Showing posts with label Shikhar Dhawan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shikhar Dhawan. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 August 2017

India vs Sri Lanka Live Score: Live Cricket Score of India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Day 1


India skipper Virat Kohli would not like to make too many changes in the playing eleven after winning the first Test match convincingly against Sri Lanka. KL Rahul is all set to make a comeback in the playing eleven in place of Abhinav Mukund while the rest of the team is likely to remain the same. Cheteshwar Pujara will be playing his 50th Test match and India would look to gain the early advantage on the first day of the second Test match with the hosts really struggling to get their team combination right. For India, both the new ball bowlers had fared well in the last Test and with the spinners coming to the party in the second innings of the Galle Test, the visitors have pretty much all bases covered.

Live Cricket Score

Live updates of Sri Lanka vs India 2nd Test, Day 1, straight from Colombo

12:54 IST: Captain Virat Kohli is the new man at the crease.
12:52 IST: WICKET! KL Rahul (57) run out (Chandimal/Dickwella). India 109/2 in 30.4 overs. 
12:46 IST: Pujara sends Perera towards deep mid wicket. He will get three runs. India 107/1 in 29.1 overs.
12:40 IST: Welcome back! KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara are making their way to the middle. Rangana Herath to kick-start the second session.
12:01 IST: That's LUNCH in Colombo. India 101/1 in 28 overs.
KL Rahul 52*
Cheteshwar Pujara 14*
11:57 IST: FIFTY! KL Rahul brings up his 8th Test half-century. This is his sixth consecutive Test half-century. He becomes third Indian after Gundappa Vishwanath and Rahul Dravid to achieve the feat (6 consecutive fifties).
11:54 IST: A huge stumping appeal from wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella. He is confident and celebrating with his team. Umpire has asked for a reply. NOT OUT is the call.
11:44 IST: India 95/1 in 24 overs. Pujara 14*, Rahul 46*
11:42 IST: Deep point comes inside the ring for Pujara.
11:37 IST: KL Rahul defends with a straight bat towards mid-on to end Pradeep's over. India 94/1 in 22 overs.
11:33 IST: Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal brings Nuwan Pradeep back into the attack. A slip, gully, leg gully and a short mid-wicket in place.
11:28 IST: Cheteshwar Pujara slaps this powerfully but the ball hits Kusal Menis' helmet at forward short leg. Pujara checks whether the player is fine. 
11:23 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul sends Rangana Herath towards deep mid wicket for a boundary. India 90/1 in 19 overs.
11:19 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul goes on back-foot and slaps the ball towards deep mid wicket. Powerful shot from the right-hander. India 84/1 in 18 overs.
11:12 IST: FOUR! Excellent shot from KL Rahul. The right-hander comes down the track and sends the ball towards deep extra cover for a boundary. India 74/1 in 15.2 overs.
11:10 IST: FOUR! Cheteshwar Pujara comes down the track and smashes the ball towards long on for a boundary. India 70/1 in 14.5 overs.
11:08 IST: Cheteshwar Pujara plays this towards square of the wicket. He will get 2 runs.
10:51 IST: Cheteshwar Pujara is the new batman at the crease. This is his 50th Test match.
10:48 IST: WICKET! A loud LBW appeal from Dilruwan Perera. Umpire is not interested. Sri Lanka have asked for a review. It is pitching in line, And, it's OUT. Shikhar Dhawan departs for 35 runs. India lose their first wicket. India 56/1 in 10.1 overs.
10:40 IST: A loud LBW appeal from Dimuth Karunaratne. Umpire has given OUT. Wait! Rahul has asked for a review. And, it's NOT OUT. Umpire has to reverse his decision. India 52/0 in 9.1 overs. 
10:37 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul uses the pace and sends the ball towards fine leg. Nuwan Pradeep isn't happy with this shot. India 52/0 in 8.4 overs.
10:36 IST: FOUR! Shikhar Dhawan drives Nuwan Pradeep towards deep extra cover. India 47/0 in 8.3 overs.
10:26 IST: FOUR! India are dealing in boundaries now. Shikhar Dhawan takes long stride and drives the ball through covers. Beautiful shot from the left-hander. India 36/0 in 6.3 overs.
10:25 IST: FOUR! KL Rahul stuns mid-wicket firleder and manages to get another boundary. Great use of fit from the right-hander. India 32/ in 6 overs.
10:24 IST: FOUR! First boundary for KL Rahul. The right-hander cuts the ball towards mid wicket.
10:19 IST: FOUR! Shikhar Dhawan waits till the end and plays a pull shot towards backward square leg. Third boundary for him. India 22/0 in 4.4 overs.
10:11 IST: FOUR! Short and outside the off-stump from Nuwan Pradeep. Shikhar Dhawan goes on back-foot and smashes Pradeep towards backward point. India 18/0 in 3 overs.
10:09 IST: SIX! Shikhar Dhawan comes forward and smashes the ball towards long on region. Excellent shot from the opener. First six of India innings. India 14/0 in 2 overs.
10:07 IST: Dhawan gets an edge and the first slip misses the chance. Sri Lanka missed out on second chance to dismiss Dhawan.
10:06 IST: Rangana Herath starts the proceedings from the other end.
10:04 IST: FOUR! Dhawan gets an outside edge and the ball races towards third man.
10:00 IST: KL Rahul's last 7 Test innings:
64 (97), 10 (9), 90 (205), 51 (85), 67 (102), 60 (124), 51 (76)*
09:57 IST: Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul are making their way to the middle. Sri Lanka team are in a huddle.
09:36 IST: PLAYING XIs:

