In the final ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium against Sri Lanka, India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli once again struggled to make any telling contribution in the series. Kohli, going through a slump in form, could only score 20 runs off 18 balls before being dismissed LBW for the third time in succession in the series. This time, Dunith Wellalage was the man who claimed his prized scalp.
That came in the 11th over of India’s innings. Wellalage bowled a flighted delivery on middle stump from around the wicket. It was a brilliant variation that did not turn; rather, it went straight on with the arm. Kohli was foxed by this clever change of pace and trajectory. He went forward to block, misread the delivery, and went through his shot. Outside the line, Kohli played and was beaten on the inside edge, hitting him dead in front of the stumps on his front pad.
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Kohli had a quick discussion with his batting partner, Shreyas Iyer, immediately after being hit, before deciding to review. The review, though, didn’t work in favour of Kohli. The UltraEdge confirmed there was no involvement of the bat and the ball-tracking returned three reds thereby upholding the on-field umpire’s decision. Kohli’s dismissal not only meant him walking back to the pavilion but also India lost their review.
— hiri_azam (@HiriAzam) August 7, 2024
Sri Lanka, having won the toss and electing to bat, set a challenging total of 249 runs. At the time of going to press, India is in deep trouble at 110 for 8 in 21 overs, with an uphill task ahead of chasing the target to avoid defeat in the series. The debacle of the top-order has left a huge responsibility on the lower-order batsmen to contribute amidst very difficult conditions.
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Kohli’s form has been a big talking point all series as his inability to convert starts into big scores hampered India’s batting effort. His last departure in the final ODI epitomized a struggling cricketer against the disciplined Lankan bowling attack. As the game progresses, India will require some sort of miraculous performance from other batsmen if they are to save their innings and keep their hopes alive in the series.
