2nd ODI: India overpower Sri Lanka with Ambati Rayudu blitz - IBNLive
India's batting dominance and penchant for successful chases continued in the second ODI against Sri Lanka on Thursday, as Ambati Rayudu celebrated his maiden ODI century to give India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Sri Lanka's competitive 274 looked miniscule in front of Rayudu's belligerence, who was promoted to bat at No. 3 and answered that with a knock of 121 not out and telling partnerships of 122 with Shikhar Dhawan (79) and 116 runs with Virat Kohli (49) to finish the match in just 44.3 overs.
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India's chase didn't get off to a desired start as they lost last-match centurion Ajinkya Rahane for just 8, dismissed by Dhammika Prasad in the 7th over. But Rayudu and Dhawan first steadied India innings and then punished the Lankan attack that looked pedestrian apart from Lahiru Gamage (0 for 28) who conceded less than four runs per over in his eight-over spell.
Image credit: BCCI Images
Legspinner Seekuge Prasanna was the best bowler for the visitors, taking three wickets but conceded 53 runs in his 7.3 overs.
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Earlier, skipper Angelo Mathews struck a fighting 92 to lift Sri Lanka to 274 for eight after being put in to bat on a slowish Motera track.
The visitors lost early wickets but Mathews' unbeaten innings laced with 10 fours and a six - and Kumar Sangakkara's useful 61 took the side to respectable total. The duo stitched a crucial 90-run fourth-wicket partnership after Sri Lanka were struggling at 64 for three.
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With the visitors being reduced to 220 for eight in the 44th over, Mathews got support from number-ten batsman Dhammika Prasad and the duo stitched a valuable 54-run unbeaten partnership to give the islanders the necessary push in the end.
Indian pace spearhead Umesh Yadav (2 for 54) struck with two important wickets before spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (2 for 49) and left-arm spinner Axar Patel (2 for 39) took charge to hurt the Lankan batting.
ALSO SEE Prasanna took 3 wickets for SL
Ravindra Jadeja, brought into the side for injured Varun Aaron, disappointed though he took a wicket with his slow left-arm spin as he conceded 64 runs.
Ishant Sharma bowled well initially but gave away runs in the last over to conceded 58 runs without any success while Yadav (2 for 54) bowled a bit too short or too wide at times.
Sri Lanka commenced on a poor note when Kusal Perera, who had replaced Upul Tharanga, fell to the sixth ball of the match when he played across and was trapped leg before by Umesh Yadav. Tilakratne Dilshan, at the other end, batted aggressively and took ten runs with the help of two successive fours in speedster Yadav's second over.
Dilshan then hit Ashwin for four successive fours in the bowler's first over, and tenth of the innings, to give the innings some momentum as the Lankan total reached 50.
However, he tried to cut an arm ball fired into the stumps by Patel in the very next over and lost his stumps after having added 51 runs for the second wicket with Sangakkara. He also hit 7 fours in making 35 off 30 balls.
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