India vs Sri Lanka 2023

‘Saal ke shuruwat me hi Lanka dahan kar diya’- Fans react as India thrash Sri Lanka in 3rd ODI by 317 runs, sweep series by 3-0

The centuries from Kohli and Gill set the hosts up, and there was no looking back thereafter as India won the match by 317 runs.

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Akshay
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Indian Cricket Team (Source - Twitter)

Indian Cricket Team (Source - Twitter)

Indian Cricket Team (Source - Twitter) Indian Cricket Team (Source - Twitter)

India and Sri Lanka clashed against each other in the third and final ODI match of the series in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. India made a few changes as Hardik Pandya and Umran Malik were rested, with shortest format sensation Suryakumar Yadav and Washington Sundar making their return to the team.

Sri Lanka also made two changes in their squad for a consolation win. Ashen Bandara and Jeffery Vandersay came in for Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage.

India opted to bat first after winning the toss and the day started with India's openers getting off to a flier despite a tepid couple of overs to begin the game. Skipper Rohit Sharma holed out after scoring 42 runs.  Shubman Gill then joined hands with Virat Kohli and the duo stitched together a 131-run partnership as Sri Lanka found no joy for almost the next 20 overs.

Gill played a stylish knock, getting to his 2nd ODI hundred before he was knocked over by a Kasun Rajitha delivery that stayed low.

Clinical bowling performance by India

Kohli, though, held his own at the other end as he smashed his 46th ODI hundred, and the second for this series. The former Indian skipper remained unbeaten on 166, doing the bulk of the scoring, at the end, as India plundered 116 runs off the last 10 overs.

Sri Lanka found some joy in the death overs as Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Suryakumar's wickets were dismissed in quick succession, but, nevertheless, 390 on the board was not going to be a score that could easily be chased.

The result was a foregone conclusion but what was shocking was the meek surrender from the Lankan batters. Even if the target was improbable, they could have all tried to put up a fight but that was not to be. Mohammed Siraj's new-ball burst killed off whatever minimal hopes the visitors may have had and the procession just never stopped at all. He ended up taking 4 wickets.

Only three batters got to double digits and just one partnership faced 20-plus deliveries out there. India only had to use three specialist bowlers while Iyer bowled one solitary over as well. It was a clinical performance from India, though. The centuries from Kohli and Gill set the hosts up, and there was no looking back, thereafter, as India won the match by a huge margin of 317 runs.

Here's how fans reacted:

India Sri Lanka Twitter Reactions IND vs SL