Virat scores 45th ODI ton after Rohit, Gill fifties in 67-run win over SL; Shanaka ton in vain
GUWAHATI: Coming back into the team refreshed following a break after the ODI series against Bangladesh, 'King Kohli' has started the New Year from where he left off. That normal sight of jubilation, punching his fist and jumping in the air, was back as Kohli completed his 45th century in ODIs, just four short of Sachin Tendulkar's record 49.
The path to the century wasn't smooth as he got two lives on 52 and 81, but he made the visitors pay dearly for those misses as India's road to the 50-over World Cup began on a thumping note with a comprehensive 67-run win over Sri Lanka. Kohli's second consecutive ODI ton helped India post a massive 373/7.
1/10:1st ODI: Virat Kohli stars in India's big win over Sri Lanka
2/10:Kohli slams 45th ODI ton
<p>An authoritative Virat Kohli headlined India's utterly dominant performance with his 45th ODI hundred as the hosts pummelled Sri Lanka by 67 runs in the first of the three-match series on Tuesday.</p>
3/10:India post 373/7
<p>Asked to bat first, India rode former skipper Kohli's 87-ball 113 and fluent half-centuries from his successor Rohit Sharma (83) and Shubman Gill (70) to rake up an imposing 373/7.</p>
4/10:Sri Lanka finish at 306/8
<p>In reply, the Sri Lankans were never in the hunt and ended at 306 for eight in 50 overs to hand the hosts a 1-0 lead in the rubber.</p>
5/10:Counter-attacking century by Shanaka
<p>After opener Pathum Nissanka fell for 72, visiting captain Dasun Shanaka waged a lone battle and produced a counter-attacking century, even as the others failed to put up any resistance. In the end, Shanaka remained not out on 108 off 88 balls.</p>
6/10:Siraj-Umran share 7 wickets
<p>Young speed merchants Mohammed Siraj (2/30) and Umran Malik (3/57) then put the icing on the cake in a lopsided game.</p>
7/10:73rd international ton for Kohli
<p>Continuing his blazing form into the New Year, Kohli slammed his 73rd international hundred overall and made the Lankans pay for two dropped catches.</p>
8/10:Siraj strikes with new ball
<p>The exuberant Siraj once again bowled splendidly with the new ball and reduced the Islanders to 23/2 inside six overs to set the tone.</p>
9/10:Siraj cleans up Mendis
<p>Siraj first dismissed Avishka Fernando and then rattled Kusal Mendis' timber with a scorching delivery to cap a superb opening spell of 5-1-15-2, laced with 25 dot balls.</p>
10/10:Fine knock by Nissanka
<p>But Nissanka held on and stood in two crucial partnerships with Dhananjaya de Silva (47) and Charith Asalanka (23) when India operated with spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal (1/58) and Axar Patel (0/32 from five overs) in the middle overs.</p>The Mohammed Shami-led bowling attack then restricted the Lankans to 306/8 in the first game of the three-match series here at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.
Chasing 374, the visitors were never in contention as they were down to 23/2 inside 6 overs and lost wickets at regular intervals.
Skipper Dasun Shanaka's sublime unbeaten 108 off 88 balls, his second ODI ton, went in vain as he didn't get much support. Opener Pathum Nissanka had a steady start himself, scoring 72 off 80 balls but that was too slow while chasing a tall task.
Umran Malik was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking 3/57 runs from his 8 overs.
Asked to bat first o n a placid track by Shanaka, Rohit Sharma led from the front with a 143-run opening stand with Shubman Gill, who was preferred over last match's record-breaking double centurion Ishan Kishan. The Sri Lankan bowling was pedestrian and their poor catching andoutfield fielding didn't help.
The Indian skipper played the role of aggressor in his 67-ball 83 as Gill completed his fifth half-century in 16 ODIs, playing an innings full of grace and fluidity until he played across the line to get caught in front of the stumps by Shanaka after scoring 70 off 60 balls with 11 fours.
In came Kohli, greeted with the loudest cheers from the crowd. His 113-run innings off 87 balls, studded with 12 fours and a six, also had two blips as wicketkeeper Kushal Mendis and skipper Shanaka dropped two catches. On both occasions, medium pacer Kasun Rajitha was the unlucky bowler.
After getting the first reprieve following an outside edge in the 37th over, Kohli rubbed insult to injury , hitting two consecutive fours in the last two balls of the over. The young bowler was third-time lucky as Kohli fell to him skying one to be caught by Mendis in the penultimate over. Rohit missed a possible century as he inside edged a length ball from Madushanka. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer got starts but failed to convert.