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Malinda Pushpakumara, Nuwan Pradeep.

Friday, 23 June 2017

India vs West Indies 2017 Live Cricket Score



Team India is all set to shrug off the disappointment of losing the Champions Trophy final and begin afresh as they gear up to take on West Indies in the first of the five-match ODI series.

Virat Kohli and his team sweat it out in the middle at the Queen's Park Oval ahead of the opening fixture. Kohli had said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday that the team will look to do the basics and play their 'boring' brand of cricket in order to maintain consistency.

The likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan were seen practicing in the nets ahead of the match. Rahane will look to make the most of this opportunity as regular opener Rohit Sharma has been rested for the tour. Kohli made it clear that it will be Rahane who will open in all the five matches alongside Shikhar Dhawan.

India is expected to whitewash the Windies, who have a cumulative squad experience of 213 matches between the 13 players. Skipper Jason Holder is the highest capped player in the side, having played 58 matches.

Squads: 

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli(c), Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni(w), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane, Kuldeep Yadav, Dinesh Karthik

West Indies: Evin Lewis, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope(w), Kesrick Williams, Jason Mohammed, Jonathan Carter, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder(c), Ashley Nurse, Alzarri Joseph, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins

Sunday, 18 June 2017

Cricket News India vs Pakistan


Pakistan has won the Champions Trophy cricket final after beating their arch-rivals India by 180 runs at the Oval ground in Britain's capital, London.
Title-holders India, set 339 to win, collapsed after Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir removed the top three batsmen - Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and captain Virat Kohli. They were eventually dismissed for 158, with 19.3 overs to spare.
Al Jazeera’s Lee Wellings, reporting from South London, said that only a few people saw this result coming.
"This is absolutely remarkable. Pakistan fans cannot believe the journey their team has taken," he said.
"Pakistan is celebrating their biggest victory against their archrival."
Amir finished with three for 16 in six overs and Hasan Ali, who kick-started Pakistan's revival in their group win over top-ranked South Africa, ended the match when he had Jasprit Bumrah caught by the gleeful captain and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed.
Left-arm fast bowler Amir, whose career was almost ended on the other side of London's River Thames by a ban and jail term he received for his part in a spot-fixing scam during a 2010 Test against England at Lord's, finished with three for 16.
He dismissed Rohit Sharma (nought), India captain Virat Kohli (five) and Shikhar Dhawan (21) in a stunning new-ball spell.
Earlier, Pakistan made 338 for four after losing the toss with opener Fakhar Zaman's 114 his maiden one-day international hundred in just his fourth match at this level.
India had thrashed Pakistani side by 124 runs in their tournament opener at Edgbaston on June 4.

