IND vs SL 2024, 1st ODI: India player ratings as Rohit Sharma stars in tied thriller
India and Sri Lanka played out a contest for the ages in Colombo on Friday, August 2. After 18 wickets and almost 100 overs, the two teams weren't separated by a single run.
Pathum Nissanka and Dunith Wellalage helped Sri Lanka reach a competitive 230/8 in their 50 overs. India fell off after Rohit Sharma's initial blitz, and while they were within touching distance of a plucky victory, they lost two wickets in two balls as the match ended in a rare tie.
On that note, here are India's player ratings from the first ODI against Sri Lanka.
IND vs SL 2024: Rohit smacks fifty on turner
Rohit Sharma: 8.5/10
Rohit was a class apart once again as he carried on from where he left off at the 2023 World Cup. The Indian skipper needs to be wary of premeditating his sweep, which brought about his downfall. Nevertheless, it was a match-defining innings.
Shubman Gill: 4.5/10
Gill spanked a couple of gorgeous cover drives but couldn't get going at the other end. His scratchy knock was ended by an ungainly slog sweep. The less said about the one over he bowled, the better.
Virat Kohli: 5.5/10
Kohli too played a couple of delightful shots but went back to one that trapped him in front. It was the kind of chase he usually aces, and he'll be disappointed with how he was sent back.
Shreyas Iyer: 6/10
Shreyas seemed to be in control for a good portion of his knock, but he just isn't an assured player of pace. While it was a decent delivery from Asitha Fernando that nipped back in, the right-handed batter's weaknesses are all too obvious for opponents to exploit. He did it in the World Cup, but he won't always be able to make his technique work.
KL Rahul: 6.5/10
Rahul was patient in his partnership with Axar Patel but got sucked into a lofted shot against the line. He should've given himself some more time to steady the ship as he left the lower order a bit too much to do.
Shivam Dube: 7/10
Dube came in late and hit a couple of sixes to take India to the cusp of victory. But he fell with just one run needed and saw his team falter. The all-rounder sent down a decent spell that yielded a wicket.
Axar Patel: 9/10
Axar was the pick of the Indian bowlers as his threatening spell yielded two wickets. He also had his side's joint-best economy rate. The southpaw hung around for a bit and chipped in with a valuable 33, but he too couldn't stay until the end.
Kuldeep Yadav: 7/10
Kuldeep didn't concede many runs, but he'd be disappointed with the fact that he provided only one breakthrough in helpful conditions. The left-arm wrist-spinner produced several magic deliveries. He may have been slightly rusty after a long layoff from 50-over cricket.
Washington Sundar: 6/10
Sundar was the second-most expensive spinner in the first ODI and arguably didn't do enough in helpful conditions. He did try to vary his pace and lengths, but it wasn't effective enough. The all-rounder's promotion to No. 4 didn't work.
Mohammed Siraj: 6/10
Siraj beat the bat many times, but his spell produced only one wicket. He was hit for five fours and a six.
Arshdeep Singh: 6/10
Without much help from the pitch, Arshdeep wasn't too threatening either. He helped himself to two wickets late in the piece. Batting at No. 11, he played an outrageous shot to prevent India from winning the game.