Stats: Dinesh Karthik Bags an Unwanted Record During 1st ODI Against Sri Lanka

It was a horrendous day at the office for Dinesh Karthik, and the middle order of Team India as the Sri Lankan pacers ran through them to reduce them to 29/7 in the 1^st of the three-match ODI series at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala today. The pitch was conducive for the seamers and the bowling attack comprising of Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep and Angelo Matthews were all over India as the hosts were staring down towards the lowest ODI score ever recorded.

During the carnage by the Sri Lankan pacers, the home team had to bear with some unwanted records which came their way during their dubious batting display. Middle-order batsman Dinesh Karthik who recently made a return to the national team bagged an unwanted record as he reached the top of the ladder for Indian batsmen facing most deliveries for a duck.

Karthik spent some time in the middle to get used to the conditions, but Lakmal bowled a terrific delivery which came back sharply and struck him plumb in front. The on-field umpire had no hesitation in his mind and ruled it in favour of the visitors. The list was earlier headed by Eknath Solkar who scored a duck against England at the Oval way back in 1974.

It was a forgettable day at the office for the Indian batsmen barring a certain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who was the main reason behind India going past the century mark. Along with the tail-enders, the former Indian skipper ensured the Indian bowlers got something to bowl at. He looked in brilliant touch and struck some exceptional shots during his knock of 65.

The Lankan bowlers bowled in the perfect areas and let the pitch do the talking. Lakmal bagged four wickets and wrecked the top order while Nuwan Pradeep also chipped in with a couple. The home team were eventually bowled out for 112 when Dhoni in an attempt to score quick runs was holed out in the cover regions.