India beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the third ODI at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele. Easy win for the Indians, marred a bit by the unsporting Sri Lankan crowd. They were in a bit of bother during the run chase but calm and cool Rohit Sharma shepherded them through with an unbeaten 124. Giving him good company and playing second fiddle was MS Dhoni, who made an unnoticed 67 in a partnership of 157. The Indians would be a bit worried regarding the type of dismissals today - pretty loose and just throw them away. But considering that the game has been won, it might not be too much of a thought.
Earlier in the day, India produced yet another brilliant bowling display - this time led by Jasprit Bumrah who grabbed his maiden 5-for in ODIs. Forgettable match again for Sri Lanka. This has been that sort of a tour for them, right from the Tests. Apart from the second ODI, they have not made India sweat and poor batting displays are not helping them. It was Siriwardana with a half century in the previous game while it was Thirimanne with a gritty 80, but they need the seniors to step up. The Lankan bowling was not wayward, to be honest. But it was not threatening either. Akila Dananjaya kept a lid on the Indian and so did Siriwardana but nothing much from the rest. Malinga and Fernando started off well but could not quite induce enough pressure. (SCORECARD)
HIGHLIGHTS FROM INDIA VS SRI LANKA, 3RD ODI AT PALLEKELE
INDIA INNINGS
22.59 IST: Victorious Indian skipper, VIRAT KOHLI says that small targets are a bit tricky but is not too fussed with the top order flopping just for a couple of games. Does not want to look too much into the collapse in the previous game and the failures today. Stresses that people need to be patient with the evolving middle order which is learning. Praises Jasprit Bumrah and calls him amongst India's top bowlers at the moment and adds that he has taken bowling in the death overs like a fish takes to water. Definitely will look to experiment in the coming ODIs, he says.
22.56 IST: Sri Lankan skipper CHAMARA KAPUGEDERA says that the reason to bat first was that he felt that it was a good wicket, so wanted to put some runs and then defend them. On being asked about 29 overs of dot balls in the batting, he admits that rotating the strike was an issue and it needs to be discussed in the team meeting. States that he enjoyed the captaincy in spite of being under pressure.
22.51 IST: JASPRIT BUMRAH has been named the MAN OF THE MATCH for his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs. States that it is always good to make a comeback after a break, coming back refreshed. Feels that it was a different wicket as the last one was slow but this one here was a bit of movement with the new ball. Adds that it is a good feeling to be contributing to the team's cause.
22.36 IST: This ends the game. A full toss down the leg side, Dhoni looks to flick but gets a bit of a top edge which clears the infield. India take the required single and WIN BY 6 WICKETS AND 29 BALLS TO SPARE! They also gain an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series with 2 matches to go!
22.34 IST: 7 runs from Chameera's over. IND 217/4 in 45 overs
22.31 IST: 150-run stand is up between Rohit and Dhoni. A length ball around off, worked to short mid-wicket for a quick single. IND 211/4 in 44.1 overs
22.29 IST: The match referee ANDY PYCROFT has a word with the managers from both the teams. Out come the umpires to the middle, followed by the players. The section which was creating nuisance has been cleared and a whole army of policemen is monitoring the crowd. Rohit and Dhoni now come onto the field. 8 runs needed...here is Dushmantha Chameera...
22.25 IST: The umpires are shaking hands with the players. The players are being taken in and the stadium is being cleared.
22.06 IST: No improvement in the scenario. Dhoni and Rohit take the time and sit lazily on the ground, just relaxing. This is not helping anyone. Every player would want this game done and dusted with.
21.59 IST: Uh oh... not acceptable. The frustrated crowd is throwing bottles onto the ground and there is a holdup in play. Completely agree with the frustration of the Sri Lankan supporters but not quite sure this is the right way to vent it out.
21.56 IST: SIX! When he hits, it stays a hit. Floated on middle, Dhoni comes down the track and smacks it way over long on! 9 more needed now, from 38 balls. Dhoni moves to 60 from 79 balls. IND 210/4 in 44 overs
21.55 IST: FOUR! TAKE THAT! Full on middle, Rohit gets down and sweeps it powerfully through mid-wicket for a boundary! 16 more needed from 40 balls now. Rohit moves to 121 from 142 balls with his 16th boundary. The stand is worth 141 from 169 balls. IND 202/4 in 43.2 overs
65th ODI Fifty for MS Dhoni, 18th against Sri Lanka!
21.51 IST: FOUR! SPANKED! Fine way to get to your half century. Short and wide outside off, Dhoni pounces on it and crashes it over point for a boundary. Maintains his Bradmanesque average in ODI run chases. IND 196/4 in 42.2 overs
21.49 IST: Full and wide outside off, MS reaches out and drives the ball to cover. 2 runs from Siriwardana's over. IND 191/4 in 42 overs
21.46 IST: Just three runs from Dananjaya's over. IND 189/4 in 41 overs
POWERPLAY 3 now. 5 fielders allowed outside the circle. Does it matter?
