Rohit Sharma played an innings of his life (probably, for the third time) and led from the front when it mattered the most to lead India to a massive win against Sri Lanka by 141 runs in the second ODI at PCA stadium, Mohali. The Mumbai-batsman smashed all cricketing records and registered his third double century in the ODI format to lead his team to a magnificent win. With this knock, Rohit bettered his own record of scoring multiple double hundreds in the 50-over format. The way he paced his innings deserves a lot of appreciation, picking out his shots to perfection and toying with the bowling. Earlier, Dhawan and Rohit provided the ideal platform for the middle order to capitalize upon. Dhawan missed out on a ton but the skipper carried on. He found an able ally in the young Shreyas Iyer who showed great composure and played some eye-catching strokes himself.
Sri Lanka's chase never got off to a start as the tourists kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Barring experienced Angelo Mathews, none of the batsmen were able to convert starts into big ones. Mathews recorded his second ODI hundred for SL but his knock was never a threat to the Indian team. (SCORECARD)
HIGHLIGHTS, INDIA vs SRI LANKA, 2ND ODI AT MOHALI
19.40 IST: Victorious Indian captain and the MAN OF THE MATCH, ROHIT SHARMA smiles and says winning the game was more important. Praises his team for the comeback. Says he can keep on talking about the batting today. First Shikhar Dhawan for the start and then Shreyas Iyer who did not look nervous at all in his second game. Then praises his bowlers for sticking to their lines and lengths in spite of the dew. On his double hundred today, he says that on the previous two occasions where he hit the double hundreds, he had reached a century around the 38th over. So he kept reminding himself that he can get out only if he throws it away. He aimed to play out the entire 50 overs and accelerate at the right time. On being asked which of these three double tons at his best, he just goes around the question and rates all the three as equally good. The one against Australia for being the series decider, the previous one against Sri Lanka because it cam after a long layoff and tonight because India were on a low after that humiliating loss in the first ODI. The team wanted to prove a point and it did. Is happy that his wife was here to support him and says that having family members around in the stadium definitely helps. Stresses again that team winning was more important. Is confident that the team would do well in Vizag for the third ODI but just wants the players to adapt to the conditions and does not want to relax. On Washington Sundar, he says that he was good and has talent. He has seen Sundar in the Indian T20 League and hopes he learnt a lot tonight. Wishes him all the best for the future.
19.35 IST: Sri Lankan captain, THISARA PERERA manages to flash a smile even after this defeat. Says that the bowling did not click, hence they lost. But is quick to say that this is cricket and such things happen. Add sthat they will take the positives out of this game and flush out all the negatives. On stopping Rohit, he says that the Lankans had plan A, B and C but none clicked. Further says that to chase big totals like these, they needed to have a good start at the top and later in the middle as well. Promises to come back hard in the final ODI.
19.30 IST: Shikhar Dhawan says that he was happy with his flow of batting. Adds that he would have liked to continue but unfortunately, things did not go his way. Says that they thought the wicket would be damp and the ball was coming on a bit slowly but he was confident of playing his shots which helped both him and Rohit Sharma. On his advancing to the faster bowlers, Shikhar says that he did the same to shift the bowlers out of their regular lengths. He admits that those lengths have been troubling him, outside off stump, the fifth or the 6th stump line. On Rohit, he says that the right-hander took his time initially but then made up for it. Praises him for registering his third double ton and also for his first win as a captain. THIS WAS NOT THE PRESENTATION. It is coming up now...
19.25 IST:
19.21 IST: Full and outside off, watchfully defended to ensure that Sri Lanka are not bowled out. INDIA WIN BY 141 RUNS.
Shreyas Iyer to bowl the final over of the match.
19.17 IST: Punched off the back foot by Lakmal as the batsmen have run through for a single. SL 248/8 in 49 overs
19.11 IST: SIX! Gets something going. Full and outside off, Mathews gets underneath this and sends the ball sailing over long on. SL 245/8 in 48 overs
19.08 IST: Well, Lakmal is free to throw his bat around now and swings it over mid-wicket. Makes not that sweet a connection and that slows the ball down. Shreyas Iyer comes charging to his left and dives to prevent the boundary. Two runs taken. SL 236/8 in 47 overs
19.04 IST: SECOND ODI HUNDRED for Mathews. Has worked hard to get here but not quite sure whether he will be entirely happy. No intent, probably because the team got knocked out of the chase pretty chase. Still, a hundred is a hundred. He works this to the leg side and sets off for the single. Rohit Sharma gets across to his right but then fumbles and Mathews takes the second. Now he clutches his right leg and is in some discomfort. SL 233/8 in 46.4 overs
19.00 IST: NOT OUT and a WIDE signalled. Full and down the leg side, Mathews misses his flick and his back foot comes up in the air slightly. Dhoni whips off the bails and appeals but umpire Nandan at square leg is in no mood to get it referred. Eventually he does and the replays show that the foot had come down before the bails could come off. SL 229/8 in 45.3 overs
