HOBART, Australia, February 28, 2012: Sri Lanka had scored 320 for 4, Tillakaratne Dilshan had carried his bat for 160, and Kumar Sangakkara had contributed a century of his own. Under normal circumstances, India would have considered chasing 321 from 50 overs a considerable challenge. But their Commonwealth Bank Series survival required something extraordinary: they needed to complete the chase inside 40 overs to collect a bonus point. Virat Kohli answered with an unbeaten 133 from 86 balls, guiding India to 321 for 3 in just 36.4 overs and producing one of the most remarkable victories in ODI history.
Kohli’s innings included 16 fours and two sixes, but his greatest achievement was the calculated destruction of Sri Lanka’s bowling strategy. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag established a rapid opening platform, Gautam Gambhir provided an essential 63, and Suresh Raina finished with an unbeaten 40 from 24 deliveries. Lasith Malinga, normally trusted to control the closing overs, conceded 96 runs from 7.4 overs as India won by seven wickets with 80 balls remaining. The victory kept India’s qualification hopes alive, although Sri Lanka would later eliminate them by defeating Australia.
The scale of India’s achievement is easy to underestimate when looking only at the final result.
A seven-wicket victory usually suggests one team controlled the contest comfortably.
Story at a glance
Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Unbeaten 160 Appears to Put Sri Lanka in Complete Control
Tillakaratne Dilshan produced a magnificent innings before Kohli transformed the match.
Kumar Sangakkara’s 105 Produces a 200-Run Partnership
Kumar Sangakkara was equally important to Sri Lanka’s dominance.
Why India’s Bowling Struggled Against Dilshan and Sangakkara
India’s bowling attack was unable to sustain pressure against Sri Lanka’s established pair.
Why India Needed to Chase 321 in Less Than 40 Overs
India entered the match knowing an ordinary victory would be insufficient to maximize its chances of reaching the Commonwealth Bank Series finals.
Virender Sehwag’s 30 Gives India the Start Its Tournament Needed
Virender Sehwag understood that India could not begin cautiously.
At Hobart, India were chasing two targets simultaneously.
The first was Sri Lanka’s imposing 320.
The second was the tournament’s bonus-point requirement, which demanded that the target be reached within 40 overs.
India needed to score at more than eight runs per over from the beginning.
That requirement fundamentally changed the chase.
The batters could not afford a lengthy period of consolidation, even against bowlers as experienced as Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara and Rangana Herath.
Kohli recognized the situation and produced an innings that combined calculated aggression with exceptional running between the wickets.
The result earns its place as Match 58 in The Sports Encounter’s A Celebration of 5000 ODIs.
The match is especially remarkable because India accomplished something that seemed highly unlikely after Sri Lanka’s innings, yet the extraordinary performance still failed to carry the team into the tournament final.
India vs Sri Lanka 2012 Commonwealth Bank Series: Match Summary
| Match detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | 2011–12 Commonwealth Bank Series |
| Match | 11th round-robin match |
| Date | February 28, 2012 |
| Venue | Bellerive Oval, Hobart, Australia |
| Toss | India won and elected to field |
| Sri Lanka | 320/4 (50 overs) |
| India | 321/3 (36.4 overs) |
| Result | India won by seven wickets |
| Balls remaining | 80 |
| Bonus point | India earned one |
| Player of the Match | Virat Kohli |
| India’s leading scorer | Virat Kohli, 133* |
| Sri Lanka’s leading scorer | Tillakaratne Dilshan, 160* |
| Sri Lanka’s other centurion | Kumar Sangakkara, 105 |
| Key Indian partnership | Kohli and Raina, 120* |
| Most expensive bowling figures | Lasith Malinga, 1/96 |
| Tournament consequence | India stayed alive temporarily but eventually missed the finals |
Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Unbeaten 160 Appears to Put Sri Lanka in Complete Control
Tillakaratne Dilshan produced a magnificent innings before Kohli transformed the match.
The Sri Lankan opener scored an unbeaten 160 from 165 deliveries, including 11 fours and three sixes.
