With top-3 hitting top gear, India look to grab series

PTI

Kolkata, Janaury 11

Relishing the form of their top-three batters, India will look to take an unassailable 2-0 lead when they face Sri Lanka in the second ODI of the three-match series here tomorrow.

Having ended his near three-year century drought against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup in September, Virat Kohli has not looked back, especially in the white-ball format, and brought up his 73rd international century in their 67-run win in Guwahati on Tuesday.

He looked in supreme control and made Sri Lanka pay for two dropped catches to slam back-to-back ODI hundreds that formed the backbone of India’s massive total of 373/7.

Returning from an injury, skipper Rohit Sharma too allayed concerns of being short on match fitness as he took on the Lankan attack in a 67-ball 83. He seems to be in his elements coming into the clash at Eden Gardens.

The last time the two teams met in an ODI here, Sharma struck a world record 264 eight years back. Now here at his favourite venue as the Indian skipper, he would definitely eye a big score. That an ODI century has been eluding him for quite some time – his last ODI ton came against Australia in January 2020 – would be an added motivation. Add young opener Shubman Gill’s splendid ODI run to the mix and the Indian top-order looks sorted and fearsome.

Having got unflinching support from his skipper, Gill was back as opener in the ODI format at the expense of left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, a selection that copped a lot of criticism in Guwahati.

But Gill shut out the noise with yet another aesthetic knock of 70 off 60 balls as he continued his fine form from last year.

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