India crush SL, register largest win by runs in ODIs
India beat Sri Lanka by 317 runs in the third ODI to pocket the three-match series 3-0. Batting first, the Men in Blue slammed a behemoth 390/5 in 50 overs. Centuries from Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill helped the cause. Later, seamer Mohammed Siraj ran down the Lankan line-up, thereby guiding India to a record-breaking win. We look at the key stats.
How did the match pan out?
Batting first, India had a dream start as Gill and Rohit Sharma added 95 runs. Gill piloted the hosts past 200 before Kohli took the Lankans by storm. The former Indian skipper was joined by Shreyas Iyer, who chipped in a crucial 38. For SL, pacer Kasun Rajitha was the best bet (2/81). Siraj then kept things tight to bundle out the visitors.
A blistering ton for Gill
With the ICC Cricket World Cup later this year, Gill is leaving no stone unturned in cementing the opening spot. The right-hander bashed a 97-ball 116, whipping 14 fours and two sixes. Gill clocked his second ODI hundred. He now has 894 runs in 18 matches, averaging a phenomenal 59.60. Notably, Gill had scored a crisp 70 in the series opener.
Rohit misses out his well-deserving fifty
Rohit took his time before freeing his arms. He clobbered two back-to-back sixes and a four off Kasun Rajitha to conclude the Powerplay. The Mumbaikar threw his wicket on a length ball by Chamika Karunaratne to miss out on his 48th ODI fifty. Rohit now has 9,596 ODI runs at 48.71. Notably, he surpassed AB de Villiers' run-tally in ODIs.
Gill-Kohli frustrate the Lankans
Gill and Kohli stitched a mammoth 131-run stand for the second wicket. The pair guided India from 95/1 to 226/2, with Gill departing in the 34th over. It was Gill's maiden 100-plus run partnership alongside Kohli in ODI cricket. Notably, Gill had fetched a 143-run opening stand with Rohit in the first ODI in Guwahati.
Gill attains this feat
As per Kausthub Gudipati, Gill (894) now has the most runs by an Indian within the first 20 ODI innings. He has surpassed the likes of Kohli (847), Navjot Siddhu (822), Shreyas Iyer (813), and Shikhar Dhawan (783).
Wanindu inks an unwanted record
Ace leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga failed to pick a single wicket across three ODIs. It's the first time that he has remained wicket-less in a bilateral ODI series since his debut in 2017. His figures read 0/67, 0/28, and 0/54.
Kohli slams a record-breaking hundred
2023 looks like the year of Kohli. He scored his second hundred in the series and third in his last four ODIs. Kohli paced his innings well as he clocked his 46th ODI ton and 74th in international cricket. The run machine ended up amassing a 110-ball 166* (4s: 13, 6s: 8), with a four off the last delivery.
Fifth 150-plus score for Kohli
Kohli clocked his fifth 150-plus score in ODI cricket. As per Kausthub Gudipati, it's the most such score by a non-opener in men's ODIs. West Indies legend Viv Richards (3) trails him. The likes of Brian Lara, AB de Villiers, Calum MacLeod, and Jos Buttler are tied with two hundreds each.
Records broken by Kohli
As per Kausthub Gudipati, Kohli now holds the record for the fastest ODI 150 by a cricketer in India (106 balls vs SL). He beat George Bailey (109 balls vs India, 2013), Virender Sehwag (112 balls vs West Indies, 2011), and Rohit (117 balls vs West Indies, 2018). Kohli has become the first player to score 10 ODI hundreds against the same opponent.
2,500-plus runs against SL
Kohli's emphatic century got him past 2,500 runs against Sri Lanka in the format. He now has 2,503 runs across 50 matches. He averages a whopping 64.17 (100s: 10, 50s: 11). He is only the second batsman with 2,500-plus runs against the Lankans, after batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar (3,113).
Siraj registers his career-best figures
Siraj has been an absolute menace in the Powerplay in 50-over cricket. The right-arm seamer trumped Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis. Nuwanidu Fernando got an inside edge which crashed onto the stumps. Siraj then floored Hasaranga, thereby bringing down SL to 37/5 within 10 overs. He concluded with career-best figures of 4/32. He now has 33 wickets across 19 ODIs.
Biggest victory by runs in ODI cricket
Team India can boast of registering the biggest-ever win by runs in ODI cricket (317 runs vs SL). The Men in Blue have broken the previously held record by New Zealand (290 runs vs Ireland, 2008).
