Dasun Shanaka wouldn’t have reached the landmark had it not been for Rohit Sharma’s intervention. The India captain withdrew an appeal for run out at the non-striker’s end by Mohammed Shami after the batter had backed up too far.
India captain Rohit Sharma on Tuesday said he did not want Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka to get run out after the batter had backed up too far on way to a gallant hundred in the first ODI in Guwahati on Tuesday. Riding Virat Kohli’s 73rd international hundred and half-centuries from Rohit and Shubman Gill, India posted an imposing 373 for seven after being asked to bat first.
Sri Lanka were never in the hunt after losing half their side for 161, but Shanaka (108 not out off 88 balls) stood tall amid the ruins with his fight knock.
However, he wouldn’t have reached the landmark had it not been for Rohit’s intervention. He withdrew an appeal for run out at the non-striker’s end by Mohammed Shami after the batter had backed up too far, giving Shanaka an opportunity to complete his century.
“I had no idea Shami did that (run-out), he (Shanaka) was batting on 98. The way he batted was brilliant, we cannot get him out like that. Not something that we thought of, hats off to him, he played really well,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
After the batters’ fine performances, speed merchants Umran Malik (3/57) and Mohammed Siraj (2/30) put the icing on the cake in a lopsided game, though Rohit said India could have bowled better as a team.
“We started off really well and to get that total was a great effort from all the batters. The platform was set to come out and play freely. I thought we could’ve bowled slightly better, but don’t want to be too critical of it although the dew was not so much.Read more
