Sri Lanka’s fast sinking cricket image took another hammering when they were whitewashed 5-0 for the first time in a one-day international series at home. Overall it was their third 5-0 whitewash in an ODI series having lost in India in 2014-15 and in South Africa in 2016-17.
Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar wicketless in the series till yesterday took his first five-for and captain Virat Kohli guided the team with his 30th ODI century and his second consecutive of the series as India completed the rout of Sri Lanka in the five-match series winning the fifth and final ODI played at the R Premadasa Stadium yesterday by six wickets. India had also whitewashed Sri Lanka in the three-Test series earlier by a 3-0 margin.
Sri Lanka’s highest total of the series – 238 proved insufficient to contain the Indian line up that had made four changes from the one that won the fourth ODI on Thursday strengthening the bowling with five regulars but all of whom capable of contributing with the bat. However their skills with the bat were not required yesterday as Kohli with an unbeaten 110 off 116 balls (9 fours) sealed the match for his team.
Kohli and Manish Pandey in partnership made shortwork of the Lankan bowling. Whereas the Lankan batsmen struggled to keep the scoreboard ticking by constantly rotating the strike, the Indian pair milked the bowling finding the gaps at will to put together a stand of 99 off 106 balls that eventually paved the way for their win after two wickets had fallen for 29.
Following Pandey’s dismissal at 36, Kohli associated himself in another useful partnership of 109 off 126 balls with Kedar Jadhav (63) to completely shut the door on Sri Lanka.
The pitch was not an easy one for run scoring because by the time India had started to bat it had slowed down to a degree where you had to work the ball into the gaps and hitting boundaries was not an easy task. In that aspect Kohli displaying his repertoire of strokes made run scoring so easy that India were home and dry by the 47th over.
Sri Lanka’s batting woes continued as they once again failed to put up a decent total on the board after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.
Captain Upul Tharanga back in the side after serving a two-match ban for slow over rate got his team off to a flying start when he played cameo knock of 48 off 34 balls that was studded with nine fours many of them glorious strokes through the off and covers.
After his dismissal Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews figured in a record fourth wicket partnership of 122 off 179 balls as they consolidated the position from 63-3. It was Sri Lanka’s first century partnership of the series.
But another all too familiar lower order batting collapse saw Sri Lanka lose their last seven wickets for 53 runs and be dismissed for 238 – their highest total of the series, when 280 had looked a likely score during the Thirimanne-Mathews liaison. Their partnership of 122 beat by one run the previous record held by two former Lankan batting stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene against India at the same venue in 2012.
Thirimanne scored 67 off 102 balls and Mathews 55 off 98 and just as when they were well set to launch into the bowling, India somehow managed to breakthrough.
Kumar had Thirimanne playing on to his stumps and Mathews attempting a sweep top edged a catch behind the wicket to Dhoni. Sri Lanka failed to consolidate from there onwards and the lower order simply folded up tamely with not so much of a whimper.
Kumar was the pick of the Indian bowlers. He picked up his first wicket of the series when he caught and bowled Dickwella for two and came back to take four further wickets to dent the Lankan middle and late order batting to end with figures of 5 for 42 and take the Man of the Match award.
Jasprit Jumrah won the Man of the Series award.
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