, their fourth-lowest total in the history of the game, giving India their largest margin of victory in ODIs. In 10 overs, Mohammed Siraj ran through the top order to record his best career performance of 4-32, while Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav contributed figures of 2-20 and 2-16, respectively, to India’s resounding triumph.
India, who chose to bat first, got off to a slow start, scoring just 19 runs in the opening five overs. By skilfully flicking over deep mid-wicket for six off Lahiru Kumara, Rohit set the tone for the assault. Rohit was timing his shots beautifully like a straight-drive slammed down the ground off Rajitha and oozed elegance while pulling and lofting for sixes before flicking past mid-on for four, as India amassed 75 runs in the first ten overs.
The opening stand of 95 runs was ended by Chamika Karunaratne in the 16th over when Rohit pulled straight to deep square leg. When Kohli arrived, he immediately gave the impression that he was in the mood to play another outstanding innings by launching three immaculate boundaries, both off the front foot and the back foot.
In the 52 balls it took Gill to reach his fifty, he showed signs of increased self-assurance and slog-swept Jeffrey Vandersay over deep mid-wicket for six before leaning into a front foot drive past mid-off for four more. He profited from Nuwanidu Fernando’s occasional off-spin by getting a four past the outside edge and then producing a chic loft over long-off for six.
Virat Kohli Scores 46th ODI Hundred
After Kohli reached fifty, Gill scored his second ODI century off 89 balls on the very next ball. The pair accelerated the pace by hitting four boundaries off Vandersay in the 32nd over before Gill was dismissed for 116 in the 33rd over by an off-cutter that was maintained low off Rajitha. As fielders lost catches aside from a terrible collision between Ashen Bandara and Vandersay, Kohli then unleashed havoc on the Sri Lankan bowlers. In addition to hitting loose balls for boundaries, Kohli also came down the field to get his runs in quickly. His century took only 85 balls, and it was more fluid because to his rapid running between the wickets.
Although Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and K.L. Rahul were dismissed, Kohli was unstoppable. He was lofting, driving, flicking, and in the penultimate over, from Kumara, he hit a six over deep mid-wicket to complete his 150. With a draw and a dab that went for four and six runs, respectively, he put the finishing touches on the innings, scoring 84 runs off the final 34 balls he faced.
Under the strain of the scoreboard, Sri Lanka simply withered and was powerless to resist. Siraj, who was instrumental in India’s victory in the first ten ODI overs, struck first by getting Fernando to edge to first slip for a poor catch.
Brief scores: India 390/5 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 166 not out, Shubman Gill 116, Kasun Rajitha 2-81, Lahiru Kumara 2-87) beat Sri Lanka 73 all out in 22 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 19; Mohammed Siraj 4-32, Kuldeep Yadav 2-16) by 317 runs
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