21.43 IST: DROPPED! Difficult chance though. Tossed up on middle, Rohit comes down the track, looking to go big but miscues it high the air. Chamara Kapugedera takes a start from short mid-wicket, but is a bit late. In the end, he circles a bit under the ball, ends up getting away from it, dives forward but cannot reach the ball. A single taken. IND 185/4 in 40 overs
21.40 IST: Just a single from Dananjaya's over, a good one from the young spinner. IND 183/4 in 39 overs
AKILA DANANJAYA is back on.
21.36 IST: FOUR! Easily done. Full on middle, Rohit flicks it wide of mid on for a boundary! 36 more needed from 75 balls now. Rohit moves to 113 from 126 balls with his 15th boundary.The stand moves to 121 from 134 balls. IND 181/4 in 37.3 overs
21.34 IST: 8 runs from Chameera's over. IND 176/4 in 37 overs
21.30 IST: FOUR! SMOKED! If you are bowling short, you have got to get it higher, around the shoulder. Not around the waist. Pulled through square leg with disdain for a boundary. 46 needed from 82 balls now.The stand moves to 111 from 127 balls. IND 172/4 in 36.2 overs
21.28 IST: 8 runs from Fernando's over. IND 168/4 in 36 overs
100-run stand is up between Rohit and Dhoni!
21.25 IST: SIX! Easily done. A short ball, down the leg side, pull-helped over backward square leg for a maximum! IND 166/4 in 35.1 overs
VISHWA FERNANDO is back on.
21.23 IST: HUNDRED! Rohit! hits his 12th in ODIs, third against Sri Lanka! A length ball outside off, calmly guided to third man to get to that landmark. His first on Lankan soil. IND 160/4 in 35 overs
21.21 IST: MISFIELD, FOUR! Things going from bad to worse for the Lankans. A short ball around off, Dhoni swivels and pulls it behind square leg. The ball goes straight to Akila Dananjaya in the deep but he is kind of tentative to field the ball and it slips right beneath his hands to the fence. IND 158/4 in 34.1 overs
Time for Drinks! Rohit might not like that. Just a run away from his ton. India cruising along. Sri Lanka need wickets, which is an understatement. 64 needed at 4 an over with 6 wickets in hand. Plenty of batsmen to come.
21.18 IST: Just two runs from Dananjaya's over. IND 154/4 in 34 overs
21.15 IST: 4 singles from Chameera's over. IND 152/4 in 33 overs
21.11 IST: 9 runs from Akila's over, another good one for the visitors. IND 148/4 in 32 overs
21.09 IST: SIX! That travels the distance! Tossed up around middle, Sharma dances down and mows it over cow corner for a maximum. Rohit moves to 94! IND 146/4 in 31.3 overs
21.07 IST: 2 runs from Siriwardana's over. IND 139/4 in 31 overs
21.04 IST: FOUR! One bounce and across the fence! Full on middle and leg, Sharma clubs it over wide mid on for a boundary. He is cutting loose now. IND 137/4 in 30 overs
DUSHMANTHA CHAMEERA comes back in the attack!
20.59 IST: Down the leg side, paddled very fine by Dhoni. The Indians notice that it is Malinga chasing the ball from short fine leg and take the second on the throw. 5 runs from Siriwardana's over. IND 130/4 in 29 overs
20.56 IST: 8 runs from Malinga's over, a good one for the men in blue. IND 125/4 in 28 overs
20.54 IST: FOUR! SMASHED! A short ball on middle, Dhoni swivels and pulls it through mid-wicket for a boundary! Dhoni surpasses former Indian skipper Mohd. Azharuddin in the tally of runs in ODIs for India. FOURTH in the list now. IND 123/4 in 27.2 overs
20.52 IST: Top stuff from Siriwardana, just one run from his over. IND 117/4 in 27 overs
20.50 IST: Tidy over from Malinga, just three runs from his over. IND 116/4 in 26 overs
Lasith Malinga is brought back into the attack!
20.45 IST: FIFTY PARTNERSHIP in just 56 balls between Rohit and Dhoni! IND 113/4 in 25 overs
20.42 IST: FOUR! SWEET! Full and outside off, Rohit just pushes this wide of mid off. So good is the timing that the ball races to the fence! IND 108/4 in 24 overs
20.38 IST: 100 up for India. IND 100/4 in 22.3 overs
20.37 IST: FOUR! Short and outside off, Rohit goes back and punches it behind point for a boundary! IND 99/4 in 22.2 overs
20.36 IST: Just a couple from Dananjaya's over. IND 94/4 in 22 overs
20.32 IST: FOUR! Up and over! Nicely done. Tossed up around off, Rohit comes down the track, gets to the pitch of the ball and just eases it over mid on for a boundary! Moves to 60 from 71 balls with his 11th boundary. The stand moves to 30 from 33 balls. 127 more needed from 176 balls now. IND 91/4 in 20.4 overs
MILINDA SIRIWARDANA into the attack now. Replaces Chameera.