18.59 IST: SIX! Aha! Finally Mathews does something to get closer to his century. Nothing wrong with the ball, a top spinner, Mathews reads it to perfection, gets to the pitch of the ball and swings it straight back over the bowler's head. One hit away from the century now. SL 228/8 in 45.2 overs
18.53 IST: Full and around off, Angelo looks to flick and gets it off the inner half through mid-wicket. A run taken. SL 221/8 in 44 overs
18.48 IST: A full toss outside off, driven through the covers for a run. Tidy over from Bumrah, just 2 runs from it. SL 215/8 in 43 overs
18.44 IST: Short and outside off, Lakmal cuts it towards the point where Manish Pandey gets across but fails to stop it with his right hand. Concedes a single but should India mind? Pandya might as the single is going off his bowling but as far as the game situation is concerned, giving the tail-ender the strike for the next over is not bad. SL 213/8 in 42 overs
18.40 IST: FOUR! He is going for it. Comes down the track, Mathews comes down the track and bludgeons it past mid off for a boundary. Moves to 85. Meanwhile, SRI LANKA GO PAST ROHIT SHARMA. SL 211/7 in 41.1 overs
18.39 IST: OUT! Interesting field placement! Normally we do not see innovative positions like leg gully or short backward square leg but here we have one. Hard to say whether it is a leg gully as the fielder is a bit squarer but whatever it is or wherever he is placed, it is a wicket. Let us say short backward square leg in this case. A short ball, around middle and leg, Dananjaya looks to tuck it around the corner but hits it straight to Rohit Sharma at the short backward square leg. Rohit smiles. Nice fielding strategy. Not to smile but to keep that man there. SL 207/8 in 41 overs
18.36 IST: FOUR! Nicely done. A short ball outside off, Dananjaya arches back and guides it over the vacant slip cordon to the third man fence. Moves to 11 from 13 balls. SL 207/7 in 40.1 overs
18.32 IST: FOUR! 200 up for the hosts. Nicely done! On a length on off, Mathews shuffles a touch and tickles it past the keeper to the fine leg fence. SL 203/7 in 39.2 overs
18.30 IST: Low full toss outside off, Mathews slices it towards point where the fielder dives to his right but fails to stop it. A single from the over. SL 199/8 in 39 overs
18.25 IST: Good fielding! On a length on middle and leg, Mathews tucks it through square leg. It is racing towards the fence but Karthik is equal to the task. He sprints to his right and dives full length to stop it. It is referred upstairs and the replays confirm that he is fine. 3 runs from the over. SL 198/7 in 38 overs
Hardik Pandya is back on.
18.22 IST: FOUR! Good use of the feet! Floated around off, Dananjaya makes room, comes down the track and chips it over covers for a delightful boundary. SL 195/7 in 37 overs
18.18 IST: FOUR! Brilliant shot! Knuckleball from Kumar, on a fuller length and in line of the stumps. Mathews clears his front leg and hammers it over mid-on for a one-bounce boundary. SL 189/7 in 36 overs
18.15 IST: Stays leg side of the ball and eases it through mid off to rotate strike. 3 runs from the over. SL 183/7 in 35 overs
Washington Sundar is back into the attack.
18.08 IST: OUT! Number 7 down. Not allowed to have vehicles in opposite directions in a one-way lane. This is just like that. India have built a mountain and it is such that it cannot be scaled by anyone else. Sri Lanka slip further. Full and outside off, Pathirana looks to give the charge and go over mid-off but Shikhar Dhawan dives to his right and takes a good catch. Does the 'Thigh-Five' as they call it and smiles. Sri Lanka need another 29 runs to beat Rohit Sharma. SL 180/7 in 33.5 overs
18.01 IST: FOUR! Risky but effective. Full on middle, Mathews gets down and sweeps it right from the stump line through square leg for a boundary! SL 174/6 in 32.2 overs
17.56 IST: OUT! The captain is out of here! Smart work from Dhoni. Chahal tosses this around leg and Perera looks to flick but misses. The ball goes off his pads and Dhoni rushes to his right and takes it. It just seems like a simple catch behind appeal but the umpire raises his finger! Thisara does not bother reviewing and replays show why. The ball has hit the pad and then the glove! Third wicket for Chahal who is standing out for India again. SL 166/6 in 31 overs
17.52 IST: FOUR! FETCH THAT! Some way to stary your innings. Tossed up on middle, Perera comes down the track and bludgeons it down the ground. Chahal is just a tad late in getting his hand down and thank God for that. Because had he been a second early, he would have been injured. All the way to the long on fence goes the ball. And to thgink that did not come from the middle of the bat. More from the bottom part. SL 163/4 in 30.3 overs
17.51 IST: OUT! Easy stumping! Chahal gets his man. Sees Gunaratne give him the charge and tosses this slightly slowly and a little bit wider outside off. Gunaratne aims to go inside out and in the process goes too far from the ball. Dhoni collects and before we could say 'Out' the bails are dislodged. End of a promising knock and innings. SL 159/5 in 30.2 overs
17.49 IST: FOUR! Nicely done. Full and outside off, Gunaratne brings out the switch hit now and gets it up and over point. No one in the deep. The stand moves to 40 from 45 balls. SL 159/4 in 30.1 overs
17.48 IST: FOUR! That came out of frustration. Two dot balls on the trot and Mathews avoids a hat-trick. Comes down the track and blasts it over mid off for a boundary. SL 155/4 in 30 overs
17.45 IST: FIFTY! On middle and leg, flicked through mid-wicket for a single. That is 50 number 36 in ODIs for Mathews. Only the Sri Lankan dressing room applauds. Mathews himself does not care. Nice to see. This game is not about personal milestones. Sri Lanka are way behind the 8-ball. 150 up for them and they need another 243 from 125 balls. SL 150/4 in 29.1 overs
