Kohli, Rohit tons set up India's charge to 375

50 overs: India 375 for 5 (Kohli 131, Rohit 104, Pandey 50*, Dhoni 49*) v Sri Lanka
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The last time Virat Kohli had elected to bat after winning an ODI toss, Rohit Sharma made an unbeaten 264 in an India total of 404.

Now, against the same opponents, it seemed as if Kohli and Rohit were on course to become the first pair of batsmen to score double-hundreds in the same ODI. By the end of the 29th over, they had put on 219 in 165 balls. Kohli was batting on 131 off 93 balls, Rohit on 86 off 75. On a hard, flat Premadasa Stadium pitch bounded by one of the quickest outfields anywhere, India were 225 for 1 and the record ODI total of 444 seemed under serious threat.

In the end, India only got as far as 375. Kohli picked out sweeper cover in the 30th over to give Lasith Malinga his 300th ODI wicket, and an experimental middle order failed to fully capitalise on the platform laid by the second-wicket pair. Angelo Mathews struck twice in two balls to dismiss the promoted Hardik Pandya and, for the ninth time in international cricket, Rohit, and Akila Dananjaya followed up with the wicket of KL Rahul for the third time in as many innings.

Four wickets had fallen in 49 balls, for the addition of 49 runs. Without a whole lot of batting to follow, MS Dhoni and Manish Pandey had to ration their risk-taking somewhat in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 101. And so, instead of a world-record chase, Sri Lanka were left merely the task of bettering their own highest successful chase. By 52 runs.

More to follow…

Karthik Krishnaswamy is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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