Virat Kohli on Wednesday (August 7) failed to get Team India out of trouble in the ongoing third ODI against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
After posting 249 runs in the last match of the series, India got off to a flying start as Rohit Sharma’s quick knock helped them reach 35 runs after just 4 overs. Sri Lanka counterattacked by dismissing Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma in quick succession to reduce India to 53/2 in the eighth over.
The batting responsibility fell on Virat Kohli in the must-win clash. He looked in good form too as he hit four boundaries in no time to reach 20 runs off 17 balls. However, the former India captain could not build on the positive start and was dismissed by left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage in the 11th over.
On the fifth ball of the over, Wellalage caught Virat Kohli in front of the wicket. Kohli pressed forward to defend the ball, expecting it to turn. However, the ball held its line and hit the inside edge before hitting Kohli’s pad. After the umpire declared him out, Kohli reviewed the decision, but it made no difference.
Kohli’s wicket was very important for Sri Lanka and it was very clear from the way their players celebrated it. Sri Lanka’s players looked absolutely elated after the umpire raised his finger to declare Kohli out. Sadeera Samarawickrama even looked Virat Kohli straight in the eyes and celebrated aggressively.
Watch Sri Lankan players celebrate Virat Kohli’s dismissal:
image.twitter.com/Wm2nWRTedj
— Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (@Hanji_CricDekho) August 7, 2024
A forgettable tour for Virat Kohli:
The failure in the third ODI brought an end to a forgettable tour for Virat Kohli. The series was his first ODI assignment since last year’s World Cup and the veteran batsman struggled to deliver the game. He was bowled out for 24 runs in the first game before being bowled out for 14 in the second.
He had a chance to end the tour on a good note by scoring an important goal in the third game but failed to turn things around. The series failure also put an end to his incredible run against Sri Lanka in the ODI series.
For the first time since his debut series against Sri Lanka in 2008, Kohli averaged less than 60 in an ODI series against the Islanders. Prior to the current series, he had averaged more than 60 in all five ODI series he had played against Sri Lanka.