17.40 IST: FOUR! Expensive over! Short and flat outside off, Gunaratne goes back and cuts it hard between short third man and backward point! 12 from the over, all in boundaries! 247 more needed from 132 balls now. The stand moves to 31 from 32 balls. SL 146/4 in 28 overs
17.38 IST: FOUR! FEROCIOUS! Down the leg side, Gunaratne brings out his reverse sweep and gets it JUST over Axar Patel at point! It would have been a catch but Axar anticipates a bit incorrectly, going to his left before realizing that it is coming to his right. Gunaratne moves to 20 from 21 balls. The stand is worth 23 from 29 balls now. SL 138/4 in 27.3 overs
17.37 IST: Good over from Chahal, just 3 runs from it. SL 134/4 in 27 overs
17.31 IST: FOUR! Nicely done. Full, flat and fast outside off, Gunaratne reaches out and steers it past short third man. Jasprit Bumrah starts to chase but then gives it up. Dhoni just asks Sundar to slow his place a bit. Moves to 13 from 12 balls. SL 130/4 in 25.2 overs
17.28 IST: Mathews works it down the leg side. The batsmen have run through for a single, 3 runs from the over. SL 119/4 in 24 overs
17.25 IST: The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. 6 runs and a wicket from the over. SL 116/4 in 23 overs
17.22 IST: OUT! Chahal gets among the wickets as well. Chahal bowls this one quicker and at a shorter length outside off. Gets it to skid after pitching. Dickwella rocks back and goes for a cut but ends up slicing it towards the short third man. Sundar doesn't need to move an inch and takes a straightforward catch. End of the 53-run stand. The wheels are coming off for Sri Lanka. SL 115/4 in 22.4 overs
17.21 IST: FOUR! Easy pickings! Fullish delivery on middle and leg, Dickwella crouches and sweeps it through short fine leg for a boundary. The 50-run stand comes up as well while Dickwella goes past 1000 ODI runs. SL 115/3 in 22.3 overs
17.19 IST: FOUR! Shot! Short delivery, Mathews gets on top of the bounce and pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary. SL 110/3 in 22 overs
17.14 IST: Dickwella kneels and plays the fancy reverse sweep towards point where Kumar dives to his left to make a partial stop. A run taken, 3 runs from the over. SL 104/3 in 21 overs
17.11 IST FOUR! 100 up for the visitors. Nice improvisation! Fullish delivery on middle, Dickwella goes for the fancy reverse sweep and connects well. Gets it through short third man. Chahal hares after it but only comes second best. SL 101/3 in 20 overs
17.09 IST: SIX! Bang! Hit with authority. Fullish around off, not much turn on that one. Mathews frees his arms and tonks it over long on for a maximum. SL 96/3 in 19.2 overs
17.08 IST: FOUR! Sri Lanka need much more of these. Dickwella makes room and goes inside out over covers to pick up a boundary. SL 90/3 in 19 overs
Yuzvendra Chahal to roll his arm over now.
17.03 IST: Mathews takes a couple of steps down the track and drives it through mid-off for a run. 4 runs from the over. SL 82/3 in 18 overs
Time for Drinks!
16.57 IST: FOUR! Misfield from the youngster! Short delivery on middle and leg, Mathews pulls it but miscues it a bit. The ball skies towards deep square leg. Sundar runs to his right, tries to stop it but overruns it. Concedes a boundary. SL 78/3 in 17 overs
16.55 IST: FOUR! Shot! Full-length ball, Mathews leans into it and drives it through mid on for a boundary. SL 72/3 in 16.2 overs
16.52 IST: FOUR! What a good shot to begin with! Dickwella skips down the track and takes it on the full to stroke it down the ground for a majestic boundary. SL 67/3 in 16 overs
Niroshan Dickwella comes out to bat.
16.51 IST: OUT! Bowled 'em! First ODI wicket for Sundar. A big moment for the youngster and he has a big smile on his face. Thirimanne shapes for the fancy reverse sweep and spotting that, Sundar pushes it quicker through the air off on a full length. Smart thinking from the youngster and the southpaw misses it completely to get his stumps shattered. It did seem that the 18 year old will get the better of Thirimanne and that is what happened. His teammates encircle him to make this moment a memorable one. SL 62/3 in 15.3 overs, chasing 393 to win vs IND (392/4)
16.48 IST: Well-directed bouncer on off, Mathews sits under the bumper in a jiffy. Pandya has a knack of surprising the batsmen with the short one. 2 runs from the over. SL 62/2 in 15 overs
16.44 IST: Fullish in length, swept to the leg side for a run. 4 from Sundar's first over, a steady start to his international career. SL 60/2 in 14 overs
Washington Sundar to roll his arm over now. A big moment for the debutant. He is a very impressive player. Can he perform at the highest level as well?
16.41 IST: Mathews strides forward to the fullish delivery and strokes it through covers for a single. 3 runs from the over. SL 56/2 in 13 overs
16.36 IST: On a length, Lahiru clips it through mid-wicket to rotate strike. 7 runs from the over. SL 53/2 in 12 overs
16.34 IST: FOUR! Crisp! Shortish ball and width on offer, Mathews pounces on it and slaps it past point for a rocketing boundary. 50 up for Sri Lanka. SL 50/2 in 11.3 overs
16.31 IST: Not Out! Amazing piece of work from the stalwart though. Good length ball outside off, Mathews steers it towards third man. The fielder gets across to the ball quickly as the batsmen attempt the second. Dhoni allows the ball to come to him but doesn't collect it as the ball hits the stumps. Has Mathews failed to make his crease? It is referred upstairs. No, he is comfortably in but what presence of mind from MS Dhoni. SL 46/2 in 11 overs
16.30 IST: Wow! Brilliant piece of glovework from Dhoni. However, he is not confident. Let's find out...
Time for Powerplay 2! Maximum of four fielders will be outside the 30-yard circle. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya has a change of ends.
