Having already gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in a three-match ODI series, India have further registered a stamp of authority over Sri Lanka by whitewashing them 3-0 at home. Sri Lanka, who continue to be without a series win in any format in India, weren’t up to the mark in the recently concluded third ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium.
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Only the second ODI to be played here, it has now witnessed both the visiting teams collapsing under harmless circumstances. Not that the Indian bowlers didn’t bowl well while defending 391 runs, it’s just that Sri Lanka’s response was quite poor resulting them in scoring a total of 73 runs in 22 overs to lose by a record-breaking margin of 317 runs.
Pacer Mohammed Siraj picked career-best bowling figures of 10-1-32-4 to cause the maximum damage to the visiting team. Pacer Mohammed Shami and spinner Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, dismissed a couple of batters each in Thiruvananthapuram tonight. All-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, meanwhile, didn’t get to bowl a single over in what was a much early finish to the match.
Man of the Series IND vs SL 2023
In addition to bagging the Player of the Match award on Sunday, former India captain Virat Kohli was also a proud winner of the Player of the Series award. Highest run-scorer in the series by quite some margin, Kohli’s 287 runs across three innings came at an average of 141.50 and a strike rate of 137.37 including two centuries.
10th series award for Kohli in this format, the 34-year old player has won one after a three-year gap. Three years is the highest time period for Kohli not winning an ODI series award since his debut.
“I have no idea [about 10th Player of the Series award]. For me, it’s just a byproduct of the intent I have, mindset that I play with. Mindset is always to help the team win, bat for as long as possible and if you do that, you end up making a difference,” Kohli told Star Sports during the post-match presentation ceremony.
