India beat Sri Lanka by 317 runs in the third ODI to record the biggest victory in ODI cricket
India 390/5 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 166 not out, Shubman Gill 116, Kasun Rajitha 2-81, Lahiru Kumara 2-87)
Sri Lanka 73 all out in 22 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 19; Mohammed Siraj 4-32, Kuldeep Yadav 2-16)
A massive 317-run victory over Sri Lanka helped India win the ODI series 3-0 on Sunday night, and it also got Rohit Sharma's team into the record books, for the biggest win in ODI cricket. The record was earlier held by New Zealand when they beat Ireland by 290 runs in 2008.
After Virat Kohli dished out another batting masterclass on a placid pitch with his 46th ODI century and Shubman Gill strengthened his chances of being a long-term opener with his second hundred and propel India to a mammoth 390/5 on a slow, flat pitch, Sri Lanka crumbled like a pack of cards.
They were all out for just 73 in just 22 overs, their fourth-lowest total in the history of the format. Mohammed Siraj got the ball to move around to run through the top order and pick his career-best figures of 4-32 in ten overs, while Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav had figures of 2-20 and 2-16 respectively in India's dominating victory.
Under scoreboard pressure, Sri Lanka just wilted and couldn't put up a fight. Siraj, central to India's success in Power-play in ODIs, delivered the first blow by having Avishka Fernando edge straight to the first slip for a low catch.
In his next over, Siraj used his wobble-seam delivery to force Kusal Mendis into nicking behind to the keeper. Shami was next to strike, coercing Charith Asalanka to punch straight to the backward point.
Siraj had his third wicket when Nuwanidu Fernando went for an expansive drive to an outswinger and chopped onto his stumps. In the final over of the first Power-play, Siraj got his wobble-seam delivery to nip back in from outside off and rattle Wanindu Hasaranga's off-stump.
With half the side back in the pavilion, panic ensued, resulting in a bizarre run-out of Chamika Karunaratne, who was out of the crease after defending against Siraj, and saw the bowler fire in a direct hit at the striker's end.
The crumbling continued with Kuldeep drawing Dasun Shanaka forward and then castling him through the gate. Dunith Wellalage, coming in as a concussion substitute for Jeffrey Vandersay after his nasty collision with Ashen Bandara while fielding, chipped a drive straight to point off Shami.
With Bandara absent injured, Kuldeep finished off the match by castling Lahiru Kumara and ending a 22-run partnership for the ninth wicket, completing a monstrous victory for India.
India celebrating the win over Sri Lanka in the 3rd ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram on the 15th January 2023
(Photo: BCCI)
Electing to bat first, India had a sedate start, making only 19 runs in the first five overs. Rohit set the tone for the aggression, stylishly flicking over deep mid-wicket for six off Lahiru Kumara. Gill joined the fun in the same over by getting four consecutive boundaries through steer, drives and flick.
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 ending the first power-play with a flick going past mid-on for four, as India amassed 75 runs in the first ten overs.
The 95-run opening stand was broken by Chamika Karunaratne when Rohit pulled straight to deep square leg in the 16th over. Kohli arrived and looked in the mood of playing another exquisite knock by hitting three sublime boundaries, both off the front foot and back foot.
After Gill reached his fifty in 52 balls, he began to grow in confidence - slog-sweeping a Jeffrey Vandersay delivery over deep mid-wicket for six and then leant into a front foot drive past mid-off for four more. He went on to cash on Nuwanidu Fernandocs part-time off-spin, getting a four past the outside edge and then bringing out an elegant loft over long-off for six.
On the very next ball, after Kohli got his fifty, Gill notched up his second ODI century off only 89 balls. The duo pressed the accelerator pedal by taking four boundaries off Vandersay in the 32nd over before Gill was bowled by an off-cutter which kept low off Rajitha for 116 in the next over.
From there, Kohli took charge and unleashed carnage on Sri Lanka bowlers, making them look clueless and toothless. Slower deliveries were being dispatched for boundaries and Kohli came down the pitch to get his runs in the quick clip. There was quick running between the wickets which added more fluency to his century number 46 in ODIs bringing off only 85 balls.
Kohli then produced the shot of the innings - dancing down the pitch to slam a slower ball from Rajitha over long-on for six, whose follow-through had shades of M.S Dhoni's helicopter shot. More fireworks came from Kohli as he sliced and lofted off Karunaratne before punching him through cover for four more.
Though Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and K.L Rahul fell, there was no stopping Kohli, who was lofting, driving, flicking, and then got his 150 with a six whacked over deep mid-wicket off Kumara in the final over. He applied the finishing touches to mammoth innings with a pull and dab going for four and six respectively as India got 116 runs in the last ten overs.
(With inputs from IANS)
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