Watch: Virat Kohli's wicket sparks wild celebrations as Sri Lanka stars give it back to India great
Published - 07 Aug 2024, 07:59 PM | Updated - 24 Aug 2024, 07:31 AM
Virat Kohli, on Wednesday (August 7), failed to bail Team India out of trouble in the ongoing third ODI against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Chasing 249 runs in the final game of the series, India were off to a fine start as Rohit Sharma's quickfire knock helped them race away to 35 runs after just 4 overs. Sri Lanka then struck back by dismissing Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma in quick succession to reduce India to 53/2 in the eighth over.
The onus was on Virat Kohli to deliver with the bat in the must-win clash. He looked in fine touch too as he hit four boundaries in quick time to race away to 20 runs off 17 balls. However, the former India skipper failed to capitalize on the positive start and was dismissed by left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage in the 11th over.
On the fifth ball of the over, Wellalage trapped Virat Kohli in front of the wicket. Kohli pressed forward to defend the ball, expecting it to turn. However, the ball held its line and beat the inside edge before hitting Kohli's pad. After the umpire adjudged him out, Kohli reviewed the decision but it did not make any difference.
Kohli's wicket was a big one for Sri Lanka and it became very clear with the way their players celebrated it. The Sri Lanka players looked absolutely pumped up after the umpire raised his finger to adjudge Kohli out. Sadeera Samarawickrama even looked Virat Kohli straight in the eyes and celebrated aggressively.
Watch as the Sri Lanka players celebrate Virat Kohli's dismissal:
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A forgettable tour for Virat Kohli:
The failure in the third ODI brought an end to a forgettable tour for Virat Kohli. The series was his first assignment in ODIs since the World Cup last year and the veteran batsman struggled to deliver with the bat. He was out for 24 runs in the first game before being dismissed for 14 in the second.
He had the opportunity to finish the tour on a good note by scoring big in the third game but failed to turn things around. The failure in the series also brought an end to his incredible streak against Sri Lanka in the ODI series.
For the first time since his debut series against Sri Lanka way back in 2008, Kohli averaged less than 60 in an ODI series against the Islanders. Before the ongoing series, he averaged more than 60 in all the five ODI series that he had played against Sri Lanka.