Thursday, 15 June 2017

India vs Bangladesh Live Cricket Score, Champions Trophy 2017




India won the toss and chose to bowl in the second semi-final against Bangladesh in Edgbaston. This is the first encounter between these two sides in the tournament and Virat Kohli’s side are unchanged. Yuvraj Singh is playing his 300th ODI. The winner of this match will play Pakistan in the final. Catch live cricket score of India vs Bangladesh semi-final here.


18:20 hrs IST: Bangladesh end on 264/7 in 50 overs
18:16 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar is down! He has hurt his leg in his follow through in the last over. Bangladesh, meanwhile, has crossed 260.
18:11 hrs IST: FOURS! Turning out to be a costly over for India as MOsrtaza goes after Bumrah. BAN 258/7 in 49 overs
18:10 hrs IST: FOUR! Lucky there! Tasking edges to Bhuvneshwar as the flies away to boundary. BAN 248/7 in 48 overs
18:04 hrs IST: FOUR AGAIN! Bumrah Yorker is edged by Mortaza and goes left of Dhoni to boundary. BAN 244/7 in 47 overs
18:01 hrs IST: FOUR! Mortaza gets some crucial runs as his mistimed pull gets the ball over Dhoni’s head towards four. BAN 231/7 in 46 overs
17:57 hrs IST: WICKET! Mahmudullah (21) out. BAN 229/7 (45)
Bumrah strikes again! He comes up with a gem of a yorker and rattles Mahmudullah stumps.
17:51 hrs IST: FOUR! Mashrafe Mortaza goes for the big one against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. BAN 226/6 in 44 overs
17:46 hrs IST: WICKET! Mosaddek Out, BAN 218/6 (42.3)
Bumrah gets his first wicket as Mosaddek mistimes pull is caught y the bowler himself.
17:42 hrs IST: FOUR! Now Mahmudullah reverse sweeps Ashwin for a boundary.
17:38 hrs IST: Bumrah is back in the attack and gets hit for a four by Mosaddek Hossain at mid-off. BAN 212/5 in 41 overs
17:35 hrs IST: Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain have handled the collapse pretty well. BAN 206/5 in 40 overs
17:30 hrs IST: DROPPED! Mahmudullah is let off by Ashwin at third man off Pandya. BAN 197/5 in 39 overs
17:26 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja now has 16 wickets . Most by any Indian bowlers in ICC Champions Trophy. BAN 191/5 in 38 overs
17:24 hrs IST: FOUR! Mosaddek cuts Jadeja to ease the pressure a bit. BAN 188/5 in 37 overs
17:19 hrs IST: WICKET!Rahim (61) out! BAN 179/5 in 35.2 overs
Bangladesh feels the heat as Jadhav gets his second. Rahim tries to take the spinner through mid-wicket but is caught by Kohli, who is excited and is not shy of expressing it. he makes a funny face and the crowd the love it.
17:13 hrs IST: WICKET! Shakib (15) departs! BAN 177/4 in 34.2 overs
Jadeja gets his first wicket as Shakib tries got for a cut against the spinner and is caught behind by Dhoni. A brilliant attempt.
17:10 hrs IST: FOUR! A boundary after a long time for Bangladesh. Shakib slashes Jadeja for a four. BAN 175/3 in 33 overs
17:07 hrs IST: Jadhav continues from the other end. He has essayed the role of the third spinner pretty well. But Bangladesh have a deep batting line-up. BAN 167/3 in 32 overs

