Mohammed Siraj’s 4-fer blows away Sri Lanka for 73 as India whitewash Sri Lanka with record 317-run triumph

Mohammed Siraj claimed 4/32 as Team India defeated Sri Lanka by a mammoth 317 runs in the third ODI in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, January 15. The margin of victory is the biggest ever in terms of runs in men's ODI history.

The Men in Blue batted first after winning the toss and posted an imposing 390/5 as Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill slammed hundreds. Sri Lanka were never in the hunt in the chase, and folded up for an abysmal 73 in 22 overs.

Defending a massive total, Siraj was brilliant once again. He claimed four early wickets as Sri Lanka lost half of their side for 37 inside 10 overs. The right-arm pacer had Avishka Fernando (one) caught at wide slip with a wonderful outswinger. Kusal Mendis (four) was the next to go as he hung his bat at a probing delivery in the corridor of uncertainty and got an edge.

Nuwanidu Fernando (19) and Wanindu Hasaranga (one) were both bowled, unable to handle the movement from Siraj. At the other end, Charith Asalanka (one) was dismissed in a soft manner again. He cut a shortish delivery from Mohammed Shami to point.

Siraj then produced another moment of brilliance to end Chamika Karunaratne’s stay on one. The Sri Lankan all-rounder defended a full and straight ball back to the bowler. Siraj picked up the ball and threw down the stumps. Karunaratne was caught off-guard, holding his pose. He was out of the crease when the ball hit the stumps and had to walk back. The bizarre dismissal summed up Sri Lanka’s forgettable day in office.

Kuldeep Yadav then bowled Dasun Shanaka (11) for the second game in a row as Sri Lanka crumbled to an embarrassing 50/7. The left-arm wrist-spinner nicely tossed one up outside off-stump and got the ball to spin back sharply and crash through Shanaka’s defense.

The wickets kept tumbling for Sri Lanka as Dunith Wellalage (three), who came in as a concussion substitute for Jeffrery Vandersay, chipped a simple catch to point off Shami’s bowling.

Kuldeep completed the formalities by cleaning up Lahiru Kumara for nine. Ashen Bandara did not bat, following his collision with Vandersay while fielding earlier in the day.

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Kohli 166*, Gill 116 as dominant India put up 390/5 vs Sri Lanka

Kohli hit a brilliant 166* off 110 balls, while Gill scored 116 off 97 as India posted 390/5 after winning the toss and batting first. Men in Blue skipper Rohit Sharma and Gill added 95 for the opening wicket to lay the foundation for India’s massive total.

Rohit fell in disappointing fashion, for 42 off 49 balls, pulling Karunaratne straight into the hands of deep backward square leg. However, Gill and Kohli went on to convert their starts into three-figure scores, adding 131 for the second wicket.

Kohli hit 13 fours and eight sixes even as Gill’s knock featured 14 fours and two maximums. The latter hardly looked in any trouble en route to his second ODI ton. At the other end, Kohli also raced towards his half-century, batting as if he was having a net session out in the middle.

Gill went from 84 to 94 with a four and six off consecutive deliveries against Nuwanidu to end the 29th over. Kohli reached his fifty with a single in the off-spinner’s next over. There was more celebration in store for India as Gill brought up his second ODI ton by driving the next ball to long-on for a single.

After a few more fireworks, Gill’s innings ended when was bowled by Kasun Rajitha while attempting another big one. Kohli, however, continued on his merry ways. He went from 95 to 99 following a shocking collision between Bandara and Vandersay, which saw stretchers being brought up.

Following a brief stoppage, Kohli got to his 46th ODI ton and third in four ODI innings with a single off Karunaratne. He went berserk after that even as India lost Shreyas Iyer (38), KL Rahul (seven), and Suryakumar Yadav (four) at the other end.

A helicopter strike against Rajitha went for six over long-on. Two sixes and a four came off Kohli’s bat in the 45th over bowled by Karunaratne.

The 34-year-old brought up his 150 in emphatic fashion by clubbing the first ball of the last over by Kumara for a six over deep midwicket. A maximum and a four followed off the last two deliveries as India touched 390.