The uneven contest between India and Sri Lanka continued in the fifth and final One-Day International in Colombo on Sunday (September).
Taking a cue from Virat Kohli’s decision to bat first in the fourth match, Sri Lanka skipper did not hesitate in batting first after winning the toss. However, just like the previous game in this series nothing went right for them from the outset.
They were two down with the scoreboard reading just 40 before Tharanga tried to ease the pressure by playing some aggressive shots. However, he could not last long, as Jasprit Bumrah ended his promising 34-ball 48 run knock.
Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews then steadied the ship and scored half-centuries, but their failure to score the runs at a good pace did not allow the hosts to post a good total, as they were restricted for just 238.
In reply, India was also in a spot of bother after being reduced to 29 for two, but a sublime century from Virat Kohli and a half-century from Kedar Jadhav helped the Men in Blue to thrash the Islanders by six wickets and inflict a humiliating 5-0 whitewash for the record second time in history.
The series, meanwhile, was also memorable for India opener Rohit Sharma. The Mumbai star was on the sidelines for close to six months before making his comeback in the Champions Trophy. He was then rested for the limited-overs series in West Indies but hit the ground running against Sri Lanka.
After being run-out for only four in the first ODI, the right-handed batsman scored 54 before scoring two-consecutive centuries. Rohit could not have asked for a better outing in the series, and it was very much evident from his Instagram post.
After the series ended, Rohit posted a selfie of himself along with his wife Ritika with the caption: “All smiles after 5-0. “