Dasun Shanaka ton frustrates India, but Sri Lanka go down by 67 runs in chase of 374

Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka continued his prolific batting form against India, clobbering 108* off 88 balls. However, the Men in Blue clinched the Guwahati ODI by 67 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Chasing 374, Sri Lanka were 206/8 in the 38th over as the match seemed to be heading for an early finish. However, Shanaka frustrated India, adding an unbroken 100 runs for the ninth wicket with Kasun Rajitha (nine* off 19).

There was some last-over drama when Mohammed Shami appealed for a run-out against Shanaka at the non-striker’s end when the latter was batting on 98. However, Rohit Sharma withdrew the appeal after a light-hearted chat with the bowler.

Shanaka went on to complete his hundred by clubbing the penultimate ball for a four. He brought the curtains down on the game by slamming the last ball over the ropes. While it was a fantastic knock, the match was more or less decided much before Shanaka’s intervention.

Asked to bat first after losing the toss, the Men in Blue posted an imposing total of 373/7 courtesy of excellent knocks from Virat Kohli (113), Rohit (83), and Shubman Gill (70). Sri Lanka finished at 306/8 in response.

Chasing 374, Sri Lanka got off to a poor start as Mohammed Siraj struck twice inside the first six overs. Avishka Fernando (five) was caught at mid-off as he played across the line and got a leading edge to a delivery that seamed a little. The Indian pacer then cleaned up Kusal Mendis for a duck with a good length delivery that nipped back sharply.

Siraj could have had his third when Pathum Nissanka miscued a pull. However, Siraj could not get his hands underneath the ball in his follow-through. Nissanka and Charith Asalanka added 41 for the third wicket. But Sri Lanka needed a much bigger stand to have even faint hopes of threatening India’s huge total.

The partnership was broken when Asalanka (23 off 28) was given caught behind when he attempted to glance at a leg-side delivery from Umran Malik. The Sri Lankan batter walked off, only for UltraEdge to conclude that there was no edge.

Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva (47 off 40) then added a resilient 72 for the fourth wicket. Even as Nissanka played anchor, Dhananjaya took on Axar Patel, smacking him for three fours in the 20th over. In the next over, Nissanka hit Yuzvendra Chahal for consecutive boundaries and brought up his fifty with a single off the next delivery.

Dhananjaya looked good for a half-century, but flirted with a delivery outside the off-stump from Shami that moved away and edged the ball to the keeper. Nissanka’s resistance ended on 72 off 80 as a short ball from Umran got big on him and he lobbed an attempted pull to midwicket.

Wanindu Hasaranga came in and went berdeck from ball one. He clobbered Yuzvendra Chahal for 6, 6, and 4 in the 32nd over, but fell off the next ball for 16 off seven. Looking for another big hit, he was brilliantly caught by Shreyas Iyer, who came running in from long-on, avoiding a collision with Umran.

A couple more wickets fell before Shanaka enjoyed another day out against the Indian bowlers.

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Kohli slams 113 off 87 as India post 373/7

Kohli struck his 45th ODI ton and second in consecutive matches in the format as India put up 373/7 after losing the toss and batting first. The former skipper hit 12 fours and a six in a dominant performance. Indian openers Rohit (83 off 67) and Gill (70 off 60) also shone, adding 143 for the first wicket in 19.4 overs.

Kohli looked in no trouble at all from the start of his innings as he eased himself into playing a big knock. The No. 3 batter reached his fifty in emphatic fashion, dancing down the track to Dhananjaya de Silva and whacking him for a maximum. Sri Lanka could have had Kohli on 52 as he gave Rajitha the charge and nicked the delivery, but Mendis put down a simple catch behind the wickets.

After Shreyas’s departure for 28, Kohli and KL Rahul (39 off 29) added 90 runs for the fourth wicket. Rajitha broke the stand by bowling Rahul around his legs. There was more luck for Kohli in the 80s as Shanuka dropped a chance at extra cover, again off Rajitha’s bowling.

Kohli moved from 95 to 100 by slamming a full toss from Rajitha for four and driving the next ball for a single. Rajitha had his man in the 49th over as Kohli miscued a slog, but it was too little too late.

While Kohli played a sublime knock, Rohit and Gill laid the platform for him with a terrific opening stand. The Indian captain hit nine fours and three sixes; his partner struck 11 boundaries.

Both batters were looking good for three figures. However, Gil was lbw to Shanaka in the 20th over, while Rohit dragged a length delivery from Dilshan Madushanka onto his stumps a few overs later.

Kohli had no such problems. He made Sri Lanka pay for reprieving him twice.