India whitewashes England, Sri Lanka stuns Australia

As the ICC Champions Trophy approaches, India delivered a dominant performance in their home ODI series, securing a 3-0 whitewash over England. In the final match on Wednesday, the hosts crushed England by 142 runs, having already won the first two games by four wickets each. This emphatic series victory will undoubtedly boost India's confidence ahead of the global tournament.

Batting first in Ahmedabad, India posted a formidable total of 356 before being bowled out. Shubman Gill led the charge with a superb 112-run knock, while Shreyas Iyer (78), Virat Kohli (52), and KL Rahul (40) made valuable contributions. England's Adil Rashid took four wickets, while Mark Wood picked up two. In response, England faltered and was dismissed for 214 in 34.2 overs. Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh claimed two wickets each. Shubman Gill’s century earned him the Player of the Match award.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Sri Lanka registered a 49-run victory over Australia in the first match of their two-game ODI series. This defeat marked a disappointing start for Steven Smith’s side, with the second match set for February 14.

In Colombo, Charith Asalanka played a stellar innings of 127, guiding Sri Lanka to 214 in 46 overs before they were all out. Australia, in reply, struggled against Sri Lanka’s spin attack and collapsed for just 165 runs in 33.5 overs. Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana starred with four wickets, dismantling the Aussie batting lineup. However, Asalanka’s brilliant century earned him the Player of the Match honors.