Upul Tharanga misses century, goes past 1000 runs in ODIs in 2017 | Cricket - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Upul Tharanga misses century, goes past 1000 runs in ODIs in 2017

Hindustan Times, Visakhapatnam | By
Dec 17, 2017 05:30 PM IST

Upul Tharanga missed out on his 16th century but became the third player to smash 1000 runs in ODIs in 2017 as Sri Lanka reached a strong position against India in the third and final ODI in Visakhapatnam.

Upul Tharanga missed out on his 16th century in the third and final ODI at the ACA-VDCA stadium on Sunday as he was brilliantly stumped by MS Dhoni off Kuldeep Yadav for 95 off 82 balls. However, in the course of his knock, Tharanga went past 1000 runs in ODIs in 2017. (LIVE BLOG)

Upul Tharanga in action during the India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI encounter in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.(AFP)
Upul Tharanga in action during the India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI encounter in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.(AFP)

Tharanga became the third player to go past 1000 runs in ODIs in 2017 after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and in the process, also became the first Sri Lanka batsman since Tillakaratne Dilshan in 2015 to go past the landmark. (LIVE SCORECARD)

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

After being inserted into bat, Tharanga started off brilliantly by hitting two consecutive boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. However, his aggression went to the next level in the ninth over as he blasted Hardik Pandya for five consecutive fours. The first boundary came thanks to an outside edge to third man while the second ball was lofted over mid on. The third ball was driven uppishly over cover and the fourth ball came courtesy yet another outside edge to third man. The fifth ball was hit over mid-off again.

The partnership between Tharanga and Samarawickrama went past fifty and the left-hander notched up his 36th fifty off just 36 balls. Tharanga continued to bat confidently by lofting Yuzvendra Chahal straight down the ground for a six and brought up the 100-run stand with Samarawickrama with a cut shot to deep backward point.

On 80, Tharanga once again launched Chahal over long on to go past 1000 runs in the calendar year. On 95, he looked good for his century but he was dragged out of the crease and beaten by a Kuldeep legbreak. MS Dhoni, in yet another demonstration of his brilliant keeping abilities, whipped the bails off instantly and appealed. Replays showed that the foot was on the line and Tharanga failed to get it back in time.

Tharanga has enjoyed a fantastic 2017 despite Sri Lanka losing 22 out of 28 ODIs in the year. In the series against South Africa, he smashed 119 in Cape Town and averaged 37.8 in the series. Although he suffered a dip in the home series against India, Tharanga blasted 112* against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi to end the series with an average of 49.75.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away!- Login Now!
Catch all the Latest Cricket News, Live Cricket Score and IPL 2024 Schedule, match updates along with Cricket Schedule, WPL Final 2024, WPL Final 2024 and other related updates on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    From Dainik Bhaskar to Cricbuzz, from Times of India to NDTV, he has significant work experience on the digital platform. Writing on cricket, though, continues unabated.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, March 18, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On