His innings combined careful accumulation with aggressive strokeplay, particularly during the final stages.
India had elected to field, hoping to restrict Sri Lanka and create a manageable target.
Dilshan ensured that plan did not succeed.
He began alongside captain Mahela Jayawardene, who scored 22 from 33 deliveries.
The pair added 49 for the opening wicket before Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Jayawardene.
Sri Lanka were 49 for 1 after 12 overs.
That dismissal brought Kumar Sangakkara to the crease.
The partnership that followed placed India under sustained pressure.
Dilshan and Sangakkara accumulated runs throughout the middle overs, preserving wickets while preparing for an aggressive finish.
Dilshan reached his century and continued batting as India searched unsuccessfully for a way to dismiss him.
His final acceleration was especially damaging.
He scored his last 60 runs from only 33 deliveries, increasing Sri Lanka’s total from competitive to formidable.
By the conclusion of the innings, Dilshan had occupied the crease for all 50 overs.
His unbeaten 160 represented exactly half of Sri Lanka’s total.
It was an outstanding individual performance that would ordinarily have provided the foundation for a comfortable victory.
Instead, it became the prelude to an even more remarkable innings.
Kumar Sangakkara’s 105 Produces a 200-Run Partnership
Kumar Sangakkara was equally important to Sri Lanka’s dominance.
The experienced wicketkeeper-batter scored 105 from 87 deliveries, striking eight fours and two sixes.
His innings was more aggressive than Dilshan’s during much of their partnership.
Sangakkara recognized the opportunity to capitalize on India’s inability to generate consistent breakthroughs.
He rotated the strike effectively and attacked deliveries that offered width or predictable length.
Together, Dilshan and Sangakkara added exactly 200 runs for the second wicket.
Sri Lanka moved from 49 for 1 to 249 for 2.
The partnership was broken only in the 44th over, when Praveen Kumar bowled Sangakkara.
At that stage, Sri Lanka had six overs remaining and eight wickets in hand.
The visitors were positioned to score well beyond 300.
Sangakkara’s dismissal interrupted the partnership, but Dilshan continued accelerating.
Thisara Perera contributed three, Angelo Mathews made 14 and Dinesh Chandimal finished unbeaten on two.
Sri Lanka eventually reached 320 for 4.
The total reflected outstanding batting from two experienced internationals.
However, the innings also provides an interesting tactical question.
Sri Lanka had lost only four wickets from 50 overs.
Could its middle order have attacked earlier and produced an even larger total?
That question becomes particularly relevant when compared with India’s subsequent approach.
Sri Lanka preserved wickets and accelerated late.
India attacked aggressively from the start because the bonus-point situation required a radically different strategy.
Why India’s Bowling Struggled Against Dilshan and Sangakkara
India’s bowling attack was unable to sustain pressure against Sri Lanka’s established pair.
Zaheer Khan conceded 61 runs from nine overs.
Praveen Kumar gave away 64 from nine.
Umesh Yadav finished with 56 from eight overs.
Ravindra Jadeja was the most economical Indian bowler, returning 1 for 43 from nine overs.
Ravichandran Ashwin conceded 52 from ten.
The figures highlight India’s central problem.
Although several bowlers maintained acceptable economy rates during portions of the innings, none could consistently separate Dilshan and Sangakkara.
Their 200-run partnership removed the possibility of regularly attacking new batters.
As the innings progressed, Sri Lanka became increasingly comfortable.
India also relied on part-time bowling from Sehwag and Raina.
Neither managed a breakthrough.
The bowling attack therefore spent much of the innings attempting to contain the scoring rather than creating genuine wicket-taking opportunities.
The final total of 320 appeared to place Sri Lanka in command.
But India’s batting lineup approached the chase with a completely different understanding of the match situation.
Why India Needed to Chase 321 in Less Than 40 Overs
India entered the match knowing an ordinary victory would be insufficient to maximize its chances of reaching the Commonwealth Bank Series finals.
The triangular tournament involved India, Sri Lanka and Australia.
A bonus-point system rewarded teams that secured particularly dominant victories.
