Sri Lanka v India, 4th ODI – 5 Talking Points

Having chased the mediocre totals in the last three ODIs, Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided to pile up some big runs and flex muscles. Opener Rohit Sharma cracked his second consecutive century of the series, while in-form batsman Shikhar Dhawan failed to cash into the opportunity. Sharma milked the medium-pacers to his delight and timed the spinners to perfection. Captain Virat Kohli, who replaced Dhawan in the very second over of the match, looked threatening from the start, and at one point it seemed like he might well score his maiden double hundred at Colombo this evening.

The duo- put on a stand of 219 runs before Kohli was dismissed for 131 off 96 balls in the 30th over of the game. Sharma went back to the pavilion for 104, and post that it was Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni’s three figure partnership that took India to 375/5 in 50 overs. The Lankans could not put on a fight once again and lost all their wickets under 43 overs. The hosts got dismissed for 207, handing India another emphatic victory. Let’s check out the five talking points of the match.

1. Rohit Sharma makes it two in two

The Indian opener started in good fashion and brought up his second consecutive hundred in style. It was his 13th hundred overall and 4th against the Lankans. Before the start of the series, there were concerns about Rohit Sharma’s form as he missed out in the 1st ODI, courtesy a run out, where his bat got struck, even though he covered the distance, staying in the air.

The statsman told us that Sharma has failed to cross double digits in his last seven outings in the Island nation. Now, what do you do to change the numbers? Score runs, lot many runs. And that is exactly what the opener did. Sharma scored an unbeaten 124* in the last game, and along with Dhoni, he took India over the finishing lines. Here he was batting first, but the result was same- a hundred once again in a winning cause.

2. Skipper Kohli flexes his muscles

After an unbeaten 80 odd runs in the openings match of the ODI series, it was expected of Kohli to pile up some big numbers. He looked hungry, he looked determined and carried the same passion, which he has been carrying for the last nine years. The right-handed batsman was cleaned up by Akila Dhananjaya in the 2nd game, and his expression can any day replace a million dollar wall portrait.

He once again failed to find the runs in the 3rd ODI and got out without disturbing the scorers. He won the toss once again, 6th time in this tour and chose to bat first for the first time in this series. He came in at a stage where India had just lost their first wicket in the face of Dhawan, but that didn’t bother him much. He forged a 200-plus stand with Sharma and in the process brought up his 29th hundred. He looked set for a double, with about a T20 match sort of overs on offer but lost his wicket to Lasith Malinga.

3. Malinga & Co. looked hapless

It seemed like India were toying the Sri Lankan bowlers at their own backyard.  Experienced campaigner Lasith Malinga once again failed to display his charisma, as he bowled 10 overs for 82 runs with just one wicket. The Indian team didn’t had much trouble playing the Lankan bowlers. Sensational spinner Akila Dhananjaya too failed to keep the batsmen under check, as he gave away 68 runs in his 10 overs and picked up the lone wicket of KL Rahul.

25-year old Muthuthanthrige Vishwa Thilina Fernando started off well with a wicket in his very first over and that too of the big man Shikhar Dhawan but went for 9.50 per over, as the likes of Rohit and Kohli took him to the cleaners. He failed to capitalise on the good start and ended up with figures of 76/1.

4. MS Dhoni runs past records

Playing his 300th ODI match, MS Dhoni couldn’t have asked for more. He equalled with Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara for most ODI games by a wicketkeeper and stayed unbeaten for the third time in a row. The former skipper once again brought out his best by scoring at will and stitching a vital stand with Manish Pandey to take India to 375/5.  He remained unbeaten on 49 from 42 balls and picked up the record for most not out innings (73).

Dhoni stayed true to his tag of a finisher, as he guided India to victories in the last two games when the going was tough. In the 2nd game, India were struggling at 131/7 but a matured knock of 47*, and a vital stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar took India home. In the 3rd ODI too, India were in a spot of bother at 61/4 and he once again rescued his team in an emphatic manner. With the Indian team setting its base for the 2019 World Cup, Dhoni will clearly be in the scheme of things unless he walks off in his typical way.

5. Angelo Mathews- The lone sailor

You have got to feel for the former Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews. He dives, scores runs with the bat, takes important wickets with the ball but still ends up on the losing side. The all-rounder picked up the wickets of centurion Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya and ended with figures of 2/24 from 6 overs. He was the only bowler with an economy of 4.00, the next best was Akila Dhananjaya with 6.80.

He came to the crease at a time when Lanka had already got off to a shaky start but played a percentage knock of 70 off 80 balls. He constructed 10 boundaries and gave the much-needed stability to the chase. Mathew found no support from the other end. A 73-run stand between him and Milinda Siriwardana was the only talking point of the Sri Lankan innings, as they folded out for 207 in 42.4 overs.