3rd ODI: India makes the biggest win in history; clinches series
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Thiruvananthapuram: After posing a massive total of 391, powered by the hundreds of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, the Men-in-Blue snuffed out Sri Lanka way earlier in their chase to make the massive victory in history and swept the three-match series. The win is the biggest in men's ODI on runs margin.
Lankans were sent all out at 73 in 22 overs, stomping on their feeble run chase at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
Lankans faltered before the high-quality bowling exhibited by Mohammad Siraj, who sent four Lankan batters back to the pavilion within the first ten overs.
In the first innings, Kohli scored massive after youngster opener Gill scored his second international ODI century to lead India to a mammoth total against Sri Lanka in the third/final ODI match. India posted 391 losing five wickets.
Kohli, the 'run machine', scored his 46th ODI hundred and 74th international ton on the day and broke 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar's two records. The first is the most ODI centuries home, and the second is the highest number of ODI tons against a single team. "King" Kohli is now only three centuries short of matching Sachin's another record, the most number of
ODI centuries by a player. Further, Kohli scored his 46th ton from 259 innings, while Sachin had taken 452 for his 49 centuries.
Gill opened the game great with skipper Rohit Sharma, who scored 42 off 49. After Gill got out, scoring 116 from 97 balls with fourteen boundaries and two sixes, Virat Kohli remained unbeaten with a killing 166 from just 110 balls. Kohli scored 13 boundaries and eight sixes.
After Gill left, Kohli found a good partner in Shreyas Iyer, who scored 38 from 32, giving Kohli good backing.
Kohli reached 99 with the boundary, which was an eventful instance. At deep, two fielders collided while trying to save the boundary, and both were stretchered out.
In the second innings, Sri Lanka was not even displaying an impression of a chase. After Siraj's onslaught, it was a procession of batters living the pitch for the Lankans. Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav also took two wickets each.