Rohit double ton helps India level series

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A third career ODI double-century from Rohit Sharma allowed India to ease to a 141 run victory over Sri Lanka in Mohali.

Rohit, who is standing in for Virat Kohli as skipper, won the toss and elected to bat on a flat track.

He started at a steady pace with Shikhar Dhawan (68) offering the impetus from the other end as they put on 115 for the first wicket.

New boy Shreyas Iyer, playing in his second ODI managed to accelerate the scoring rate blazing his way to 88 off 70 balls before holing out to a Thisara Perera leg-cutter when the slog was on in the 46th over.

Shreyas Iyer of India bats during the 2nd One Day International between India and Sri Lanka held at the The Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on the 13 December 2017
Photo by Deepak Malik / BCCI / Sportzpics

By then Rohit had shifted through the gears and he would become only the fourth batsman to smash 100 or more runs in the final ten overs of an ODI innings.

Rohit would end unbeaten on 208 runs, his third highest ODI score after his two previous double tons.

In his first 126 balls Rohit managed to score 116 runs but off the last 27 he smashed 92 including eleven sixes and three fours.

His knock propelled India to a massive 392/4 in their fifty overs.

In reply Sri Lanka never looked like overhauling their opponnents stuttering to 62 for 3 in the sixteenth over.

Upul Tharanga (7) threw his wicket away early on slashing at a wide delivery from Hardik Pandya with India secure in the knowledge that all they needed to do was restrict scoring opportunities and wait for the Sri Lankans to make a mistake.

And they made plenty with Danushka Gunathilaka (16) leg glancing Jasprit Bumrah to keeper Dhoni to leave the tourists 30 for 2 in the 8th over of the chase.

Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka during the 2nd One Day International between India and Sri Lanka held at the The Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on the 13 December 2017Photo by Prashant Bhoot / BCCI / Sportzpics

Angelo Mathews (111*) put a high price on his wicket and was rewarded with the highest score of the innings but he couldn’t find a partner to take things deep and make the match a contest as first Lahiru Thirimanne (21), then Niroshan Dikwella (22) and Asela Gunaratne (34) got starts but failed to kick on.

This left the former skipper to rally the tail and while Mathews might be accused of padding his figures and hunting a not out rather than pushing for the win you feel the game got away from Sri Lanka, if not in the last ten overs of India’s innings then in the first 15 of theirs.

His willingness to stick things out earned Mathews only his second ODI hundred but the day belonged to Rohit and his young India team who set up a decider with this emphatic victory.

In the end Suranga Lakmal (11*) saw things out with Mathews as the tourists limped to 251 for 8 in their fifty overs.

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