Virat packs off Sri Lanka with a century and clean sweep
So India won the series, quite befittingly. And not having lived up to the pre-series billing, Sri Lanka can’t complain. Except may be skipper Angelo Mathews, who said before the start of play that his was not a side to be beaten 5-0. He took it upon himself to salvage some pride, got his maiden ODI century, took two early wickets and kept shuffling the field as India looked set to win the final tie.
He was the lone player trying to make some difference. Ajantha Mendis was a distant second, taking four wickets. NO APPLICATION Not that India’s effort was cohesive. Ambati Rayudu produced a well crafted half-century. But with a well-set captain at the other end, the actions of some of the batsmen defied logic. Robin Uthappa, Kedar Jadhav and Stuart Binny all gifted their wicket to Mendis. Only after a composed Axar Patel put a price on his wicket did Virat Kohli put India back on track before finishing things off emphatically.
Rarely has come a series where India have been able to tick all the boxes. The pacers too got back their rhythm. Barring a few overs, the spinners looked sharp. Catching and fielding has been almost impeccable.
Kohli provided the final flourish with an overdue century. And the setting was the backyard of India’s most successful ODI captain. It was somewhat surreal to hear chants of ‘Virat, Virat’ at a venue where ‘Dhoni, Dhoni’ is the norm.
On a day when two hundreds were scored, Kohli’s application made his more appealing despite the ruthlessness Mathews showed in the death overs. The way he shouldered the responsibility was fascinating, and the manner in which he drove, either playing wristy shots against spinners or presenting the full face of the bat to pacers. His resolve only grew stronger when Rayudu had to sacrifice his wicket for Kohli. Scoring just two fours between 71 and 100, Kohli showed his intent to play it safe till the target was achieved.