New Delhi: On a day in which individual brilliance overshadowed team performance, Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma starred for India in a low-scoring match against
22: 55 PM IST: Opener Rohit Sharma`s brilliant unbeaten ton helped India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match One-Day International series on Sunday at Pallekele. The match, however, will be remembered for the crowd trouble which forced the play stoppage with India still needing eight runs to win the tie.
Apart from Rohit (124 not out), former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (67 not out) played a perfect support role at the other end after India`s top order got exposed with the scoreboard reading 61/4 in 15.1 overs.
Earlier, pacer Jasprit Bumrah claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to help India restrict Lanka to 217/9. Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Kedar Jadhav chipped in with one wicket each.
22:20 OM IST: Stadium is being emptied after some unruly fans threw bottles. Match is not officially called off, but players are off the field.
INNINGS UPDATE:
A brilliant pace bowling display from Jasprit Bumrah helped India restrict Sri Lanka to 217/9. The 23-year-old took his maiden five-wicket haul. For Lanka, a patient knock from middle-order batsman Lahiru Thirimanne was the difference from a possible fighting total to a low score. Apart from Thirimanne (80 runs off 108 balls), Dinesh Chandimal (36) contributed to the cause for the hosts.
Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat hoping to capitalise upon the overcast conditions. But it appeared as if their batsman had not learnt any lesson from their previous defeats as many in-form and experienced batters were dismissed while playing carelessly.
India, too, were a little sloppy on the field but unlike other matches pace bowlers also contributed handsomely this time around. But their bowlers more than made up, by taking wickets at regular intervals. Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Kedar Jadhav also chipped in with one wicket each.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 217/9 (Lahiru Thirimanne 80; Jasprit Bumrah 5/25) against India.
Let's play #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/Ai5ykFiMbF
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 27, 2017
14.20 IST: Here are the two teams:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Lokesh Rahul, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando, Lasith Malinga
14.15 IST: Important for Sri Lanka to make the most of the toss which they have won and have elected to bat. They need a score in the region of 270-280 to be competitive. India have so far picked wickets at regular intervals and Lanka have not been able to stitch regular partnerships. The surface has runs on offer one way or the other.
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. 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. 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.
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. 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. (With IANS inputs)
