IND vs SL | Twitter reacts as Virat Kohli's precision forces fielders to tangle in sliding challenges
Even though cricket is not a contact sport, the wooden willows and leather balls mean injuries are never too far away in the intense sport. Virat Kohli precisely pierced a gap with his bat on Sunday such that two fielders ended up tumbling over each other and had to eventually be stretchered off.
India continued their dominant streak in ODIs by piling on the runs with the bat in the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Opting to bat first, skipper Rohit Sharma got off to a good start but eventually suffered a soft dismissal when on 45, leaving the team in a strong position at 95/1 after 15 overs. Thereon, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli took the reigns of the game as they both registered centuries in double quick time. The former's dismissal of 116 off 97 balls in the 34th over ended a 131-run partnership that took just 110 balls to accumulate.
However, while Gill's job was done, Kohli had a lot more still to offer. He partnered with Shreyas Iyer to unleash his aggressive vein and found boundaries for fun, timing the ball with immaculate precision and ease. The talisman reached the three-figure mark in the 43rd over but had to wait a considerable time before he was allowed to register the final run before the milestone score.
On the penultimate ball of the over, the 34-year-old whipped a pull shot along the turf off a short and wide ball by Chamika Karunaratne. The delivery raced towards the onside boundary even as both deep midwicket and deep square leg converged towards the Kookaburra in an attempt to save their team the blushes. But Kohli had split the two fielders with such precision that the duo had no option except to put in a full-stretch dive. As it turned out, Ashen Bandara ended up sliding with both legs toward the ball while Jeffray Vandersay adopted a more front-on approach, and eventually the former viciously took out the latter in a massive collision. The ball ended up traveling for four albeit little attention was paid to it given the game was halted immediately to cater to the injured pair. After a long stay by the physios, Bandara was taken off the field on a stretcher clutching his right knee while Vandersay continued on.
Twitterati was quick to send good wishes to the injured Sri Lankan while going gaga over the form of Virat Kohli.
That serious!
— MINI BUS 2022 (@minibus2022) January 15, 2023
Nasty collision
Ouch ! That was a nasty collision between Ashen Bandara & Vandersay.
— Loshan - ARVLOSHAN (@ARVLoshan) January 15, 2023
Bandara is looking seriously hurt his knee. He is definitely unlucky !
Hope he has not injured his knee cap or bone.#INDvSL
Stretchered off!
Jeffrey Vandersay and Ashen Bandara have been taken off the field after a nasty collision near the boundary. Both being stretchered off#INDvSL #JeffreyVandersay #AshenBandara pic.twitter.com/NMbJNSomem
— Shubham Singh (@Shubhamsingh038) January 15, 2023
Freaky one.
Watched that freak accident between Dizzy and S Waugh in Galle.
— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) January 15, 2023
Now, Bandara and Vandersay. Well, that looked nasty.
Looks serious
Steve Waugh - Jason Gillespie moment in Trivandrum as Ashen Bandara and Jeffrey Vandersay are stretched off the field after colliding with each other. Both look serious.
— Rex Clementine (@RexClementine) January 15, 2023
Hope safe!
Not what you want to see on the cricket field 😥 Hope both players are safe, Bandara and Vandersay get well soon 🙏 #INDvSL
— Amanda Wellington (@amandajadew) January 15, 2023
Sad moment
Nasty collision on the field between Bandara & Vandersay 🙁
— 🇮🇳 (@amanmishrra) January 15, 2023
Bad collision
Vandersay and Bandara collide while attempting to stop a Kohli boundary #INDvSL
— cricket fobia (@cricket_fobia) January 15, 2023
Take care
Hope both of them are fine. Vandersay and Bandara. Take care please.
— Shubham Pandey (@__mr_imperfect_) January 15, 2023
Indian physio Kamlesh out on field to lend a helping hand to Sri Lankan physio.#INDvSL
Hope nothing more!
Nasty collision on the field between Bandara & Vandersay 🙁
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) January 15, 2023
We hope both the players are safe 🤞#OneFamily #INDvSL