Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill hit heavily as India put in a strong batting show averaging 390/5 at Trivandrum after choosing to bat.
The pitch at Greenfield Stadium was perfect for his play of strokes and was well received by India’s top his order. A 95-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma and Gill set the tone. The duo got off to a cautious start, taking just 19 in his five overs in the first, but in his sixth over bowled by Rahil Kumara, the floodgates opened. Rohit started by moving the mid-wicket to six with a wrist flick, handing the shot to Gill before handing it to him.
The duo adjusted shot after shot to get up close to 50 before Rohit fell and Chamika pulled Karunaratne straight into a great leg of 42. But Gil got good support from Kohli. Kohli smashed Karunaratne through the ceiling and set the limit on the second ball. And while he was driving, he played overlong with Jeffrey Boehner says, cutting him due to the consecutive ball limit. Gill quickly moved over 50, six more than Vandersayy, and continued his momentum.
Sri Lanka failed to initiate a major challenge to either batsman, but several deliveries rarely stayed low and Gill survived an LBW check against Wanindu Hasaranga after attaching a grab. But otherwise the pitch offered good value for hitting and it was in abundance.
Kohli unleashed a series of flashy shots, including a short over cover his arm his jab, a traditional drive and a long his on wrist flogging.
Gill collapsed shortly after hitting the second ODI ton, falling on Rajitha’s delivery, which remained low, but Kohli took over the inning-pushing mantle after hitting 50. Kohli kept the momentum going with an assist from Shreyas Iyer with 38 on 32 balls. Kohli had to wait for 99 after a clash at the border between Ashen Bandara and Geoffrey Vandersayy caused both of them to be taken off the stretcher. But his 46th ODI his ton singled as soon as play resumed, also ushering in a time when he was pounding the border. He hit his 66th of the last 25 balls he faced, giving India a perfect finish to land a massive total.
Brief Scores: India 390/5 (Virat Kohli 166*, Shubman Gill 116) vs Sri Lanka