20.30 IST: Dananjaya is keeping up the pressure from the other end, 2 runs from his over. IND 87/4 in 20 overs
20.27 IST: FOUR! STUPENDOUS! Another short ball, down the leg side and this time Rohit pulls it brutally behind square leg for a hat-trick of boundaries! IND 85/4 in 19 overs
20.25 IST: FOUR! Half century for Rohit Sharma! He has played a gem of an innings. And that is why he is a special player. On a pitch where most of the batsmen have struggled, he has looked sublime. This is a short ball and he pulls it with ease though square leg for consecutive boundaries. He will know that the job is only half done as of now. Can he get the big one? IND 81/4 in 18.4 overs
20.24 IST: FOUR! That is a delectable shot. Walks a couple of steps towards the bowler and then flicks the half volley wide of mid on for a boundary! IND 77/4 in 18.3 overs
20.22 IST: FOUR! That is a welcome boundary for India! Short and outside off, Rohit camps back in a flash and crunches it through the covers for a boundary. Moves to 43 from 61 balls with his 7th boundary. This stand is worth 11 from 17 balls. 146 more needed from 192 balls now. IND 72/4 in 18 overs
20.19 IST: Chameera is bowling beautifully here, just a single from his over. The young fast bowler is keeping up the pressure. IND 64/4 in 17 overs
20.14 IST: Another magnificent over from the mystery spinner - Dananjaya comes to an end, 2 runs and a wicket from it. IND 63/4 in 16 overs
MS Dhoni is the new man in. Can he continue from where he left off in the second ODI?
20.10 IST: OUT! Dananjaya strikes again! This is Jadhav's second ball that he faced. First one was the googly and this time it's the classical leg spin. Tossed up on middle, Jadhav kneels down to sweep but misses and gets rapped on the back thigh. Looks plumb and the umpire immediately raises his finger to the Sri Lankan appeal. This was a poor choice of shot from Kedar. The pressure was building on India as the previous over from Chameera was a maiden. IND 61/4 in 15.1 overs
Drinks Break! India have been rocked hard by the spirited Lankan side. Their bowlers have been disciplined and are reaping fruits for it. The visitors need a partnership to get back on track.
20.07 IST: MAIDEN from Chameera! IND 61/3 in 15 overs
DUSHMANTHA CHAMEERA comes on from the other end now.
KEDAR JADHAV walks in at number 5, replacing Rahul.
20.01 IST: OUT! Straight to the man! The bowling change works. It is not this ball which has got the wicket but the ones before this. Dananjaya has been foxing the batsmen and drops this one slightly short, around middle. Rahul immediately senses a scoring opportunity and goes back to pull but finds Lahiru Thirimanne at deep mid-wicket. He was not looking at his best tonight and departs for a scratchy 17. 157 more needed from 217 balls now. IND 61/3 in 14 overs
19.55 IST: 7 runs from Mathews' over. IND 58/2 in 13 overs
19.53 IST: FOUR! What a shot! On a length outside off, Rohit jumps out of his crease and slashes it over cover for a boundary! Sharma moves to 31 from 41 balls with his 6th boundary. IND 55/2 in 12.2 overs
19.51 IST: FOUR! That will make him feel a lot better! On a length outside off, a touch wide, Rahul stands tall and punches it through the covers for a boundary! 10 runs from the over and India get to their 50. The stand moves to 32 from 41 balls. 167 more needed from 228 balls now. 50 comes up India. IND 51/2 in 12 overs
19.47 IST: FOUR! Make that one more inside edge. Seems to be Rahul's night. On a length outside off, Rahul gets across a touch, looks to punch this through the off side but gets a thick inside edge which goes past the stumps to the fine leg fence. IND 45/2 in 11.1 overs
19.46 IST: Mathews bowls a good over after the conceding boundary on the first ball, 6 runs from the over. IND 41/2 in 11 overs
19.43 IST: FOUR! That will ease the pressure a bit. A short ball around middle, Rohit swivels and pulls this through square leg. There is a fielder in the deep but he is a bit wide, at mid-wicket and his dive cannot prevent the boundary. 179 more needed from 239 balls now. The stand is worth 20 from 30 deliveries. IND 39/2 in 10.1 overs
POWERPLAY 2 has been signalled. 4 fielders allowed outside the circle till the 40th over but Sri Lanka have chosen only 3. It has been a good Mandatory Powerplay for the hosts, picking up 2 wickets and conceding only 35 runs.
19.42 IST: Fernando is building up the pressure from the other end, 2 runs from the over. Brilliant stuff from the youngster. IND 35/2 in 10 overs
19.38 IST: FOUR! EDGED, FOUR! This was coming. Mathews had bowled 5 dots in a row and the last one would have probably induced something from the batsman. Rohit looked to drive but the length was not the right one. There was no feet movement either and the ball flew wide of the diving first slip fielder to the third man fence. Rohit moves to 20 from 30 balls with his 4th boundary. IND 33/2 in 9 overs
19.36 IST: STAT ALERT - This could be the reason why Kapugedera has brought Mathews on. He has dismissed Rohit 6 times in ODIs - No bowler has got rid of Rohit more often.
ANGELO MATHEWS comes on to bowl now. A bit of a surprise as he usually does not bowl much these days. Just a slip in place for him.