17:04 hrs IST: Jadeja has been miserly so far. He has given 33 runs in seven overs so far. BAN 164/3 in 33 overs
17:00 hrs IST: The drying up of boundaries mounted the pressure on Bangladesh. Still, Tamim looked set but a wild drive did him in. Shakib Al Hasan is the new batsman at the crease. BAN 161/3 in 30 overs
16:57 hrs IST: WICKET! Tamim Iqbal (70) departs! BAN 154/3 in 28 overs
The set batsman goes a wild drive but misses Kedar Jadhav’s line. He tried to take him over mid-wicket but is bowled.
16:54 hrs IST: The Edgbaston is basking in sunlight after a long time. No boundary for Bangladesh in the last three overs.
16:50 hrs IST: Rahim scores 26th half-century as Bangladesh reach 150-run mark in 26.2 overs
16:46 hrs IST: Jadeja bowls his fourth over as Mushfiqur Rahim is just four runs short of his half-century. BAN 142/2 in 25 overs
16:42 hrs IST: Tamim and Rahim’s stand has now crossed 100 run mark. They have handled the spin duo Ashwin and Jadeja pretty well. BAN 137/2 in 24 overs
16:37 hrs IST: THREE STRAIGHT FOURS! Tamim is on fire! He goes after Ashwin. First the left-hander cuts four a boundary, then hits through the covers and then flicks towards leg. BAN 123/2 in 22 overs
16:34 hrs IST: HUGE APPEAL! Rahim goes for a slog sweep and misses the line of the delivery as Dhoni removes the bails. Replays show he was inside the line. BAN 110/2 in 21 overs
16:32 hrs IST: Ashwin gives away just one run! BAN 105/2 in 20 overs
16:31 hrs IST: FOUR! Tamim gets to his 38th half-century with a reverse sweep off Jadeja. BAN 104/2 in 19 overs
16:26 hrs IST: Raviundra Jadeja into the attack now.
16:24 hrs IST: Ashwin continues from the other end. This partnership is like a thorn for India. The earlier they get one of them out, the better for Kohli’s men. BAN 96/2 in 18 overs
16:20 hrs IST: It’s the drinks break. Both teams have something to take from the first hour of play. Bangladesh have shown the confidence and playing to a plan.
16:18 hrs IST: SIX! Tamim Iqbal takes Pandya over square leg. He has moved to his 40s. BAN 90/2 in 17 overs
16:16 hrs IST: FOUR! Tamim directs Ashwin delivery towards third man!. This is intelligent batting by Bangladesh’s most senior batsman. BAN 83/2 in 16 overs
16:12 hrs IST: Ashwin starts his second over on a poor note as he bowls a wide. He covers quickly and goves away just three more runs. BAN 66/2 in 14 overs
16:08 hrs IST: Meanwhile, India’s squad for West Indies limited overs series has been announced. Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant included in the squad while Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested.
16:04 hrs IST: Hardik Pandya gets an inside edge off Tamim, as the ball hits the stumps. No danger, however, as it’s called a no ball. Tough luck! BAN 62/2 in 13 overs
16:02 hrs IST: Hardik Pandya comes from the other end. His no ball gives Bangladesh a free-hit. Only two runs from it .  
16:00 hrs IST: First bowling change for India! R Ashwin comes in to bowl the 12th over and gives away two runs. BAN 49/2 in 12 overs.
15:58 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar continues from the other end and gives away just one run. BAN 47/2 in 11 overs
15:57 hrs IST: Bumrah bowls another tight over. He is keeping up the pressure from one end. BAN 46/2 in 10 overs
15:48 hrs IST: RAHIM ON FIRE! The ex-skipper continues his attack as he gets straight fours. First he produces an elegant cover drive and then cuts through point. BAN 45/2 in 9 overs
15:47 hrs IST: THAT WILL HURT! Rahim goes for a wild heave against Bhuvneshwar, the ball gets an inside edge but misses the stumps and goes past Dhoni for a boundary.
15:41 hrs IST: Mushfiqur Rahim is the new batsman. This partnership will be crucial for Bangladesh. The duo is their most in-form batsmen. Bumrah gives away just one run in the eighth over. BAN 32/2 in 8 overs
15:39 hrs IST: WICKET!Sabbir (19) gone! BAN 31/2 in 6.5 overs
Bhuvneshwar strikes again! Sabbir goes for a cut against a wide delivery and is caught by Ravindra Jadeja at backward point.
15:35 hrs IST: A Maiden over after a long time. Bumrah’s over will give Kohli’s India breathing space after the mayhem by Sabbir. BAN 31/1 in 6 overs
15:33 hrs IST: Bangladesh have so far got boundaries in every over except the first one. Indian pacers need to find a quick answer to their onslaught.
15:31 hrs IST: FOUR! Bhuvneshwar gets a leading edge off Tamim. But the ball flies away from the fielder at second slip. Bangladesh fans are rejoicing. BAN 31/1 in 5 overs
15:27 hrs IST: FOUR AGAIN! Sabbir is ripping apart the Indian pacers. He is taking full advantage of the powerplay overs as there are no fielders in the outfield. This time he hits over long off against Bumrah. BAN 26/1 in 4 overs
15:22 hrs IST: MORE FOURS! Rahman is essaying his pinch-hitting role pretty well. First he lofts Bhuvneshwar over mid-off and then gets another boundary with a beautiful cover drive. BAN 21/1 in 3 overs
15:16 hrs IST: FOURS! Bangladesh makes a strong comeback Tamim and No.3 Sabbir Rahman goes after Jasprit Bumrah. First Tamim directs the ball towards square leg and then Rahman gets off the blocks with an elegant square drive and then BAN 11/1 in 2 overs