16.27 IST: FOUR! Hit with disdain! Short delivery in line of the stumps, sits up nicely for Thirimanne. He stands tall and pulls i with command over mid-wicket to find the ropes. SL 41/2 in 10 overs
16.23 IST: Almost another wicket! Good length ball well outside off, Thirimanne shuffles and tries to clip it across but the ball shoots off the deck. Ends up getting a leading edge that spoons towards covers but falls right in the gap between the two men out there and rolls through the inner ring. A couple taken. SL 34/2 in 9 overs
16.19 IST: In the corridor of uncertainty, Mathews has a poke at it and gets beaten. He was having trouble in that channel consistently. The Indians are bowling according to plan. A single and a wicket from the over. SL 30/2 in 8 overs
Angelo Mathews strides out to the middle.
16.16 IST: OUT! That's a really soft dismissal! Not an ideal delivery but he will be happy that he has got a wicket. Full-length ball down the leg side, Gunathilaka aims to clip it behind square on the leg side but gets a faint nick behind. Dhoni moves to his right and accepts it gleefully. Umpire Reiffel raises his finger as well. The replays show that Bumrah's front foot was well behind the popping crease as opposed to in the first game where he got a wicket but overstepped. Nice adjustment made by him. Sri Lanka in deep trouble now. SL 30/2 in 7.3 overs
Jasprit Bumrah comes into the attack.
16.14 IST: Fuller in length in the line of the stumps, swinging down. Lahiru clips it through mid-wicket for a run and will retain strike. SL 29/1 in 7 overs
16.10 IST: Good length ball on the pads, Danushka clips it nicely through mid-wicket. Chahal attacks the ball from the deep but the running between the wickets is good enough to complete the second. SL 26/1 in 6 overs
16.07 IST: FOUR! Nicely done! That will give him some confidence. Fuller in length around off, Gunathilaka commits to it and lifts it over mid-off for a two bounce boundary. SL 24/1 in 5.1 overs
16.06 IST: On a length from Bhuvi, Gunathilaka punches it through cover-point. Iyer and Karthik give it a chase and it is the one with the young legs who reaches there first. Slides and parries it to his partner to save a run for his side. SL 20/1 in 5 overs
Lahiru Thirimanne comes out to bat. He hasn't been among the runs. Can he do something brilliant today?
16.00 IST: OUT! Pandya draws first blood! A poor stroke brings about the downfall of Tharanga. Shortish and wide outside off, Tharanga fishes at it away from his body and doesn't commit to it. Plays it with a circumspect approach and hence, mistimes it towards covers. Dinesh Karthik gets low to his left and takes a good catch. Ideal start for India. SL 15/1 in 3.5 overs, chasing 393
15.56 IST: FOUR! Poor delivery and duly punished! Short ball down the leg side, Tharanga help pulls it to the fine leg fence. Rare from Kumar, he is really accurate. SL 12/0 in 2.4 overs
15.53 IST: Full-length ball attacking the stumps, Tharanga pats it to mid on. End of a disciplined over from Pandya. Just a single from it. SL 5/0 in 2 overs
Hardik Pandya to bowl with the second new ball from the other end. He didn't get it in the previous match. Let's see how he fares today.
15.49 IST: Leg bye! Straying on the leg stump again, Gunathilaka aims for a clip but misses. The ball brushes his pads and rolls to fine leg as Bumrah mops it up. A run was taken. SL 4/0 in 1 over
15.47 IST: Dropped! A tough chance goes down. Good length delivery on off, shoots off after pitching. Tharanga gets in a tangle and tries to fend it off but the ball hits the shoulder of his bat and lobs up. Manish Pandey runs to his left, dives and gets his left hand to it but the ball hits his wrist and falls down. SL 1/0 in 0.3 overs
15.45 IST: We are back for Sri Lanka's reply with the bat. Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathilaka to open the batting for them. They have no other option but to go after the bowling. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to start off with the first new ball. Two slips in place. Here we go...
15.25 IST: Shreyas Iyer says that he is happy to have got that score. Adds that yesterday he was batting in the nets and took great confidence from how he felt. Adds that he just tries to go and express himself on the field. On the pitch, he says that it is a nice batting track and a very good total. If India pick up 3 quick wickets, they should be in a very good position. On his talks with Rohit, he says that they decided they will bat normally till the 40th over and then explode given the batting line-up India have. On missing out his century, Iyer says that there came a patch when he was watching Rohit Sharma change gears and he himself got lazy. Blames himself for that attitude and says he should have got to his hundred.
