India on Thursday defeated Sri Lanka in the second ODI, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. India had defeated Sri Lanka in the first ODI when Virat Kohli scored his 45th ODI century by equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
Batting first, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 215 with Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav sharing three wickets each. Umran Malik dismissed two Sri Lankan batters, while Axar Patel picked up one wicket.
India achieved the target by losing just six wickets with 6.4 overs to spare. KL Rahul remained unbeaten at 64 from 103 balls.
Reacting to his side’s defeat, Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka said, “We did not put enough runs on the board. We got a good start with the bat and then lost a few wickets. We discussed that it was a very flat deck. 300 was the score to set, but Kuldeep bowled really well in the middle phase. We had a chance because the ball was moving. I asked the fast bowlers to stick to their basics and move the ball.”
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said after the match, “It was a close game but games like these teach you a lot. KL has been batting at five for a long period of time now and it gives us depth. Gives you confidence as well at the top of the order for us to go and bat freely. It was a good display of batsmanship. There are 3 ODIs coming up against New Zealand as well, so we need to keep the guys fresh. We’ve got a long season now and we need to keep everything in mind. If needed, we’ll make some changes. For Kuldeep Yadav to come back and play the game he played today, it was fantastic. Literally got us back in the game.”
Kuldeep Yadav was declared Player Of The Match.