15:14 hrs IST: WICKET! Soumya Sarkar gone. BAN 1/1 in 1 over
Bhuvneshwar Kumar rattles Soumya stumps.


15:12 hrs IST: Bangladesh get off the mark as Tamim Iqbal takes a single off Bhuvneshwar. The Indian pacer is bowling a tight line!
15:11 hrs IST: Action starts!

15:03 Time for the national anthems. India and Banglesh, both anthems composed by Rabindranath Tagore. Huge moment for Bangladesh and their legions of fans.


Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni(w), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah

Saturday, 10 June 2017

India vs South Africa, Where to Watch Live Score Star Sports


Mumbai: Big guns and title favorites India and South Africa will face each other in a knockout clash of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Having suffered defeats in their previous matches, India and South Africa face a do-or-die battle in their quest for a semi-final spot when they meet in a Group B contest at The Oval on Sunday. India suffered an unexpected seven-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in their last group match while Pakistan got the better of South Africa via the Duckworth-Lewis method. Virat Kohli and his men got a reality check against Sri Lanka and will now look to iron out their concerns in the bowling department. India's batting has done well in the tournament so far but it was their bowling which flopped against Sri Lanka. For South Africa, neither their batting not bowling looked to have clicked after a 19-run defeat against Pakistan. The Proteas will look to heavily improvise in both the departments to give their side any chance of a win against India.

Discord and defeat, or amity and victory? Which way will perceptions sway after the virtual quarterfinal against South Africa?
Indian cricket's English summer has been a tumultuous one so far, but Sunday's knockout game also provides Virat Kohli's men a chance to maintain their excellent record in do-or-die situations.
In the past four years, India have won three out of four knockout games, the lone blip coming against the Australians in Sydney in the 2015 World Cup semifinal. Two out of those three victories came in the last Champions Trophy, a tournament in which India have a spotless 3-0 record against South Africa.
So the Indians in recent times have inspired plenty of confidence in pressure situations, better than the South Africans anyway, whose reputation as perennial chokers seems to have dogged them for an eternity.
This time, though, that tiny psychological edge may not be cushion enough: South Africa are the world's No. 1 ODI side. Since the loss to Bangladesh in July 2015, they have won 7 out of 9 ODI series, including beating India in India. Conditions at the Oval are likely to suit them more. They have a settled lineup. On current form, the only opponent more formidable than South Africa would be England on home soil.