19.35 IST: SRI LANKA TEAM CAMP - Well, this has come as a bit of a shock for the Lankans. Dinesh Chandimal was hit on the arm while batting earlier today and has not taken the field. In fact, he has been ruled out of the game. He has suffered a HAIRLINE FRACTURE on his left arm, which might not mean good news for the remainder of the tour either.
19.34 IST: Tidy over from Fernando, just four runs from it. IND 29/2 in 8 overs
19.30 IST: Another compact forward defense from Rohit to end the over. Not a bad start from Chameera, 6 runs from the over. IND 25/2 in 7 overs
19.28 IST: FOUR! Fine shot. Fractionally short in length outside off, Rohit punches this on the up through cover-point for a boundary! The ball was a bit wide and got the treatment. IND 23/2 in 6.3 overs
19.25 IST: Back-to-back maidens and this one WICKET MAIDEN from Vishwa Fernando. Super Stuff! IND 19/2 in 6 overs
LOKESH RAHUL walks in at number 4, replacing his skipper.
19.20 IST: OUT! Kohli picks his man to perfection! The Indian skipper has a wry smile on his face. It was a poor delivery and should have been dispatched, but instead, it has resulted in a wicket. A fuller delivery, on the pads, Kohli flicks it beautifully with nice timing but it is uppish. Dushmantha Chameera has a few paces to cover to his left from fine leg and he does that well, cupping the ball near his tummy. Kohli cannot believe it. Sri Lanka will not mind. India rocked early. 199 more needed from 269 balls. IND 19/2 in 5.1 overs
19.19 IST: 9 runs from Malinga's over. IND 19/1 in 5 overs
19.17 IST: FOUR! IND 16/1 in 4.4 overs
19.14 IST: MAIDEN from Fernando! IND 10/1 in 4 overs
19.10 IST: Brilliant over from Malinga comes to an end, just a single and a wicket from it. IND 10/1 in 3 overs
19.06 IST: OUT! Chopped on! Length delivery, angling away. Dhawan stays back to glide it away but gets an inside edge onto the stumps. That's a massive, massive blow for India. This is the first time Dhawan has got out on a single digit against Sri Lanka in ODIs. Finally, Malinga strikes! He now moves to 298 ODI wickets. IND 9/1 in 2.1 overs
19.04 IST: NOT OUT! Big inside edge! On a length around leg, angling away. Sharma looks to defend but misses and is rapped on the pads. The players go up in appeal but the umpire stays put. Dickwella is confident and urges his skipper to take the review. Kapugedera obliges. The replays shows there to be a massive inside edge and the Snicko confirms it. Waste of a review from the hosts and they have lost it now. IND 9/0 in 2 overs
Vishwa Fernando to bowl with the second new ball. He too has a couple of slips in place.
18.59 IST: FOUR! Shikhar Dhawan smashes the ball for a boundary on Fernando's first ball of the over. IND 8/0 in 1.1 overs
18.57 IST: FOUR! Rohit waits on the back foot and crashes it through cover-point, failed the previous ball, but this time got the timing and the placement right. IND 4/0 in 1 over
18.55 IST: We are back for the chase! Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan to open the batting. They will face Lasith Malinga first up, who has two slips in place. Here we go...
18.20 IST:
18.15 IST: Full outside off, Fernando drives it powerfully through left of mid off. Jadhav there dives to his left and gets a hand to it. The ball slows down and Kedar can chase it down. A brace to end the innings. SRI LANKA FINISH ON 217/9 in 50 overs
18.14 IST: Four Byes! Awkward bounce! Slower one outside off, another play and a miss from Malinga. The ball bounces in front of Dhoni and just takes off from the turf. He is lucky that he doesn't hit him on the face. The ball races behind and four byes are signalled. SL 214/7 in 49.4 overs
18.10 IST: OUT! Chameera is way short of his crease! Banged in short, angling down leg. It's too short and Chameera leaps to his left to grab the ball. Fernando from the other end takes off but Chameera hesitates a touch. He finally decides to go for the run but is late. Dhoni throws the ball to Bhuvneshwar, who collects the ball and whips the bails off. The umpire signals wide and then refers it upstairs. The replays show Chameera to be run out. SL 210/9 in 48.4 overs
18.09 IST: The umpire has gone upstairs to refer the run out appeal against Chameera. He seems to be short of his crease by miles but still the umpire doesn't want to take any risks.
18.06 IST: FOUR! Pierced! Back of a length delivery, angling in, Chameera throws the kitchen sink at it. Connects it off the meat and the ball races through backward square leg for a boundary. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is having an off day! SL 207/8 in 48.1 overs
Vishwa Fernando is the new man in.
