3 moments from IND vs SL 1st ODI that created buzz among fans
Despite a fantastic hundred from Dasun Shanaka, a strong batting performance from India saw them beat Sri Lanka comfortably by 67 runs in Guwahati and take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series.
The new opening partnership of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill gave the hosts a fantastic start by playing some cracking shots. Although neither of them got their hundreds, they laid a fine platform for Virat Kohli, who once again proved why he is among the best to have ever played this format.
There were quite a few moments in this high-scoring encounter that became talking points for fans. Let's have a look a three of them.
#3 Rohit Sharma dedicating his half-century to Magic
This celebration for magic ♥️
#RohitSharma𓃵 #INDvSL twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/PYRLJ8J6SH
Rohit Sharma and his wife Ritika's pet named Magic passed away less than 24 hours before the start of the first ODI. For any pet parent, losing a pet is perhaps as painful as losing a family member.
When Rohit got to his half-century, he looked at the sky and raised his bat with a gentle smile, probably dedicating it to Magic. It was a pretty emotional moment and showed how much Magic meant to him.
Although the Indian captain missed out on a well-deserved hundred, he looked at his vintage best. This knock of 83 will certainly give Rohit a lot of confidence in India's build-up to the ODI World Cup.
#2 Virat Kohli's vintage celebration
Not long ago, there was talk about how Virat Kohli hasn't hit a century in almost three years and whether he is past his prime. But the former Indian captain proved that while the form is temporary, class is permanent.
After ending the year 2022 with a hundred against Bangladesh, Kohli began 2023 with another ODI hundred, this time against Sri Lanka in Guwahati. The way he leaped into the air in celebration showed just how much the knock meant to him and it brought back memories of a young Virat Kohli to his fans.
Kohli now has an incredible 45 ODI hundreds, just four behind Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 tons in this format.
#1 Rohit Sharma withdrawing run-out appeal for Dasun Shanaka
The real winner was the sportsmanship of Rohit Sharma for refusing to take the run out. I doff my cap to you ! twitter.com/AzzamAmeen/sta…
Dasun Shanaka once again proved to be a nemesis for India as the Sri Lankan skipper brought up his second ODI hundred in what was a brilliant exhibition of strokeplay.
However, the story that grabbed the limelight was when Shanaka was on 98* and at the non-striker's end with the final three balls of the match remaining. As Mohammed Shami was about to deliver the ball, he flicked the bails at the non-striker's end and Shanaka was caught out of the crease after backing up too much.
Rohit Sharma now had the option to appeal and get Shanaka dismissed for 98. However, as a sign of goodwill and probably since the result of the game was already decided, the Indian captain decided to withdraw the appeal.
Shanaka brought up his hundred on the penultimate ball and later shook hands with Rohit, thanking him for his goodwill gesture. Sri Lankan legends like Sanath Jayasuriya also hailed the Indian captain for playing in the right spirit.
However, some fans were unhappy and felt that the decision shouldn't have been revoked by any means as it was a legitimate dismissal. This is one debate that may go on for quite a while.