For a side batting second, a bonus point was available by completing the chase within 80% of the available overs.
In a 50-over match, that meant reaching the target within 40 overs.
India therefore had to chase 321 within that period.
A conventional pursuit at 6.42 runs per over would have produced a victory but not the crucial bonus point.
India needed to maintain a rate above eight.
The required scoring tempo explains why the opening batters adopted an aggressive strategy.
It also explains why Kohli continued attacking even when the target became manageable.
India could not afford to sacrifice the bonus point by slowing down late in the innings.
How Demanding Was India’s Bonus-Point Target?
| Requirement | Runs | Overs | Required run rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary victory | 321 | 50 | 6.42 |
| Bonus-point victory | 321 | 40 | 8.03 |
| India’s actual chase | 321 | 36.4 | 8.75 |
India finished 20 balls inside the 40-over bonus-point limit.
The margin demonstrates how completely Kohli and his partners transformed the chase.
Virender Sehwag’s 30 Gives India the Start Its Tournament Needed
Virender Sehwag understood that India could not begin cautiously.
The aggressive opener struck 30 from only 16 deliveries.
His innings included five boundaries and a six.
Sehwag’s strike rate of 187.50 reflected India’s urgent need to score quickly.
He attacked Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers, preventing the required rate from climbing during the Powerplay.
Sachin Tendulkar provided support from the other end.
The pair added 54 for the first wicket in just 6.2 overs.
Sehwag was eventually caught by Dilshan off Farveez Maharoof.
His innings had been brief but valuable.
India were already scoring above eight runs per over.
The opening partnership established the tempo required for the bonus-point chase.
It also demonstrated that India would not attempt to pursue 321 through conventional accumulation.
The batters were prepared to take calculated risks.
Sachin Tendulkar’s 39 Keeps India Ahead of the Required Rate
Sachin Tendulkar continued India’s aggressive approach after Sehwag departed.
He scored 39 from 30 deliveries, striking five boundaries.
His strike rate of 130 ensured Sri Lanka could not recover control immediately after taking the first wicket.
Tendulkar’s innings helped India reach 86 for 2 after 9.2 overs.
Lasith Malinga eventually trapped him lbw.
The dismissal brought Kohli to the crease with India already approaching 100.
Although two wickets had fallen, the team had maintained a scoring rate comfortably above the bonus-point requirement.
That was the central contribution of India’s opening batters.
Their aggression reduced the pressure on Kohli by ensuring he did not have to recover a slow start.
India still needed 235 runs.
But the opening phase had created a realistic opportunity to complete the chase in fewer than 40 overs.
Virat Kohli’s Unbeaten 133 Turns Sri Lanka’s 320 Into a Helpless Total
Virat Kohli’s innings was the defining performance of the match.
The 23-year-old scored an unbeaten 133 from 86 deliveries.
He struck 16 boundaries and two sixes.
His strike rate was 154.65.
The numerical achievement was extraordinary, but the way Kohli constructed the innings was even more impressive.
He understood that India needed continuous scoring rather than isolated bursts of aggression.
He ran hard between the wickets, attacked deliveries within his preferred scoring areas and prevented Sri Lanka from establishing prolonged periods of control.
The innings also demonstrated considerable maturity.
Kohli had entered after Tendulkar’s dismissal, with India needing 235 runs.
He could not afford to waste deliveries settling.
Yet he also needed to remain at the crease.
A reckless dismissal could have exposed India’s middle order and destroyed the bonus-point opportunity.
Kohli found the balance.
Kohli and Gambhir Add 115 to Put India in Position
Gautam Gambhir played an important supporting role.
The left-hander scored 63 from 64 deliveries, striking four boundaries.
He was willing to rotate the strike and allow Kohli to attack more freely.
Together, they added 115 runs for the third wicket.
The partnership carried India from 86 for 2 to 201 for 3.
Gambhir was eventually run out in the 28th over.
At that stage, India required another 120 runs.
The bonus-point deadline was approaching.
Sri Lanka still had an opportunity to force India beyond 40 overs by restricting boundaries and taking further wickets.
