India missed out on a golden opportunity of taking 1-0 lead over Sri Lanka in the three-match ODI series. Chasing 231 in the first ODI, Rohit Sharma and co were always in the game but failed to cross the finishing line as the match ended in a tie. It was a huge shock for all the fans around the world as India needed one run off 15 balls with two wickets in hand. However, skipper Charith Asalanka held his nerves and dismissed Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh on consecutive deliveries and saved Sri Lanka from defeat.
With 14 balls remaining, India just needed 1 run when pacer Arshdeep came on strike. The Punjab Kings star went for a big slogsweep but the ball missed the bat and hit the pads as he was declared LBW out.
After the match, a picture of went viral on social media, where Rohit was seen giving an angry look to Arshdeep. The picture sparked a meme fest as many fans posted hilarious memes on X (formerly Twitter).
Caption this pic.twitter.com/NPgD5QUfnF
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) August 3, 2024
Arshdeep be like: pic.twitter.com/059U4V9mVq
— Bails&Bytes (@BailsNByte) August 3, 2024
pic.twitter.com/yuCEZdb9PA
— Govind7 (@govind_12_) August 3, 2024
Bas yhi tak tha, jo tha… pic.twitter.com/THAelzhYmI
— Himanshu (@Himanshu_10147) August 3, 2024
pic.twitter.com/8ALKN5iQNG
— Sujeth Kotian (@bearded_cheff) August 3, 2024
"There was no consistent momentum through the game for us. We started really well with the bat but we knew the game will start after 10 overs once the spinners come in to bowl. We had the upper hand to start with, then we lost a couple of wickets and fell behind the game," said Rohit Sharma during the post-match presentation.
"In the end, little disappointing, 14 balls, 1 run to get. These things happen. Sri Lanka played well. In the end, it was a fair result. It (pitch) remained the same. There was bite in the first 25 overs when we bowled and it was the same for them as well. As the game went on, the seam wore off for both teams and it was a bit easier to bat," he added.
India and Sri Lanka will again each other in the second ODI of the three-match series on Sunday in Colombo.