Having landed themselves in a mess following the disclosure of differences between Kohli and coach Anil Kumble, and also coming off a shock loss to Sri Lanka, India need to win this one to reaffirm a bit of faith. "You need to have a good balance of being competitive, being passionate, but at the same time not getting overexcited," said Kohli about India's approach to knockout games. Tactical superiority wouldn't hurt either, and to that end India seem to be turning to the card they missed in the Sri Lanka game: Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ashwin has only sporadically been part of India's ODI setup, having played only 9 and missed 18 games since the 2015 World Cup. His economy rate in this period has been marginally higher, 5.55, than his career average of 4.91. However, he also has 12 wickets from those 9 games, and India sorely missed a wicket-taker against the Lankans.

The offie came into the tournament proclaiming a new weapon he had worked on, but has only been allowed to watch from the sidelines so far. On match eve, he was made to bowl for nearly two hours, meaning India had taken cognizance of the three left-handers in the SA lineup - De Kock, David Miller, and JP Duminy.

Will Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who didn't have much of a bowl in the nets, set out to enable India to play two spinners in Ashwin and Jadeja and two pacers in Yadav and Bumrah? Kohli, true to tradition, was suitably cryptic, saying, "Yes, there are all kinds of possibilities. We definitely have looked at the last game and where we can make a bit of a change."

That "last game" saw India losing out in spite of posting 321 on the board, and South Africa have one of the most dangerous batting lineups around, even though they may have imploded against Imad Wasim and Co in the game against Pakistan. "The temptation is definitely there to change the XI. We have 15 world-class players in the side," said captain AB de Villiers, adding: "We also expect to see Ashwin on their side. He's taken many wickets against us."

AB too agreed it was important to "stay calm". "Don't get overexcited, the tendency will be there. We all live for these kinds of moments. I'm expecting intensity and hunger but with a relaxed kind of mindset."

If that sounds contradictory, Kohli wouldn't know. "The team that treats the game as normal as possible will win," he said.

The question is, is it possible to stay normal with everything on the line?

Squads of India and South Africa for ICC Champions Trophy 2017:

INDIA SQUAD: Virat Kohli(Captain), MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Umesh Yadav, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Mohammed Shami

SOUTH AFRICA SQUAD: AB de Villiers (Captain), Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Chris Morris, David Miller, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Hashim Amla, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Morne Morkel.

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Thursday, 8 June 2017

Kohli credits Sri Lanka for seizing the moment


In the crucial segment between overs, 25 and 40 India managed to score just 80 runs. In the same phase of their innings, Sri Lanka added 103 runs. Having started on a steady note, did India fall short of what could and should have been an insurmountable target?

Until the final ten overs began, India was scoring at a run-rate of about five an over despite Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma giving them a solid opening with a 138-run stand in the first 25 overs. Against Pakistan, it had been a similar storyline, but the big difference was Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya providing them a robust ending with their power hitting.

Today, all three of those batsmen failed, and despite MS Dhoni bringing forth his best finishing skills, India seemed at least 20 runs short.

Virat Kohli, however, disagreed with such thinking. India, Kohli pointed out, do not play the "explosive" brand of cricket through the middle overs that teams such as England have made a trademark. Instead, he simply felt that Sri Lanka's batsmen had been too good on the day.

"I think batting did really well," Kohli said. "We obviously have to consolidate and then explode in the end, and that's the way we always play.

"We don't - we are not a side that always plays explosive cricket throughout the 50 overs, but if a side comes out here and plays cricket with that kind of mindset and executes their shots so well, then you have to take your hat off sometimes and say very well played."

Pushed to have a re-think, Kohli admitted that, next time, India might have to pace the innings better to raise a more competitive target.

"I thought we paced it well. I thought we had enough on the board. In hindsight, when you look back, maybe you think of phases that we could have accelerated, but I don't see that as a major issue.

"Maybe we will have to push harder now in the next few games to give us a 20-run cushion. Maybe after seeing a result like this, because we're playing on the same ground as well."

At the outset of the tournament, Kohli had said in a tightly-knit tournament like this, what matters on the day is execution. India just messed up both with the ball and the bat in execution. It only made Sri Lanka's job easier.