18.03 IST: OUT! Bumrah has the last laugh! Maiden 5-fer for him as well! Once again Siriwardana tries to go after Bumrah, makes room to smash but misses. And, the ball sneaks through the rattle the woodwork. SL 203/8 in 48 overs
18.01 IST: FOUR! 200 up for Sri Lanka! Full around off, Siriwardana makes room and plays it inside out over covers. That's a fabulous shot and the ball goes on the bounce across the fence. Back-to-back boundaries and that will spoil Bumrah's figures. Siriwardana was the one who resurrected the Lankan innings in the last game and is doing the same this time around as well. SL 200/7 in 47.3 overs
18.00 IST: FOUR! This time Siriwardana connects! A touch fuller around middle and leg, Siriwardana clears his front leg and slogs it over square leg for a boundary. Valuable runs, these! SL 196/7 in 47.2 overs
17.55 IST: The rain gods have showed mercy on us as the weather has cleared.
17.52 IST: Oh no... here comes the rain! There was a threat of a thundershower later in the evening and dare we say, it has come on time. The umpires do not waste any time in bringing the covers on and the entire square is covered. It does look a bit heavy.
17.48 IST: MAIDEN from Bhuvneshwar Kumar! SL 192/7 in 47 overs
Dushmantha Chameera is the new man in. A slip is in place now!
17.44 IST: OUT! Bumrah gets another four-for, Dananjaya departs. Back-to-back 4-fers for Jasprit Bumrah! He becomes the first Indian to secure back-to-back 4-fers in ODIs against Sri Lanka! Bowls a cutter around middle, Dananjaya gives it a big swing but misses and the ball crashes onto the stumps. The variation proved to be too good for the tailender. SL 192/7 in 46 overs
17.39 IST: 9 runs from Chahal's over. SL 190/6 in 45 overs
17.36 IST: FOUR! Slogged away! Tossed up on middle, Siriwardana kneels down and slog sweeps it in front of square on the leg side for a boundary. SL 187/6 in 44.3 overs
17.34 IST: OUT! Axar removes Sri Lankan skipper Chamara Kapugedera for 14. Timber! In trying to up the ante, Kapugedera departs! Full and straight on middle, the Lankan skipper makes room to hammer it but misses it completely. The ball sneaks through and knock off the leg pole. Another batsmen departs and Sri Lanka are failing to stitch some partnerships here. Patel has his first one of the game! SL 181/6 in 44 overs
17.31 IST: 5 runs came of his over. SL 178/5 in 43 overs
Chahal is back in the attack.
17.28 IST: 8 runs from Axar's over, another decent one for the hosts. SL 173/5 in 42 overs
17.25 IST: FOUR! Streaky! Flat and straight around off, Siriwardana goes back to punch but gets a healthy outside edge. It flies past Dhoni and to the third man fence. If there had been a slip, it would have been a catching opportunity. SL 169/5 in 41.1 overs
Halt in play as Kapugedara is been given a message from the team physio. Meanwhile, Axar Patel comes back on.
17.23 IST: FOUR! Bit too full from Bhuvneshwar, Kapugedera slaps the ball through the cover region and shows a nice flourish of the bat. SL 165/5 in 41 overs
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back on.
Powerplay 3 has been signalled! Now, a maximum of 5 fielders can stay outside the ring.
17.20 IST: SL 159/5 in 40 overs
Milinda Siriwardana walks out to bat.
17.18 IST: OUT! Soft dismissal! Fuller on middle and leg, Thirimanne looks to flick it over Jadhav at mid-wicket. Fails to get the required elevation and the ball flies straight to the Kedar, who takes it with ease in a reverse cup. Bumrah strikes again, completes yet another 3-fer! SL 159/5 in 39.3 overs
17.14 IST: 8 runs from Axar's over. SL 158/4 in 39 overs
17.12 IST: FOUR! Cut away! Patel drops it short and wide outside off, Thirimanne goes back and cuts it fiercely through point for a boundary. This is the first one conceded by Axar! SL 154/4 in 38.1 overs
17.11 IST: Just a single from Bumrah's over, another tight over from the young pacer. 150 comes up for Sri Lanka. SL 150/4 in 38 overs
Jasprit Bumrah comes back on.
15.07 IST: Thirimanne kneels down and looks to paddle it, gets it off the inner half towards fine leg for a couple. Another brace results. 7 runs from Jadhav's over. SL 149/4 in 37 overs
17.04 IST: Axar bowls another brilliant over, just two runs from it. SL 142/4 in 36 overs
Axar Patel replaces Chahal
17.02 IST: 5 runs and a wicket from Jadhav's over. SL 140/4 in 35 overs
Skipper Chamara Kapugedera is the new man in.
16.59 IST: OUT! Decision stays! Tossed up on middle, straightens a touch after pitching. Mathews goes for the reverse paddle but misses. Gets rapped on the front pad and the players appeal. Kedar Jadhav removes Mathews for 11. SL 138/4 in 34.4 overs
16.58 IST: Mathews has played a needless shot and paid the price as he has been adjudged lbw. The Lankan though has opted for the review. That looked plumb to the naked eye.
16.56 IST: 9 runs from Chahal's over, good one for the Lankans. SL 135/3 in 34 overs
16.54 IST: SIX! Into the stands! Thirimanne decides that it's time to up the ante. Dances down and clobbers it with the spin over cow corner. It sails over the fence for a maximum. That was a great shot and hitting with the spin helped his cause. SL 132/3 in 33.3 overs
Drinks!
