India completed a 5-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka on Sunday at Khettarama after Virat Kohli slammed his 30th ODI century in the fifth and final ODI match as the visitors recorded a 6-wicket triumph.
Skipper Upul Tharanga returned to lead Sri Lanka after serving a two-match won the toss and elected to bat first. The hosts collapsed to 238 all out after being 185 for 3 at one stage after Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews stitched together a 122-run stand for the fourth wicket.
The visitors chased down the target clinically with Kohli leading the way scoring an unbeaten 110 off 116 balls with 9 fours. He has now equaled Ricky Ponting on 30 ODI tons and only Indian great Sachin Tendulkar has scored more centuries in the 50-over game with 49 tons.
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India had a shaky start when Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were dismissed by Lasith Malinga and Vishwa Fernando respectively but Kohli anchored the innings with a 99-run partnership with Manish Pandey for the third wicket. He also put on 109 runs with Kedar Jadhav who scored a fine 63 off 73 balls.
Kohli who became the first batsman this year to reach 1000 runs in ODI cricket smashed Milinda Siriwardana for three fours in an over to bring up his half-century.
Earlier, Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed opening batsman Niroshan Dickwella and one-drop Dilshan Munaweera cheaply even though Tharanga found the boundary on 9 occasions during his entertaining 34-ball 48.
Despite taking their time, with the run rate close to five after 38 overs, Thirimanne and Mathews were well placed to change the momentum of scoring and reach a commending score of about 265-270 but Kumar came back and started the Lankan collapse.
The home team lost their last seven wickets for 53 runs as the Lankan middle order crumbled yet again under pressure. MS Dhoni stumped Akila Dananjaya off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to become the first wicket-keeper to make 100 stumpings ODIs.
Sri Lanka – 238 all out in 49.4 overs: Upul Tharanga 48, Lahiru Thirimanne 67, Angelo Mathews 55, Bhuvneshwar Kumara 5/42, Jasprit Bumrah 2/45.
India – 239/4 in 46.3 overs: Virat Kohli 110*, Manish Pandey 36, Kedhar Jadav 63,
