OTD in 2017 | India continued their dominance on their tour of Sri Lanka, taking a 3-0 lead in the five-match ODI series with a six-wicket win in Pallekele

On 27 August 2017, India sealed the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in their own backyard with an impressive six-wicket win. Jasprit Bumrah wreaked havoc with a splendid five-wicket haul, while Rohit Sharma smashed a belligerent ton to demolish the hosts in Pallekele. 

The multi-format tour began with a three-match Test series in which the Men in Blue cruised to a comprehensive 3-0 victory. Sri Lanka aimed to counter the visitors in limited overs but they were handed a massive nine-wicket defeat in the first ODI at Dambulla. 

The hosts put up a strong fight in the second match, but it was not enough to prevent India from winning by three wickets in a rain-hit encounter. Interestingly, it was Sri Lankan off-spinner Akila Dananjaya who won the Player of the Match, thanks to his remarkable six-fer. 

Batting first in the third ODI, Sri Lanka could only score 217/9 as Bumrah shone throughout his 10-over spell, in which he conceded just 27 runs. Apart from Lahiru Thirimanne, who scored 80 off 105 balls, there was no significant contribution from any of the batsmen.

Chasing a moderate target, India did not have a promising start to their innings as Shikhar Dhawan departed early for five runs. With skipper Virat Kohli also falling cheaply, the Indian camp looked gloomy. KL Rahul and Kedar Jadhav were the next victims as both returned to the pavilion in 16 overs with the team score at 61.  

While the wickets kept falling at the other end, opener Rohit Sharma remained firm at the crease. The right-hander later received a solid partnership from former skipper MS Dhoni, who scored an unbeaten 67. Rohit remained unbeaten at 124 off 145 and took the team over the line in the 46th over. 

The duo put on 157* for the fifth wicket – India’s third-highest partnership for that particular wicket against Sri Lanka. Notably, it was India’s seventh successive bilateral series win against the island nation. 

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