16.51 IST: Just a single from Jadhav's over. SL 126/3 in 33 overs
Kedar Jadhav comes into the attack. Will his golden arm do the trick for India?
16.48 IST: FOUR! Asking to be hit and is put away! Chahal bowls a slider but drops it short. Mathews latches onto this in a flash, rocks back and pulls it hard over mid-wicket. SL 125/3 in 32 overs
16.43 IST: Fuller this time, spinning in, Lahiru kneels down and paddle sweeps it through short fine leg for a brace. 4 runs from the over. SL 117/3 in 31 overs
16.40 IST: Just 3 runs from Pandya's over, Sri Lanka is trying hard to break the shackles. SL 113/3 in 30 overs
17th ODI fifty for Lahiru Thirimanne!
16.37 IST: FIFTY for Thirimanne! Back of a length delivery wide outside off, Thirimanne waits for it and just glides it down to third man for a single. Gets to his half century and it's his third consecutive one against India. What a comeback it has been from him, absolutely superb! He is the only Lankan batsman who has looked good out in the middle. SL 111/3 in 29.1 overs
16.36 IST: Just two runs from Axar's over. SL 110/3 in 29 overs
16.32 IST: FOUR! Release shot! Full and straight on the pads, Thirimanne slogs it across. Doesn't connect it cleanly but still finds the gap in the square leg region. Much-needed boundary this for the Islanders. Thirimanne moves to 46 with this! SL 108/3 in 28 overs
16.30 IST: MAIDEN from Axar Patel! SL 102/3 in 27 overs
16.27 IST: A successful over from Pandya comes to an end, 5 runs and a wicket. SL 102/2 in 26 overs
Angelo Mathews is the new man in. Sri Lanka will have to build the innings again now.
16.25 IST: OUT! Pandya removes Chandimal for 36. Pandya gets rid of Chandimal! Back of a length delivery, angling in. Chandimal looks to pull it away but misjudges the length. Gets a top edge and the ball flies straight to Bumrah at deep square leg. The Indian paces doesn't make any mistake and gobbles the catch. There was a great battle going on between Pandya and Chandimal and it was the all-rounder who had the last laugh. Dinesh's struggling knock comes to an end. End of the 72-run stand! SL 100/3 in 25.4 overs
16.23 IST: 100 comes up for Sri Lanka, SL 100/2 in 25.3 overs
16.20 IST: Tidy over from Axar once again, he's keeping up the pressure. Just a single from it. SL 97/2 in 25 overs
16.17 IST: FOUR! Pulled away! Back of a length delivery, angling down leg, sits up nicely for Chandimal, who pulls it with authority through mid-wicket for a boundary. He is growing in confidence. SL 96/2 in 24 overs
16.16 IST: In the air... but safe! Length delivery, angling in, Chandimal looks to pull it away but is not in control of it. Gets a top edge and the ball flies over Kohli at mid-wicket. The Indian skipper sprints after it but still can't get to the ball. Chandimal survives and adds another couple to his score. SL 92/2 in 23.4 overs
HARDIK PANDYA is back on.
16.14 IST: The batsman dances down the track and does well to block the ball. 3 runs from the over. SL 88/2 in 23 overs
16.11 IST: Another tight over from Chahal, he's giving nothing away at the moment. 3 runs from it, SL 85/2 in 22 overs
16.07 IST: 3 runs from the Axar's first over. SL 82/2 in 21 overs
Axar Patel comes in, replacing Pandya! So spin from both ends now.
16.04 IST: Fifty Partnership between Chandimal (28*) and Thirimane (29*). SL 79/2 in 20 overs
16.03 IST: Chance of a run-out, but Rahul fails to pick the ball.Tossed up around leg, Chandimal skips down and knocks towards mid on. They take off for a quick single, taking on Lokesh there. The Indian youngster fails to make a clean stop and the batsmen steal a single. 50-run stand is up as well! The duo though needs to carry on this good work! SL 78/2
16.01 IST: 8 runs from Pandya's over, a good one for the hosts. SL 76/2 in 19 overs
16.00 IST: FOUR! That's class! Full outside off, Thirimanne plants his front foot ahead, leans into the shot and drives it ever so crisply. Gets it through mid off for a boundary. Straight drives are always pleasing to the eyes! SL 75/2 in 18.4 overs
15.56 IST: Just three runs from Chahal's over, another tight one from the young spinner. SL 68/2 in 18 overs
15.53 IST: Chandimal jumping again with a well directed short delivery from Pandya. The batsman took his bottom hand off the bat as he looked to defend. SL 65/2 in 17 overs
Chandimal is in pain and has called on for the team physio! The ball hit his right thumb and that can be really painful. The physio is making sure that he is fine to continue and Chandimal gets the nod to stay out in the middle.
