Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

This one is all for the glory

VIRAT MILESTONE Kohli becomes the fastest to reach 6000 as India seal series with six-wicket win

- Firoz Mirza sportsdesk@hindustant­imes.com

HYDERABAD: Thanks to a brave innings by Mahela Jayawarden­e (118), edgy Sri Lanka, already 0-2 down in the five-match ODI series, managed to go past 200-mark in their third ODI against India at the Rajiv Gandhi Internatio­nal Stadium on Sunday.

A double-strike by pacer Umesh Yadav in the beginning meant the onus was on experience­d duo of T Dilshan and Jayawarden­e to resurrect the innings. And they didn’t disappoint as the senior batsmen ensured the team crosses 100run mark without any further damage.

At time when it was looking the visitors will finally break the shackles and post a good total on a pitch, which was expected to produce high-scoring games, India skipper Virat Kohli threw the ball to local boy Ambati Rayudu.

Much to the delight of local crowd, Rayudu, playing his first internatio­nal game on home turf, came out with flying colours when he broke the century stand and sent dangerous-looking Dilshan back to the pavilion.

Once Dilshan departed Sri Lanka lost their way as wickets fell in heap in the batting powerplay leaving the visitors gasping at 154 for six. It was Gujarat lad Axar Patel, who inflicted the damage as he picked all the three wickets to have fallen between 31 and 35 overs.

Having ran out of the partner, Jayawarden­a stitched 67 runs together with Seekkuge Prasanna for the eighth wicket and also completed his 17th ODI century, and his first one since July 2013, in the due course.

The brilliant knock finally came to end in the 45th over when a tossed up delivery from R Ashwin foxed the Sri Lankan veteran giving wicketkeep­er Wriddhiman Saha an opportunit­y to chip off the bails.

Sri Lanka’s innings folded on 242 with Yadav finishing 4 for 53 in his 10 overs.

With a below-par target to achieve, the hosts looked comfortabl­e in chase as the openers- Ajinkya Rahana and Shikhar Dhawan gave a solid start accumulati­ng 34 runs in first six overs.

Sri Lanka’s innings folded on 242 with Yadav finishing 4 for 53 in his 10 overs.

With a below-par target to achieve, the hosts looked comfortabl­e in chase as the openers- Ajinkya Rahana and Shikhar Dhawan gave a solid start accumulati­ng 34 runs in first six overs.

Sri Lanka’s innings folded on 242 with Yadav finishing 4 for 53 in his 10 overs.

With a below-par target to achieve, the hosts looked comfortabl­e in chase as the openers- Ajinkya Rahana and Shikhar Dhawan gave a solid start accumulati­ng 34 runs in first six overs.

Sri Lanka’s innings folded on 242 with Yadav finishing 4 for 53 in his 10 overs.

 ?? VIPIN KUMAR / HT PHOTO ?? Virat Kohli blows a kiss after his reaching his half-century as movie star Anushka Sharma acknowledg­ed his feat from the stands.
VIPIN KUMAR / HT PHOTO Virat Kohli blows a kiss after his reaching his half-century as movie star Anushka Sharma acknowledg­ed his feat from the stands.

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