On Wednesday at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, during the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka, India captain Rohit Sharma was once again involved in a comical incident. After winning the toss, Sharma encouraged his bowlers to mislead the Sri Lankan hitters by using colloquial language from Sinhalese culture as the home team prepared to bat.
This game was extremely important to both teams because the island nation was leading the series 1-0. With a 32-run victory in the second ODI, the hosts are trying to seal the series. Conversely, for India to tie the series, they must win.
Rohit Sharma was heard yelling in Sinhala at his bowlers as Sri Lanka got off to a strong start in their innings.
“Anna hari, mēka hari,” means “that’s right, that’s correct.” The Indian captain’s language prowess, which was aimed specifically at spinner Axar Patel during his tenure, became a topic of discussion very fast.
Watch the video below:
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma encouraging his bowlers with the Sinhala phrase ‘අන්න හරි, මේක හරි,’ just like the Sri Lankan fielders. pic.twitter.com/b5RujIc5Yf
— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen) August 7, 2024
India’s third ODI requires 249 runs to win.
Within the 50 overs given, the hosts scored a respectable 248/7. The most impressive player was Avishka Fernando, who scored an incredible 96 runs off 102 balls but was just short of a century. At the top of the order, Pathum Nissanka delivered 45 runs, while Kusal Mendis contributed 59 runs to provide steady assistance.
With scores of 3/54, rookie Riyan Parag impressed for India. With each taking a wicket in their 10-over periods, the seasoned spin combo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav exerted strict control, giving up just 41 and 36 runs, respectively.
Also Read: SL vs IND 2024: Mohammed Siraj and Kusal Mendis get into a furious verbal incident
To win this game, the visitors need a good start, particularly from their skipper. Despite his team’s inability to secure a victory, the 37-year-old has been in fantastic form, hitting back-to-back fifty runs.