IND VS SL - 3rd ODI, Sri Lanka tour of India, 2017

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The carnival moves to Cuttack now. India have played one T20I there and they don't have great memories of that. Neither does the cricketing world have great memories of the 'bottled' up frustration that the people showed that day when India got bundled out for a paltry score against South Africa. But India and Barabati would want to bury those ghosts. For now, this is Kumar Abhisekh Das and Raju Peethala doing a tag team job to bid you buhbye on behalf of Abhishek Chaudhary, Hariprasad, Venkatesh and our newbie Nikhil. Tadaa!!

The trophy has been handed to Rohit Sharma and as ever, it goes into the hands of the latest of newcomers. Siddarth Kaul, this time. He holds the trophy as the rest of the crew grin for the cameras. All done and dusted.

Rohit Sharma (2/2): The batting of Shreyas Iyer was a big positive. He showed a lot of intent. The way he came out and batted was brilliant. We never felt from the outside that he's played only a couple of games. We felt that he's already been there for a long time. He batted fearlessly and got the result he wanted. Of course, the spin twins. They haven't bowled much together as bowlers, but whenever they have played, they bowled really well. They put us in the driver's seat, the way they played during the New Zealand and Australia series was beautiful. I hope, as a team, we can continue to do that. We have to respond well as a team. This team has shown that again and again, we just need to continue from where we left off. We are going abroad now, the next one and half year will be challenging as a team and I'm sure we are ready for it. The youngsters bring a lot of energy, enthusiasm and talent to the group and it's a perfect time to try them. They have done well in the shorter formats and I'm sure they are ready for all the upcoming challenges.

Rohit Sharma (1/2): Terrific comeback after the first game in Dharamsala. We showed plenty of character. Even today at one point they were going at 6 an over and to pull the game back from there is magnificent. This has been the hallmark of the team. Whenever we were defeated, we have always come back strong. As a captain, my job becomes a lot more easier that way. Very proud of the boys. I think the first game was a bit testing as a captain, because we didn't put enough runs on the board, and in the second game since we had lot of runs I had the luxury to try out a few things. It was a perfect game for me to settle in. And today was a perfect game. When you have bowlers like that in your side, the job becomes very easy for the captain. You throw the ball and they get you wicket all the time. Whenever we were put into the tough situations, we responded well. We played as a team more than anything else. Everyone knew what they needed to do as an individual to win the series and they perfectly did that.

Shikhar-Gabbar-Dhawan, Man of the series, 168 runs at an average of 84: I feel that I'm batting my best and I know my game very well now and that's why my consistency has gone up. Technique, on the guard - where to stand and where not to - I'm an experienced player and I know how to handle the situation and as I mentioned those three are working well for me. Whenever I score fifty, most of the times I try and convert it into a hundred and my conversion rate is quite high. It's a goal to win as a team. You try and win games as a team and individual performances come later. I'm happy that I led from the front and make my team go through the final and win the game. I want to thank the crowd for supporting us, they have been phenomenal.

Kuldeep Yadav, Man of the Match for his 3/42: Obviously their batsmen were set and we knew we needed wickets in the middle overs. I got two wickets in one over and that really changed the momentum for us. The wicket was very good for spinners, we were getting turn and sharp turn as well and that really motivated me to do well. I worked on my lengths as well. It's just preparation that matters. Whenever you don't play you practice and work hard on your fitness and fielding, when you get a chance you try and put up your best performance.

Thisara Perera: Really disappointing for us. We played well in the first game, and it was a good chance to beat India in India, but we didn't execute the plans well in the last couple of games in both the departments. We got a good start today, but the middle order didn't capitalize and so we couldn't put enough runs on the board. He (Akila Dananjaya) is a very good talent and he has a great future. That's why I gave him the new ball. He is our top spinner in ODIs. We already lost the ODI series and now we have to think about our future. We have to stay at present and forget the rest.

Shreyas Iyer: I am enjoying coming out and giving interviews only when I am scoring good runs. I am enjoying myself and even my team loves it. Obviously, I used to watch these players play from the stadium and now I am playing with them. It is a great feeling. Not a lot has changed. I have been playing with these players in the last three years at the IPL. The series so far has been so good for me and I would want to continue the same in the T20I series as well. Dharamsala incident is totally forgotten. Getting that wicket in the first game was really disheartening. I am backing myself and being positive. Whatever the situation would be, I would go in and express myself.

Harsha Bhogle: Afraid India have toyed with Sri Lanka's bowling here. And Dhawan has just run away with the game.

The crowd are chanting "Dhoni" multiple times. They didn't get to see him bat but how well have India done to seal this win with so much ease. The collapse by Sri Lanka earlier on played a huge part and the pitch didn't have any demons on it either. Once Sri Lanka lost the plot to make just 215, India had to self-destruct to lose on this. Against New Zealand earlier, in a series decider, the visitors were decimated on a turning track while chasing. No such worries this time. Rohit got out early but that was the only momentary solace for the visitors as they were torn to shreds by Shreyas Iyer and Dhawan. Iyer threw away a hundred but the experienced Dhawan didn't. Dhawan also was clever enough to do the math at the end and rush to his hundred with a calculated assault. So happy faces in the Indian camp and in the crowd as well. Do hang on for the post-match presentation and the other stuff that will come your way soon...

Dananjaya to Karthik, FOUR, all over! India haven't lost a bilateral series in any format in 2017. That is some record. This game is over quickly. Very quickly. 215 has been made to look paltry - relatively speaking of course. The winning hit came from DK who saw the tossed up delivery outside off and lofted it up and over cover. No-one in the deep and it gives India the series 2-1

Dananjaya to Karthik, wide, down leg, googly gone wrong

Akila Dananjaya [7.0-0-48-1] is back into the attack

Gunaratne to Dhawan, no run, too full, eased back down the track

Gunaratne to Dhawan, FOUR, Dhawan doesn't join the SRT club! Of being denied a hundred by DK. Our colleague Kumar who is from Orissa needles me saying that DK did the same to Sachin back in 2009 at the Barabati. But Dhawan has hogged the strike and reaches his hundred. The sweep was intended to go behind square, but it ran off the edge and since it was hit so hard, split deep square and deep mid to perfection. The celebrations follow

Gunaratne over the wicket now. What's the plan Guna?

Gunaratne to Dhawan, no run, no he doesn't. Short on off, rocks back to cut and finds backward point. There are a stack of fielders on the off-side so can't pierce the gap

Gunaratne to do a Randiv now and bowl a beamer into the crowd? How the Vizagites will love that!

Gunaratne to Dhawan, wide, down leg, Dhawan tries the vertical bat sweep, misses. What a chance to get a 100. Dickwella does well to stop as well

Gunaratne to Dhawan, FOUR, doesn't matter how many you have on the leg-side. Dhawan will still find the boundary. Quicker ball on the pads, sliding on with the angle, whipped to the deep backward square fence. Rocketed to the fence