Colombo: Rohit Sharma’s India team came up with a superb bowling display to defend a small total and end Sri Lanka’s 13-match winning streak in One-Day Internationals (ODI) here at R. Premadasa Stadium, here on Tuesday.
In a low-scoring thriller, India fought back after being bundled out for 213 by defeating Sri Lanka by 41 runs in the fourth match of the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup and sealed a place in the final.
The 213-run target wasn’t easy to chase on this pitch, which was tricky to bat on. The chase wasn’t good for the Lankans as they lost the wicket of Pathum Nissanka in the third over, after which they lost two more wickets in the Power-play.
Two of these three wickets were claimed by pacer Jasprit Bumrah while Mohammad Siraj bagged the third.
Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama added 43 runs for the fourth wicket before Kuldeep Yadav came into action and got rid of both batters in consecutive overs.
However, Sri Lanka again found back through an outstanding partnership between Dhananjaya De Silva and Dinuth Wellalage for the seventh wicket. The pair added 63 runs in the late fightback and dragged Sri Lanka close to victory, needing 44 runs off 55 deliveries.
The lone warrior Dinuth Wellalage battled till the end as the wicket tumbled at the other end. The 20-year-old’s resilient inning was the centrepiece of the match for Sri Lanka as it came after the young spinner had rattled India with his maiden five-wicket haul. The brilliant performance earned him praise from Virat Kohli during the post-match handshake.
In the end, it was the spinners who turned the tables for India, as Jadeja took a wicket and Kuldeep wrapped up the match by taking two wickets in the end. He finished with dominating figures of (9.3-0-43-4).
India score massive 228-run win over Pakistan
Colombo: Fantastic centuries by Virat Kohli and K.L. Rahul, followed by a terrific five-wicket haul by Kuldeep Yadav helped India thrash archrivals Pakistan by a massive 228 runs in a one-sided Super Four match of the Asia Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium here.
With play on the reserve day starting at 4:40 pm after a rain delay, India reached a mammoth 356/2, their highest score against Pakistan in ODIs.
It was down to Rahul making a stunning comeback to international cricket with a classy 111 not out off 106 balls while Kohli combined astute running between the wickets with dazzling strokeplay to hit his fourth ODI century in as many innings at the venue through an unbeaten 122 off just 94 balls.
If Sunday saw Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma pulverize the Pakistan bowling attack with quickfire fifties in a 121-run opening stand, then Monday belonged to Rahul and Kohli sharing a huge 233-run stand for the third wicket, also the highest partnership by any Indian pair in the Asia Cup.
Kohli was in his usual flow, reaching his half-century in 55 balls and making the most out of a weakened Pakistan bowling line-up, mixing hitting boundaries with ease and taking ones and twos with relative ease.