15.47 IST: Ouch! Short delivery around middle, bounces a touch extra, rises onto Chandimal and he fails to fend it out. Hits the thumb and deflects onto the grille of his helmet. He is pain and his partner and Rohit Sharma has gathered around to check on him. The team physio also has rushed out in the middle. SL 65/2 in 16.3 overs
15.45 IST: FOUR! Poor line, punished! Full but on the pads. Easy pickings for Thirimanne as he flicks it fine down the leg side. The fielder there is a lot squarer and so a boundary results. SL 64/2 in 16.1 overs
Time for Drinks! India started off brilliantly with Bumrah scalping two. Since then though, Thirimanne and Chandimal have steadied the ship. Can this pair carry on or will India get a breakthrough? We have seen the momentum changing after a break in play. Let's see what happens today...
15.42 IST: 6 runs from Chahal's over, SL 60/2 in 16 overs
15.38 IST: Another tidy over from Pandya, just four runs from it. SL 54/2 in 15 overs
15.34 IST: Tossed up again outside off, Thirimanne steps down a touch and drives it through wide mid off for a single. 50 comes up for Sri Lanka. SL 50/2 in 14 overs
15.31 IST: 6 runs from Pandya's over. SL 48/2 in 13 overs
15.30 IST: FOUR! Beautiful! Full around off, Thirimanne gets across and flicks it crisply through the gap between mid on and mid-wicket for a boundary. He picked the gap beautifully there! SL 48/2 in 12.3 overs
Hardik Pandya comes on to bowl, replacing Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
15.27 IST: Just a single from Chahal's first over, SL 42/2 in 12 overs
Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is introduced into the attack.
15.25 IST: Loud shout for caught behind! Shortish around off, swinging away. Chandimal looks to glide it away but misses. As the ball lands in Dhoni's gloves, the players appeal but the umpire isn't interested. Kumar wants a review but Dhoni isn't sure. Kohli goes with his ex-skipper on this one and doesn't take the review. SL 41/2 in 11 overs
15.21 IST: FOUR! Edged and over! Short and angling in, Chandimal goes for the hook. Gets a top edge and the ball sails over the keeper's head. SL 41/2 in 10.3 overs
15.19 IST: Shout for lbw! Kohli is excited but Dhoni says impact to be outside off. Coming to the delivery it was on a length outside off, Chandimal gets across to defend but got beaten and rapped on the knee roll. Kumar appeals but it's turned down. It's the right decision as the replay shows there was an inside edge. SL 37/2 in 10.2 overs
POWERPLAY 2 has been signalled. 4 fielders allowed outside the circle till the 40th over.
15.18 IST: Brilliant over from Bumrah comes to an end, just a single from it. SL 37/2 in 10 overs
15.14 IST: Bhuvneshwar concedes 6 runs from the over. SL 36/2 in 9 overs
15.11 IST: FOUR! A boundary from Chandimal to start Bhuvneshwar's over.
15.07 IST: OUT! Bumrah takes his 2nd, removes Mendis for 1. A scorcher of a catch from Rohit at second slip! Bumrah pitches it on a length around off. Mendis flirts with it, get an outside edge and it flies to the right of Sharma at second slip. The Indian opener leaps to his right and grabs it safely with both the hands. One of the best catches you must have seen in this tournament. Bumrah kept probing Mendis with this line and he completely deserved this wicket. Another failure for Kusal! SL 28/2 in 7.4 overs
15.03 IST: Four Leg byes! Slanting down leg, Chandimal gets inside the line and looks to tuck it away. The ball brushes the pads and runs behind. Dhoni dives to his left but fails to stop it. The ball rolls away to the fence and four leg byes is signalled. SL 26/1 in 7 overs
14.59 IST: Yet another maiden over from Jasprit Bumrah! SL 22/1 in 6 overs
14.52 IST: FOUR! Good shot from Chandimal, played on the up through covers. Full and wide outside off, Chandimal plants his front foot across and creams it through cover-point for a boundary. This will boost his confidence! SL 22/1 in 5 overs
14.51 IST: Brilliant over from Bumrah! A wicked maiden from him. SL 18/1 in 4 overs
14.49 IST: OUT! Bumrah removes Dickwella LBW for 13. Successful review! Bumrah gets his man this time! Similar to the first delivery of this over, Jasprit darts it very full around leg. Once again Dickwella fails to dig it out and is rapped low on the pads. The Indians start appealing but this time the umpire stays put. Dhoni looks confident and urges Kohli to take the review, who obliges. The third umpire rules in India's favour. The Hawk Eye shows it to be pitching in line and going on to hit the stumps. Second successful review in the over. Dickwella has to walk back and this is an early blow for the Islanders. SL 18/1 in 3.4 overs
14.45 IST: Nirsohan Dickwella has been adjudged lbw. However, after a discussion with Chandimal, he has opted for the review. Has it pitched outside leg? Yes, third umpire confirms that the ball was indeed pitching outside the line. So, the decision has to be overturned.
14.44 IST: FOUR! In the gap! Short and around leg, Dickwella camps back and plays a controlled pull through backward square leg. The fine leg fielder can't cut it off and that's another boundary for the southpaw. SL 18/0 in 3 overs
14.40 IST: Another fumble! Bhuvi bowls it wide outside off, Chandimal glides it behind square on the off side. Bumrah at third man fumbles and the Lankan batsmen convert the one into a second.
