New Delhi: Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni once again proved his worth as a 'finisher', notching up his 65th ODI half-century as Team India registered a six-wicket victory over the beleaguered Sri Lankan side in the third one-day international match at Pallekele on Sunday. Ergo, he equalled yet another record set by Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, but this time with the bat.
Put to field first, the Indian bowlers restricted the hosts to mere 217 at the loss of nine wickets. Man of the Match, Jasprit Bumrah swung in a havoc to scalp his maiden five-wicket haul finishing with a figure of 5/27. He also became the first Indian pacer to scalp a five-for in ODIs after Stuart Binny (2014).
Staring at a modest 218, Indians were crumbled down to 61 for four in the 16th over. Once again it was Akila Dananjaya whose wrong-uns proved lethal for KL Rahul and Kedar Jadhav. Malinga dismissed Shikhar Dhawan and Vishwa Fernando bagged the important wicket of Virat Kohli.
Dhoni stepped in and joined opener Rohit Sharma at the crease and build on a patient partnership to revive India's faltering innings. They stitched a phenomenal 157-run stand as the duo steered the Indian ship past the modest total of 217.
The Ranchi-based player laced together four boundaries and one maximum to amass 67 runs from 86 deliveries. It was his 65th ODI half century as Dhoni edged past Mohammad Azharuddin's ODI run tally to become the fourth highest run getter among Indian batsmen. Adding to it, the 36-year-old equalled the world record for most ODI fifties notched up by a wicketkeeper against an opposition. He has 18 such knocks all coming against Sri Lanka and ergo stands alongside Kumar Sangakkara. The Lankan gloveman too has 18 such ODI fifties under his belt, with all struck against the Indian team. Interesting indeed!
It was only in the second ODI match against Sri Lanka that Dhoni had equalled Sangakkara's record of most ODI stumpings. Standing at 99, he is one mark away from scripting a world record and being the first wicketkeeper ever to affect 100 stumpings.
Team India will next play against the Islanders on August 31, at the Premadasa Stadium. It will be a historic day for Dhoni. His 300th ODI. He would become the sixth Indian to achieved the feat.
