India vs Sri Lanka, 5th ODI: Kohli, Bhuvi star as India complete ODI whitewash against Lanka
Brilliant performances from skipper Virat Kohli and right-arm pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped India thrash Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final ODI, thereby clinching a clean-sweep in the five-match series.
Chasing 239 to win, India rode on the blistering ton of Kohli, his 30th in ODIs, as the team achieved the target in 46. 3 overs at the R. Premdasa Stadium on Sunday.
Kohli was ably supported by spin all-rounder Kedar Jadhav, who contributed with a quick-fire 63 as the duo shared a 109-run stand to take the visitors enroute their first overseas whitewash since 2013.
While the India skipper smacked nine boundaries in his 110-run knock, Jadhav hit seven boundaries in his 73-ball innings.
Earlier, Bhuvneshwar picked up a brilliant five-for as India bundled out Sri Lanka to 238.
Opting to bat, Sri Lanka did not have the greatest of starts as they lost three wickets inside the first 10 overs. However, Lahiru Thirimane (67) and Angelo Mathews (55) steadied the innings and they took the hosts on course of a big first-inning score.
They both did a decent job of rebuilding the innings from 63/3 and took the 185 when Thirimanne got out. And with the fall of his wicket, the hosts suffered from yet another batting collapse in the series.
They lost their last seven wickets for 53 runs and eventually got bundled out for 238 in the last over of the innings.
Apart from Thirimanne and Mathews, skipper also contributed with a valuable 48 to the team's total.
Bhuvneshwar was well supported by who scalped two wickets giving away 45 runs in his quota of 10 overs. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal also chipped in with a wicket each.
It has been a tremendous performance by Kohli's men in the ongoing tour. After clinching a 3-0 whitewash in the Test series, they continued their dominance in the shorter version of the game as well as they routed the already criticized Sri Lanka.
This is the second successive ODI series defeat for the Lankan team.
The two teams will now square-off in the lone T20I to be played on September 6.
-ANI
