Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah helped India to take a 3-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Rohit made an unbeaten 124, while pacer Bumrah played a key role in restricting Lanka to 217/9 with career-best figures of five for 27. Chasing the Lanka total, India initially lost four wickets for 61 runs, but Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni added 157 runs to steady India.
Lanka had their chances in the match but once gain they failed to grab them. The home team's poor show in the Test and ODI series drew the spectators' ire and they hurled plastic bottles and missiles on the ground, forcing the umpires to stop play. Play resumed 35 minutes later after policemen drove spectators out from the western stand.
Dhoni and Sharma completed the formalities soon after. Much like he had done in the second ODI, Dhoni once again preferred to play second fiddle to Sharma. Earlier, India got off to a poor start. Opener Shikhar Dhawan became Lasith Malinga's 299th ODI victim when the left-hander dragged one onto the stumps while trying to cut a ball that was too close to his body.
Dhoni, Bhuvi guide India to victory in second ODI
Disciplined innings from Dhoni and pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar saw India in defeating Lanka by three wickets in the second ODI. Chasing a revised target of 231 due to rain, India were cruising at 108 for no loss in the 16th over. But the match made a dramatic turn in a space of six overs as the visitors lost seven wickets for just 22 runs.
All-rounder Akila Dananjaya created havoc in the India's batting line-up as he scalped six wickets in his 10 overs. But then Dhoni (45 not out) and Bhuvneshwar (53 not out) forged a match-winning partnership to seal the deal for India. Indian openers Dhawan and Rohit started the chase perfectly by forging a 109-run partnership. The duo slammed Sri Lankan bowlers all around the park. In the process, Rohit completed his half-century. But after adding four more runs, the Mumbai batsman was adjudged leg before wicket off Dananjaya.
Trying to be aggressive, Dhawan mistimed a shot and fell prey to Milinda Siriwardana in the very next over. All eyes were on new batsmen Lokesh Rahul, Kedar Jadhav and Virat Kohli, but the trio failed to rise to the expectations and were dismissed by Dananjaya in the same over at scores of 1, 4 and 4 respectively.
With half of the side back to the pavilion, it was now on Dhoni and all-rounder Hardik Pandya but the the latter disappointed as he was also dismissed by Dananjaya after three overs with no runs to his credit. With chances of winning looking sleek, Bhuvneshwar joined Dhoni in the middle and played sensibly. The duo forged a 100-run partnership and finished the proceeding with more than two overs to spare.
Earlier, sensible innings from Siriwardana (58) and Chamara Kapugedera (40) helped Lanka score 236/8. But due to rain, the target was revised to 230. For India, pacer Bumrah scalped four wickets while leg-spinner Chahal took two.
