12 September,2023 03:10 PM IST | Colombo | mid-day online correspondent
Indian crowd cheering (Pic: AFP)
India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in a Asia Cup Super 4 match on Tuesday. India have made one change with spin all-rounder Axar Patel coming in for pacer Shardul Thakur. Sri Lanka are unchanged.
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Earlier on Monday, Virat Kohli's supreme fitness was evident in his 47th ODI century while comeback man KL Rahul produced an equally engaging ton on comeback as India thrashed a listless Pakistan by record 228-run margin. This was India's biggest win in terms of runs against the cross-border neighbours.
India posted an imposing 356 for 2, as Kohli (122 not out off 94 balls) and Rahul (111 not out off 106 balls), which was his sixth ODI hundred, pummelled a hapless Pakistan, whose chase ended at 128 for 8 as Kuldeep Yadav (5/25) scythed through them. On the century count in ODIs, Kohli now stands just two behind Sachin Tendulkar's record 49.
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Once India restarted the day from 147 for 2 in 24.1 overs, they needed Kohli and Rahul, the two overnight batters, to go big, and they did that in some style. Along with Rahul, Kohli amassed 233 runs for the unbeaten third wicket stand, the highest ODI partnership for India against Pakistan. En route to his 77th international century, Kohli also added some personal milestones to an already long list, becoming the fastest batsman to 13000 ODI runs and scoring his fourth ton in as many innings at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Teams
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha and Matheesha Pathirana
(With agency inputs)