14.38 IST: Bumrah concedes 4 runs off the over. SL 10/0 in 2 overs
14.34 IST: Jasprit Bumrah to share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar.
14.31 IST: FOUR! A boundary from Dickwella to start with. Kedar Jadhav fumbles near the bounadry and lets the ball cross over the ropes. Sloppy from Kedar Jadhav! Wide outside off, slanting away. Dickwella plays away from the body. Throws his bat to it and gets it towards third man. Jadhav there, hares to his left, slides in to stop but fumbles and the ball trickles away to the fence. Kohli won't be happy with this start. SL 6/0 in 1 over
14.30 IST: The players are out in the middle. Niroshan Dickwella and Dinesh Chandimal are opening the batting for Sri Lanka. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to start the proceedings for India. Here we go...
14.28 IST:
Pitch Report: Zaheer Khan and Russell Arnold inspecting the pitch say that today's match will be played a couple of strips further from the previous match but nothing much has changed. Add that it's a nice and firm track with a tinge of grass on one end which the fast bowlers would look to make use of it. They inform that as we have seen in the last few ODIs, there isn't much swing on offer but the bowlers will get help off the seam.
Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Lokesh Rahul, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera (c), Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando, Lasith Malinga
14.10 IST: Captain's Corner
Virat Kohli: We would have bowled first. No need to change the plans that we have thought about. In the first two games as well; first was convincing, last game we got rocked a little bit in the middle overs by a guy we hadn't seen before. It was a good challenge and learning for us. We wanted to have a total on the board and chase. We were quite relaxed, you can't really do much from the outside and backed the guys out in the middle. None better than who has played close to 300 ODIs. It will be MS's 299th ODI today. Bhuvi is a customer. We knew these guys will find a way to come out of the situation. It was a bizzare game with two 100+ partnerships. No changes at all.
Chamara Kapugedara: We are going to bat first today. The mood is pretty good. We fought really well in the last game and we could not step over the line in the last game. We have all spoken about it and made plans for it (about the over rate). Upul is obviously suspended. So Thirimanne comes in. Gunathilaka is injured and Chandimal is coming in.
14.00 IST: Sri Lanka win toss and opt to bat vs India. The visitors lead 5-match series 2-0.
13.57 IST: We have got the toss coming up in a few minutes. So, don't go anywhere.
13.55 IST: Sri Lanka will hope batsmen Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne, who have been called up for the remaining ODIs as a replacement for Danushka Gunathilaka and captain Upul Tharanga bring some positives into the side. Stand-in captain Chamara Kapugedera along with batsmen Niroshan Dickwella and Milinda Siriwardana will look to play a key role in the batting department. Among the bowlers, Dananjaya will look to continue his fine form.
13.50 IST: In the bowling department, pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, alongside spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel, will look to put breaks on the Sri Lankan batting which has failed to pose a threat in the previous matches.
13.45 IST: Openers Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan had put India off to a fine start with a stand of 109 runs and the visitors will bank them and Dhoni to continue their fine form. The Indians will also hope that batsmen Lokesh Rahul, Kedar Jadhav and skipper Virat Kohli will get back to form after all three failed to reach double figures in the last match.
13.40 IST: The visitors had suffered a batting collapse, losing seven wickets in the space of 22 runs to be reduced to 131/7 at one stage thanks to excellent bowling by Sri Lanka off-spinner Akila Dananjaya, who returned a six-wicket haul. But former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (45 not out) and tailender Bhuvneshwar Kumar (53 not out) put together 100-run partnership to help the visitors chase down the target.
13.30 IST: Having already secured a 2-0 lead, India will look to seal the series against Sri Lanka in the third of five-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. India have taken 2-0 lead in the ODI series after pulling out a three-wicket victory from the jaws of defeat in the last match.
Brief Preview: The big question is if skipper Virat Kohli will continue with his bold approach when it comes to team strategy, if not team selection.
Ahead of the second ODI, he had outlined the need to give ample opportunity to the youngsters in the side, particularly the bowlers. As such, it is only to be expected that Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal will continue to be frontline spinners then.
However, the complication in the 231-run chase in the second ODI occurred due to a shuffle in the batting order. After a great start, Kohli sent in KL Rahul and Kedar Jadhav ahead at number 3 and 4 respectively. The mini-experiment failed spectacularly, mostly because they couldn't read Akila Dananjaya's googlies properly.
Jadhav's impulsive shot making during a three-ball stay also didn't go unnoticed.
Again then, it is a wonder if Kohli will experiment again tomorrow. The Indian skipper might just revert to the original batting order and close out the series before ringing any changes in the last two ODIs in Colombo. In doing so though, he will be departing from his claims of 'making unpredictable changes despite facing defeat'.
All said and done, India's collapse on Thursday has brought this additional (but welcome) interesting twist to the equation here.
There is also the toss factor. Kohli won his fifth consecutive toss on this tour and predictably chose to chase again. With Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan putting on a century stand, in a way, it was the catalyst for the shuffle in batting-order, as the Indian skipper probably didn't want the second game without action in the middle for Rahul and others.
Could this force Kohli to rethink his bat-first theory, if he manages to win the toss yet again? (Read Full Preview Here)