15.10 IST:
15.00 IST: OUT! Pandya holes out! Low full toss around off, Pandya goes for a heave across the line but doesn't find the desired connection. Thirimanne at long on stays composed and pouches it calmly. INDIA FINISH WITH 392/4 in 50 overs
14.59 IST: Boom! Short delivery, Sharma pulls it with aplomb over deep mid-wicket to find the crowd. IND 391/4 in 49.4 overs
14.57 IST: DOUBLE HUNDRED! There it is, the whole of Mohali erupts with joy! Third double ton for Rohit Sharma in ODIs, the only man to do so. On a length on off, Sharma tucks it through square leg and calls for the second straightaway. Comes back for it and pumps his fists in the air. What a player! The dressing room rises with elation. This is a kind of knock where you sit back and just salute the effort. IND 385/3 in 49.3 overs
14.55 IST: SIX! This man is incredible! There is nothing he can't achieve. He premidates, walks across his stumps, gets a ball in his arc and paddle scoops it over deep square leg for a maximum. IND 372/3 in 48.4 overs
14.53 IST: FOUR! Shot! Full ball outside off, Pandya caresses it past point to pick up a boundary. IND 365/3 in 48.2 overs
14.51 IST: FOUR! Up and over! Overpitched outside off, Rohit lifts it over the point region and the ball races to the fence. IND 359/3 in 47.5 overs
Hardik Pandya strides out to bat.
14.49 IST: OUT! The skipper strikes! Some respite for the visitors. Back of the hand delivery on off, Dhoni aims to play an agricultural slog over mid-wicket but misses it completely to get hit on the pads. A confident appeal follows and the umpire rules it out. Dhoni keeps walking back to the dressing room and has a smile on his face. That was plumb. IND 354/3 in 47.3 overs
14.48 IST: SIX! Those bottom hands come into play! Full on leg stump, Dhoni whips it over square leg for a maximum. IND 354/2 in 47.2 overs
14.45 IST: SIX! Another slower delivery, Sharma swivels across and pulls it with aplomb over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. IND 346/2 om 46.5 overs
14.44 IST: FOUR! Sharma's mind is working like a computer at the moment. Slower length ball on off, Rohit reads it well and goes over mid off. Gets enough on it and the ball goes over mid off and rolls to the fence. IND 340/2 in 46.4 overs
14.43 IST: FOUR! Sit back and applaud! Creativity at its best. Shuffles across a long way, stays cool as a cucumber and paddle scoops it over backward square leg for a boundary. IND 336/2 in 46.3 overs
14.40 IST: Similar delivery, Dhoni winds up for a big hit across the line again but the ball passes under his bat. A much better over from Perera. IND 329/2 in in 46 overs
MS Dhoni has been promoted up the order. Can he finish with a flourish?
14.38 IST: OUT! Iyer holes out! A majestic knock from the youngster nonetheless but he will be disappointed to miss out on a ton. Slower length ball at 102 clicks on off, Iyer whips it nicely but picks out the man at deep mid-wicket to perfection. The substitute fielder, Chaturanga de Silva doesn't need to move an inch and takes it safely. The young man gets a deserved appreciation from the crowd.
IND 328/2 in 45.2 overs
14.36 IST: SIX! Going, going, gone! Full length ball outside off, Sharma makes room and carves it over point. The connection is great and the ball clears the fence yet again. This is the best individual score in Mohali now. IND 327/1 in 45.1 overs
14.33 IST: SIX! A run-fest taking place in Mohali and the crowd has gone wild. Full length ball in line of the stumps, Sharma lifts it nonchalantly over long on and the ball has only one destination to land. IND 320/1 in 44.5 overs
14.32 IST: SIX! I will be running out of adjectives to describe the strokeplay from this man. He is unstoppable at the moment, a double ton is on. Walks a couple of stumps down the track, takes it on the full and paddle scoops it over fine leg to find the crowd. IND 314/1 in 44.4 overs
14.28 IST: SIX! Make that four, 26 from the over already. Short delivery around off, Rohit pulls it with disdain over deep mid-wicket for another maximum. IND 303/1 in 43.5 overs
14.27 IST: SIX! Third six of the over, Lakmal is crumbling under pressure. Dishes out another juicy full toss, a horrible delivery. Sharma whips it over deep backward square leg and the ball sails into the stands. IND 297/1 in 43.4 overs
14.26 IST: SIX! Sharma is watching the ball like a football. Full toss on off, Sharma shuffles across and whips it over deep square leg for a huge biggie. IND 291/1 in 43.3 overs
14.25 IST: SIX! Sharma has a great cricketing brain and he is capitalizing on it. He knows Lakmal is bowling full outside off and premeditates. Shuffles across and gets a full toss. Dumps it over long on for a biggie. A terrific catch in the crowd, well taken sir. IND 284/1 in 43.2 overs
14.19 IST: FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries! Short and asking to be hit, Iyer obliges and whacks it through point. Gunaratne hares to his left from sweeper cover, slides desperately and stops it but the momentum makes him touch the ropes. Asela needs to be careful. He had injured his left hand earlier. IND 268/1 in 42 overs
14.16 IST: FOUR! Whipped! It could have been a chance but eventually a boundary results. Full toss on off, Iyer hits it towards mid-wicket where the fielder dives to his left but the ball goes under him and races to the fence. IND 260/1 in 41.1 overs
14.13 IST: FOUR! Sharma is bringing out his colourful array of strokes! He walks a couple of steps down the track, gets a full toss in his arc and paddle sweeps it past short fine leg to find the ropes. IND 256/1 in 41 overs
Time for Powerplay 3! Maximum of five fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle till the end of the innings. Meanwhile, Pradeep is back on.
14.07 IST:
14.06 IST: SIX! Straight as an arrow! The youngster has the license to tee off now. Tossed up on off, Iyer skates down the track and tonks it down the ground. The ball hits the sightscreen, that came right off the screws. IND 245/1 in 40 overs
14.05 IST: HUNDRED! Rohit Sharma brings up his 16th ODI ton! He looks skywards and has a big smile on his face. Short ball outside off, cut away with the spin through point for a run. Iyer goes across to the captain and hugs him. IND 237/1 in 39.3 overs vs SL
14.04 IST: FOUR! Really nicely played! Very low full toss around off, Iyer gets under it and whips it over mid-wicket for a boundary. IND 236/1 in 39 overs
14.02 IST: SIX! Boom! Short and well outside off, Iyer throws his bat at it. Makes good connection and the ball flies behind point. The fielder from fine leg runs around to his right but it seems that the ball has landed full on the ropes. Indeed, the replays confirm that. IND 232/1 in 38.3 overs
13.59 IST: Maiden ODI fifty for Shreyas Iyer in his second ODI! It has been a classy knock from the youngster and he truly deserves it. IND 224/1 in 38 overs
Time for Drinks. Smooth going from the Indians. Ominous signs for Sri Lanka as Rohit Sharma is nearing a ton and when he gets going, he gets those daddy hundreds.
13.53 IST: FOUR! Typical Dhoni like shot! Coming in with the arm, Iyer is nimble on his feet and allows those bottom hands to take over. Whips it past mid-wicket and away the ball races to the fence. That brings up the 100-run stand as well, it has come in good time. IND 220/1 in 37 overs
13.51 IST: FOUR! Deft! Short delivery outside off, Iyer stays composed and steers it past the keeper. The fielder puts in a hard long chase but only comes second best. 7 from this over. IND 211/1 om 36 overs
13.47 IST: Not Out! Clearly a bump ball. Very full around off, tailing in. Iyer crouches and dabs it towards Gunathilaka at backward point who takes it and is interested. The umpires refer it upstairs. The replay show that the ball hit the ground before settling into the fielder's hands. IND 204/1 in 35 overs
13.45 IST: The umpires get together whether it was a bump ball or did it carry on the full to Gunathilaka at backward point? It felt that it was a clear bump ball but stranger things do happen. The soft signal is not out.
13.42 IST: FOUR! A gift and duly accepted! Low full toss around off, Sharma drives it elegantly through extra cover to find the fence. Moves into the nineties with that. IND 203/1 in 34.1 overs
13.41 IST: FOUR! Hit with disdain! Short and room on offer, Sharma rocks back and flays it behind point to pick up another boundary. IND 199/1 in 34 overs
13.37 IST: FOUR! Intelligent batting! There is nothing much you can do about it as a fielding side. Good length ball in the channel around off, by no means it is a bad delivery. Iyer waits for it and steers it deftly past the keeper to find the third man fence. IND 191/1 in 33 overs
Suranga Lakmal comes back for another spell.
13.33 IST: Iyer hangs back to the flighted ball and taps it towards point for a single. 3 runs from the over. IND 183/1 in 32 overs
13.28 IST: FOUR! Well played! Length delivery on the pads, Sharma hangs back and works it nicely through square leg to find the fence. IND 176/1 in 30.2 overs
13.26 IST: The batsman works it down the leg side. They pick up a single, 5 runs from the over. IND 170/1 in 30 overs
Change in bowling. Pathirana to roll his arm over again.
13.23 IST: Fifty-partnership between Rohit and Iyer. Good teamwork! Similar delivery, Sharma help pulls it through the same region. Samarawickrama, the sub hares to his left, slides and parries it to Gunaratne. They keep it down to a couple. IND 165/1 in 29 overs
13.21 IST: FOUR! Shot! Bouncer on middle and leg, Rohit gets on top of the bounce and pulls it through the backward square leg to find the fence. IND 161/1 in 28.3 overs
13.19 IST: Sharma hangs back to this one and punches this to sweeper cover for a run and will retain strike. 4 runs from the over. IND 157/1 in 28 overs
Akila Dananjaya returns for a burst.
13.15 IST: SIX! 150 up for the hosts. Never easy to play a full off the front foot but Sharma is an artist at that. Short ball on middle, Sharma hammers it over mid-wicket. Doesn't seem initially that he has got all of it but the ball sails over wide long on with ease. IND 153/1 in 27 overs
13.11 IST: FOUR! Terrific! Shortish ball around off, Iyer rocks back in a flash and cuts it past point for a boundary. He is growing in confidence. 12 from the over. IND 145/1 in 26 overs
13.09 IST: FOUR! Brilliant use of the feet! Slow through the air on middle, Iyer steps out and lifts it over mid-on for a boundary. Picked his spot to perfection. IND 138/1 in 25.2 overs
13.08 IST: Excellent fielding from Samarawickrama, although there was a fumble as well. Iyer came down the track and wristed this wide of long on. Sadeera Samarawickrama, on as a substitute, hared to his right, got to the ball, dived full length but then instead of stopping it, parried it uppishly, as they generally do when there is a fielder backing up. No one here and the poor youngster has to search the ball. Eventually spots it but concedes the third run. IND 133/1 in 25 overs
13.06 IST: FIFTY NUMBER 35 for Rohit in ODIs! Full and outside off, Rohit pushes it down to long off for a run. IND 127/1 in 24 overs
13.03 IST: Short and outside off, dabbed to third man where Nuwan Pradeep dives to his left and stops the ball. A single taken. 3 runs from the over. IND 121/1 in 23 overs
SHREYAS IYER comes in at number 3 again. Good to see the management persisting with him.
