India beat Sri Lanka by 168 runs in 4th ODI

India produced a scintillating batting display and then followed it up with a good bowling effort under the circumstances and a much-improved fielding to condemn Sri Lanka to their fourth defeat here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Thursday. Virat Kohli stroked his way to his 29th career century (131, 96b, 17x4, 2x6) while Rohit Sharma (104, 88b, 11x4, 3x6) brought up his 13th career hundred, and the second in a row, as India amassed 375 for five after choosing to bat first.

Though the pitch was conducive for batting and India had left out Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal to include debutant Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav, the target was always going to be out of Lanka’s reach. Senior batsman Angelo Mathews (70) finally came to the party with the bat, but the hosts needed more such contributions to make a fist of the target. Lanka’s faltering chase came to a grinding halt at 207 all out in 42.4 overs, handing India a comprehensive 168-run win and a 4-0 lead. 

A great start, a stuttering progress and a bright finish marked India’s innings after Kohli won his sixth toss of the tour and opted to bat first. Shikhar Dhawan picked up his second successive failure but what followed for the next 28 overs was top-class batting from two of the most stylish batsmen in the world today. Even the largely-partisan Lankan crowd couldn’t help but acknowledge the quality of the batting on display.

Kohli was in imperious touch right from the word go while Rohit played the second fiddle without actually being overshadowed. He made his presence felt with a six here and a four there every now and then but Kohli was in a different zone altogether. The right-hander began with three consecutive fours off Vishwa Fernando’s second over and struck the left-arm paceman for another couple of fours in



his next over to force him out of the attack.

So relentless was Kohli in his attack that by the time Lanka had bowled 15 overs, Malinga had made seven bowling changes. Even Akila Dananjaya, who had troubled the Indian batsmen in the last two matches, had to suffer the same fate. He was taken away after just two overs after Rohit went after the off-spinner with a pulled four before following it up with swept six over mid-wicket. 

Runs came in torrents as none of the Lankan bowlers seemed to make any sort of impact on what was a belter of a surface. If Kohli was exquisite with his cover-drives and flicks, Rohit often drew oohs and aahs with his cuts and pulls.

Though their styles differ, they bring their own elegance to batsmanship. Where Kohli is twinkle-toed and sharp, Rohit appears rather laidback. Where Kohli crashes the ball without sacrificing the aesthetics, Rohit caresses the ball to the fence. The result of this was a lilting duet. As many as 219 runs were scored off just 168 balls but you hardly felt that ferocity. 

Once the duo was separated, the Indian innings wobbled a bit with the middle-order showing its brittleness once again with no pressure of any sort. A promoted Hardik Pandya (whatever happened to their plans of making KL Rahul bat at No 4!) flirted with danger throughout his 18-ball stay while Rohit followed him the next ball, handing Mathews twin strikes. Dananjaya was brought on the moment Rahul came to bat and the right-hander vindicated Lanka’s plans by chipping the bowler to mid-wicket. With three down for the addition of just 12 runs, India looked vulnerable before MS Dhoni (49 n.o.) and Manish Pandey (50 n.o.) shared a 100-run stand for the unbroken sixth wicket to put the issue beyond Sri Lanka.