3rd ODI: Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni shine as India pull off another run chase; clinch series

Pallekele, Aug 27: India pacer Jasprit Bumrah achieved career's maiden five-wicket haul and a 150-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni took India to another series win over Sri Lanka here on Sunday (August 27).

Match Scorecard

Chasing a target of 218 runs, Rohit Sharma slammed a brilliant ton and Mahendra Singh Dhoni played another unbeaten knock and took India home with six wickets to spare in 45.1 overs.

MS Dhoni, who was the chief architect of India's win the second ODI as Men In Blue witnessed a rare batting collapse, came in to bat at a crucial juncture tonight as well. India found themselves once on the sticky wickets as they were 61 for four in the 16th over.

Shikhar Dhawan (5), Virat Kohli (3), KL Rahul (17) and Kedar Jadhav (0) were dismissed cheaply as the hosts clawed their way back in a low-scoring match. But Dhoni (67* off 86) and Rohit (124* off 145) ensured the Indians reach home comfortably without any further hiccups.

Rohit notched up his career's twelveth ODI century and carried his bat through. His knock comprised 16 boundaries and two huge sixes. It was his third ODI ton against Sri Lanka and eighth overseas.

Meanwhile, a calm and composed Dhoni brought up his ODI career's 65 ODI fifty in 299 games. Hailed as one of the greatest match-finishers of all times, Dhoni, reached a personal milestone as he surpassed Mohammed Azharuddin to become fourth highest run-getter for India in the 50 overs format.

Dhoni now averages a whopping 101.84 in successful run chases. Kohli comes second with 95.42 in this list.

Sri Lankan pacers Lasith Malinga and Vishwa Fernando gave the hosts two breakthroughs early on as they came out to defend their below-par total of 217. In-form batsmen Dhawan and Kohli were back in the hut when the scorecard read 19.

It was then the turn of Akila Dananjaya, the man of the match from the previous game, to once again wreak havoc. The mystery spinner got rid of Rahul in his very first over and removed Jadhav for a duck in the next over to put India on the backfoot.

But Dhoni along with opener Rohit denied the Lankans any more success and ensured India registered their seventh consecutive bilateral series win against Sri Lanka and fifth successive in the recent past.

Jasprit Bumrah was named the man of the match for his superb figures of 25/5, which is the fourth best bowling figure from an Indian against Sri Lanka. It was the 23-year-old's maiden five-wicket-haul in the limited overs.

Lahiru Thirimanne (80) was the top scorer for the hosts and lone batsman to offer any resistance to the Indian bowlers.

India's strike pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/41) remained wicketless once again in the match. Axar Patel (1/35) was the most economical bowler for India while 'man with the golden arm' Kedar Jadhav once again got a wicket in the match. He conceded 12 from his spell of three overs and prevented the visitors from scoring runs in the middle overs.

Earlier, the hosts were first time lucky with the toss in the series against Virat Kohli as the coin landed in favour of new skipper Chamara Kapugedera.

Bumrah drew the first blood as he got rid of Niroshan Dickwella in the fourth over of the match. He bowled a perfect yorker and appealed for another leg-before, barely two balls after Dickwella successfully overturned an LBW dismissal off Bumrah.

Bumrah pitched this time in the line and MS Dhoni asked skipper Virat Kohli to go for a review and the latter was spot on. The decision was changed by the umpire to OUT after referral. It was a half volley, to leg no foot movement working and it hit the pad. India got their first breakthrough early on.

Bumrah got Kusal Mendis (1) trapped in-front with an out-swinging length ball to get his second wicket of the match. Mendis had a very brief stay as he paid for trying to drive the ball, going outside off stump, on the back foot but it took a thick edge to slips by Rohit Sharma. At second slip, Sharma took a stunning catch flying to his right.

A well set Dinesh Chandimal was dismissed in the 26th over after he was caught at deep backward square leg by Bumrah to become India's third victim. Hardik Pandya broke the partnership between him and Lahiru Thirimanne with a short-pitched ball outside off stump. Chandimal flicked without getting any power on the shot and picked out Bumrah on the fence.

Kedar Jadhav continued his good performance with the ball as he trapped Angelo Mathews leg-before at his individual score of 11. Jadhav's off break length ball hit the middle stump as the right-hander tried a front foot reverse sweep shot and the ball hit his pad. He missed the reverse sweep and that left the umpire an easy decision to make as it hit him on the shine in front of middle. Mathews also went for the referral but in vain.

Comeback man Lahiru Thirimanne was dismissed for 80. It was a half volley from the man in-form Bumrah towards leg. The batsman mis-timed it, softly chipping the ball to mid wicket for some catching practice for Jadhav.

Thirimanne played very well for his 80 but that dismissal was as tame as can be. Softly chipped the ball to mid wicket for some catching practice. Playing his first ODI since January 2016, the left-handed batsman made most of the opportunity and slammed his 17th half-century.

Sri Lankan skipper Chamara Kapugedera was the sixth wicket to perish as he could only score 14. He was cleaned up by Axar Patel, who once again bowled very economically. Patel finished his quota of 10 overs for 35 and a wicket.

Kapugedera is the stand-in captain for Sri Lanka after regular skipper Upul Tharanga was suspended for two ODIs for slow over rate. Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimane have been inducted into the playing XI for the third ODI.

"We are going to bat first today. The mood is pretty good. We fought really well in the last game and we could not step over the line. We have all spoken about it and made plans for it (about the over rate). Upul is obviously suspended. So Thirimanne comes in. Gunathilaka is injured and Chandimal is coming in," said Kapugedera after winning the toss.

India, on the other hand, will play with the same side that played in the second match.

"We would have bowled first. No need to change the plans that we have thought about. In the first two games as well; first was convincing, last game we got rocked a little bit in the middle overs by a guy we hadn't seen before. It was a good challenge and learning experience for us. We wanted to have a total on the board and chase.

"We were quite relaxed, you can't really do much from the outside and backed the guys out in the middle. None better than one who has played close to 300 ODIs. It will be MS's 299th ODI today. Bhuvi is a calm customer. We knew these guys will find a way to come out of the situation. It was a bizarre game with two 100+ partnerships; one to start the innings and one to finish. No changes at all," said Kohli.

Men in Blue would hope to win this game and clinch the series but upbeat with their bowling effort in the previous game, Sri Lanka would be hoping to shock their opponents and reach the finishing line this time.

Playing XIs:

Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera(C), Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando, Lasith Malinga

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(C), Lokesh Rahul, MS Dhoni(wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal