The highlight moment of the second ODI between India and Sri Lanka in a three-match series was when Pathum Nissanka delivered a catch of accelerating extraordinary quality, sending off Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. This happened in the game at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo when Rohit Sharma led the Indian side against Charith Asalanka’s Sri Lankan team.
India came into this game seeking redemption in the wake of a listless batting display in the opening series game that had ended in a result nobody would have contemplated an unexpected tie. The result was, of course, a setback of a different kind to both team India and its fans, who had actually expected nothing less than an outright victory looking at the makeup of the Indian side.
India, despite restricted Sri Lanka to 230/8, put up an awful batting display; the men in blue couldn’t quite carry on the momentum and stitch together large partnerships. A good start for the chase toward the target was given by Rohit Sharma with an aggressive beginning, as the team reached 75/0.
WATCH – Virat Kohli’s Stunning Run-Out Resembles MS Dhoni’s Iconic Move
Momentum was lost due to India losing two wickets in consecutive overs twice, which hampered their progress massively. Though Shivam Dube’s late attack provided some hope, India was eventually bowled out for 230. There was a lot of flak taken by Arshdeep Singh in the last moments for trying to slog a boundary with just one run required and more than two overs to go, which he lost his wicket on consecutive deliveries along with Dube.
— Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (@Hanji_CricDekho) August 4, 2024
The second ODI, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first. All-round contributions from the batsmen enabled them to post a competitive score of 240/9. The run chase was expected to be tough due to the conditions. The way Rohit Sharma batted explosively made the job look very easy against the Lankan bowling attack. With effortless stroke play, Sharma was in fine nick and made batting look so easy.
WATCH – Shreyas Iyer’s Spectacular Direct Hit Dismisses Kamindu Mendis
However, his aggressive innings came to an end in the 14th over. Third ball of the over, Jeffrey Vandersay, 82 kph, Rohit trying to reverse his stance and hit the ball over point—only he top-edges it. Again, as it soared into the air, the fielders from cover-point and backward point converged for the catch. Pathum Nissanka, who came first for the catch, showed good flying skills to nail the dismissal. Rohit Sharma’s fine innings came to an end with 64 runs off 44 balls, with 5 fours and 4 sixes.
The falling catch from Nissanka was the real telling point of the match; it reflected how athletic and dynamic he was in terms of fielding, and how much this is going to benefit the cause of Sri Lanka as far as restricting the Indian batting lineup is concerned.
