COLOMBO – Captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma slammed quick-fire tons as India flayed a hapless Sri Lanka to post 375/5 in the fourth one-day international in Colombo on Thursday.
The batsmen shared 219 runs for the second wicket off just 168 balls after the visitors won the toss and elected to bat on an easy-paced wicket at the R. Premadasa stadium.
With the series already in the pocket, Kohli batted with gay abandon, hitting 17 fours and two sixes in his 96-ball 131.
Sharma (104) hammered 11 fours and three sixes in an equally entertaining innings off 88 balls.
Kohli was dismissed by Sri Lanka's stand-in captain Lasith Malinga who completed 300 Test wickets, the 13th bowler overall and fourth Sri Lankan to achieve the feat.
India, the world number three side in ODIs, have already clinched the five-match series 3-0.
Sri Lanka have been struggling to put up a decent fight, with injuries to key players, selection woes and hostile fans compounding their misery.
The islanders, ranked eighth, have copped criticism for going down to bottom-ranked Zimbabwe in an ODI series followed by a 3-0 Test whitewash against India on home soil.
Angry fans lobbed bottles and other missiles after Sri Lanka lost the third game in Pallekele to India on Sunday.
The Indians were off to a flying start on Thursday, thanks to Kohli and Sharma.
Kohli reached his 29th ODI century off just 76 balls with a boundary off Milinda Siriwardana to the square-leg fence as he toyed with the bowling attack.
Angelo Mathews put the brakes on the scoring when he dismissed Hardik Pandya (19) and Sharma off consecutive balls.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 49 not out, became only the sixth Indian and the second wicketkeeper-batsman after Kumar Sangakkara to play 300 ODIs.
He also shared 101 runs with Manish Pandey (50 not out) after the visitors were reduced to 274/5.
Butter-fingered Sri Lanka dropped easy catches and misfielded often to allow some easy runs to the Indians.