12.57 IST: OUT! That is a fantastic catch and Dhawan has to depart! A big breakthrough for Sri Lanka. On middle and leg, Dhawan comes down the track and flicks it through mid-wicket but Lahiru Thirimanne dives to his right and takes a terrific catch! Dhawan was looking in great touch. Misses out on a terrific-looking ton. Can Sri Lanka bounce back from here? IND 115/1 in 21.1 overs
12.55 IST: FOUR! He is nailing these shots. Full and down the leg side, Dhawan gets down and sweeps it powerfully through square leg for a boundary! IND 115/0 in 21 overs
12.52 IST: FOUR! Another poor ball, short in length, Rohit pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary! IND 108/0 in 20 overs
12.51 IST: FOUR! 100 up for the partnership. Magnificent batting. Similar ball to the previous one but this time Rohit's adjustment is par excellence. Having found a short third man on the previous ball, he just opens the face of his bat this time and guides it between short third man and point. Finds the boundary! IND 102/0 in 19.2 overs
12.49 IST: Dhawan comes down the track and pushes it away for a quick run. 7 runs from the over. IND 98/0 in 19 overs
12.46 IST: FOUR! Lovely shot. Flighted outside off, Rohit leans into this one and lofts it over extra cover, two bounces and into the fence! IND 95/0 in 18.1 overs
12.45 IST: Close call actually! Have Sri Lanka let go of one? Very, very confusing, to be honest, with too many parameters involved. This was very full and Dhawan missed his flick, getting hit on the pads. Pathirana appealed vociferously and was confident that he had his man. He wanted Thisara to go for the review but the usual suspicions arose - Pitched outside leg? Inside edge? Eventually, the captain decided to be safe and did not review. Well, replays show PITCHING IN LINE and no inside edge! Would that have hit the stumps? No Hawk Eye shown but seemed pretty adjacent. Dhawan could be lucky here... IND 91/0 in 18 overs
More spin. SACHITH PATHIRANA to bowl now.
Time for Drinks! Nice platform set for India. They have learnt from the mistakes committed in Dharamsala. The openers have seen off the tough period with the new balls, perhaps played a couple of loose shots but not gifted their wickets away. Now, the pitch has seemingly started to play better and it is visible from the fact that Dhawan is upping the ante.
12.39 IST: Fuller on middle, attempted wrong 'un, pushed towards long on for a run. 5 runs from the over. IND 89/0 in 17 overs
12.36 IST: FOUR! Rubbish from Thisara. Short and outside off, asking to be hit, Dhawan obliges and bludgeons this pull through mid-wicket. IND 84/0 in 16 overs
THISARA PERERA is back on, changing ends.
12.32 IST: FIFTY FOR DHAWAN! His 23rd in this format. Short and outside off, Shikhar punches this through the covers who should have stopped that but ends up parrying it to the deep. Two runs taken. Fine knock from the southpaw. Started slowly but is now making amends. Perfect platform for the middle order. IND 75/0 in 15 overs
Spin being brought in. AKILA DANANJAYA to bowl now.
12.28 IST: FOUR! CREAMED! Short and wide outside off, Dhawan crashes this through point and gets the third boundary of the over! Already the most expensive over of the innings. IND 70/0 in 14 overs
12.27 IST: FOUR! He is teeing off now. Banged in short, down the leg side, Dhawan pulls it to the fine leg fence! Moves to 42 from 42 balls with 6 fours! IND 65/0 in 13.3 overs
12.26 IST: FOUR! Edged away! Probably the first opportunity created by Sri Lanka today. Pradeep lands this around middle and Dhawan is already down the track, looking ti impose himself. However, he is not quite to the pitch of the ball and gets an outside edge as he looks to drive. The ball goes to the slip cordon but there is no one present. A boundary to Dhawan. IND 59/0 in 13.1 overs
12.25 IST: 6 runs from Perera's over, the hosts are slowly working towards increasing their innings run-rate. IND 55/0 in 13 overs
12.21 IST: Outside off, Sharma pushes it towards point for a single. Moves to 20 from 37 balls. 4 runs from the over. IND 49/0 in 12 overs
12.15 IST: FOUR! Expected. At least that is what a good batsman will say. Normally when a seam bowler gets hit for a boundary on a full ball, he tries to correct himself by bowling short on the next one. Dhawan is expecting the short ball and is happier that is misdirected. Down the leg side, Dhawan ferociously pulls it down to the fine leg fence. IND 42/0 in 10.4 overs
12.14 IST: FOUR! Up and over! Once again, Dhawan is down the track but this time Thisara does not shorten his length. It is full enough and just where the batsman wants it to be. Just goes through with the shot and lofts it as clean as a whistle over mid off. One bounce and into the ropes. Moves to 21 from 30 balls. IND 38/0 in 10.3 overs
POWERPLAY 2 time. Four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle till the 40th over.
12.13 IST: Tidy over from Pradeep, just a single from the over. IND 33/0 in 10 overs
Double change. NUWAN PRADEEP to bowl as well.
12.09 IST: LBW appeal, turned down. Dhawan comes down the track and looks to flick but misses and is hit on the pads. Thisara is confident and appeals but umpire Nandan thinks for a while and then shakes his head. Thisara thinks it is close and wants a review, but first, he asks Mathews, who coolly says, pitching outside leg. Thisara does not agree but a firm Mathews says 'NO'. Hawk-Eye shows the pitching to be indeed outside leg while to the naked eye, the impact seemed to be outside leg. Great umpiring from Nandan but what a fantastic bit of observation from Mathews at first slip. IND 32/0 in 9 overs
First bowling change. CAPTAIN THISARA PERERA takes the ball in his hand.
12.04 IST: Another brilliant over, just two runs from it. Good running. Waits for the ball to come to him and taps it towards cover for a quick single. IND 29/0 in 8 overs
12.00 IST: Outside off from Mathews, Rohit waits for the ball to come to him and then dabs it to third man for a single. Just a single from the over. IND 27/0 in 7 overs
11.56 IST: This is on a length, cutting in from outside off, around the wicket, Shikhar waits for tyhe ball to come to him, goes on his back foot and then tucks it through square leg for a couple. IND 26/0 in 6 overs
11.53 IST: FOUR! He is looking good today. Short and wide outside off, Dhawan frees his arms and crashes it through the covers for a boundary! Moves to 13 from 10 balls. IND 24/0 in 5.1 overs
11.52 IST: FOUR! Slashed away! Short and wide outside off, Rohit goes after it and gets it wide of the slip cordon and over them to the third man fence! The fielder is pretty square and cannot get there! IND 20/0 in 5 overs
11.48 IST: FOUR! CLASSY! This looks a perfect pitch for batting. Half volley outside off, Rohit comes on the front foot and drives it on the up through the covers for a boundary! IND 16/0 in 4 overs
11.44 IST: Good running. The ball is landed on a length outside off, Dhawan initially looks to punch this down the ground but the ball comes slowly off the surface. He adjusts well and pushes it towards mid off, takes Pathirana on and completes the single. Four runs from the over. IND 10/0 in 3 overs
11.40 IST: On the pads from Lakmal, Dhawan flicks it through square leg. Should have been just a single but a misfield doubles that. IND 6/0 in 2 overs
11.36 IST: FOUR! CARESSED! What a way to get off the mark! Half volley outside off, a gentle loosener from Lakmal but Dhawan does not want any sighters. Leans into the shot and drives it through the covers for a boundary! IND 4/0 in 1.1 overs
SURANGA LAKMAL, the wrecker-in-chief in the previous game, to bowl with the second new ball.
11.35 IST: MAIDEN! Good start from the visitors, no run conceded in the over. IND 0/0 in 1 over
11.30 IST: We are done with the national anthems. The players are out in the middle. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are the openers for the Indian side. Interestingly, it will be Angelo Mathews bowling first up to Rohit Sharma. Here we go...
11.25 IST: It is time for the national anthems. The Sri Lankan one first up, which will be followed by the hosts' one.
11.15 IST: WEATHER - Slightly different conditions to that in Dharamsala. It is pretty hazy, not exactly overcast but the sun is not out as yet. The climate is pleasant though and playing should be nice. The floodlights have already been switched on.
11.10 IST: Teams:
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Danushka Gunathilaka, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Asela Gunaratne, Thisara Perera (C), Sachith Pathirana, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Nuwan Pradeep
11.07 IST: ROHIT SHARMA too, says he would he would have bowled first looking at the conditions. He opines that the wicket looks sticky and the Indian batsmen just needs to change their mindset while approaching batting. Feels that India are a young batting group and needs to learn from the mistakes committed in the first game and not repeat them today. Agrees that it is indeed tempting to bring in Ajinkya Rahane but the team management does not want to change his batting position by bringing him in and playing him in the middle order. Also wants to give the youngsters more opportunities. Informs that WASHINGTON SUNDAR makes his ODI debut today and wishes him all the luck. Adds that he is the only change in this game, in place of Kuldeep Yadav.
11.03 IST: THISARA PERERA says that he wants to use the overcast conditions and hence the decision to field. Is happy with the result in the previous game and feels that the toss won the match there. Feels that this looks a better wicket than the Dharamsala one and should be good for batting. Does not want to look too much into the fact that they reached late yesterday and could not get enough time to settle. Is happy with the one net practice they had this morning and says that the boys are ready and raring to go.
11.00 IST: TOSS - It is time for the captains' call. Rohit Sharma spins the coin, Thisara Perera calls Heads and Heads it is. SRI LANKA CHOOSE TO BOWL!
10.56 IST: Pitch report: Sunil Gavaskar doing the pitch report says there will be a movement for the first hour or so. The surface is damp which means that there will be moisture. Does not think the cracks will open up because of the hazy weather. Also, does not feel the sun will come out for long, so nothing much for the spinners to expect.
10.51 IST:
10.45 IST:
10.35 IST:
Brief Preview: Handed an embarrassing defeat in the inaugural ODI, a wounded India would look to get even against an inspired Sri Lanka in a do-or-die second match. The loss not only hurt but was also an eye-opener for a team that has been dominant all throughout the long home season. Proving that the opening day surrender to Sri Lanka pacers at the Eden Gardens was no aberration, the Indian batting stood exposed once again against the moving ball.
Chandigarh won't be as cold as Dharamsala but the pacers should come into play considering it is another 11:30 start to the day-night affair. In that case, it will be another test for the Indian batsmen if the home team happens to bat first in a must-win contest. Barring old war-horse MS Dhoni, the highly-rated batsmen seemed like sitting ducks every time Suranga Lakmal pitched the ball up in the off-stump corridor. (Read Full Preview Here)