Kohli responded with another partnership that would end the match.
Kohli and Suresh Raina Add 120 Without Losing a Wicket
Suresh Raina entered with India needing rapid acceleration.
He responded with an unbeaten 40 from 24 balls.
His innings included three boundaries and one six.
Together, Raina and Kohli added an unbroken 120 runs for the fourth wicket.
The partnership required only 55 deliveries.
That translates to a scoring rate of approximately 13.09 runs per over.
It was an extraordinary acceleration against a bowling attack containing Malinga, Kulasekara, Thisara Perera and Mathews.
Raina’s contribution was particularly valuable because he did not spend several overs settling.
He attacked immediately, allowing Kohli to maintain his own aggressive rhythm.
By the closing stages, Sri Lanka’s bowlers had lost their ability to control the scoring.
India were racing toward the target while retaining seven wickets.
Lasith Malinga Concedes 96 as Kohli Dismantles Sri Lanka’s Premier Fast Bowler
One of the match’s most remarkable statistics belongs to Lasith Malinga.
The Sri Lankan fast bowler conceded 96 runs from 7.4 overs, taking one wicket.
His economy rate was 12.52.
Those figures were extraordinary for a bowler renowned for his yorkers, awkward action and ability to deliver under pressure.
Malinga had repeatedly demonstrated his capacity to dismiss established international batters, particularly during the closing overs.
At Hobart, Kohli attacked him with exceptional confidence.
The Indian batter refused to allow Malinga’s reputation to dictate his scoring options.
He punished missed lengths and maintained aggressive intent even against the bowler Sri Lanka would ordinarily trust to regain control.
The 35th Over That Destroyed Sri Lanka’s Remaining Hope
Kohli’s assault on Malinga during the 35th over became one of the match’s defining sequences.
The Indian batter scored 24 runs from the over.
By that stage, the target was rapidly disappearing.
Malinga’s attempts to vary his length failed to contain Kohli’s strokeplay.
The over made India’s bonus-point victory effectively inevitable.
For Sri Lanka, the sequence represented a serious tactical failure.
The team’s premier fast bowler had been targeted repeatedly and could not regain control.
The contrast between Malinga’s reputation and his final figures made Kohli’s innings particularly memorable.
Why Sri Lanka’s Bowlers Could Not Stop Kohli
Sri Lanka’s bowling attack struggled for several reasons.
India’s opening batters immediately attacked the new ball, denying the visitors an opportunity to establish early control.
Tendulkar’s 39 ensured the scoring momentum continued.
Kohli then occupied the crease for the remainder of the innings.
Sri Lanka could not dismiss him despite changing bowlers and attempting different lines and lengths.
Kulasekara conceded 71 runs from eight overs.
Thisara Perera gave away 59 from seven.
Mathews conceded 44 from seven.
Malinga’s 96 represented the greatest damage.
Rangana Herath was Sri Lanka’s most economical bowler, conceding only 20 from four overs.
However, Herath’s spell was too short to determine the outcome.
The most important tactical failure was Sri Lanka’s inability to break the partnership between Kohli and Raina.
Once the pair settled into their attacking roles, India scored at a rate that rapidly removed the remaining target.
Sri Lanka’s 320 no longer provided meaningful protection.
Four Turning Points That Defined the Hobart Miracle
1. Dilshan and Sangakkara Add 200 for the Second Wicket
Sri Lanka’s partnership dominated India’s bowling attack and established a total of 320.
The innings appeared to place the visitors in command.
However, the size of the target also forced India to adopt an aggressive approach from the opening over.
2. Sehwag and Tendulkar Give India 86 Runs Inside Ten Overs
India’s top order established the required tempo immediately.
Sehwag scored 30 from 16 deliveries.
Tendulkar made 39 from 30.
Although both were dismissed, India had already created the foundation for a chase inside 40 overs.
3. Kohli and Gambhir Add 115 for the Third Wicket
The partnership allowed India to move beyond 200 without losing additional wickets.
Gambhir’s steady 63 gave Kohli the freedom to attack.
By the time Gambhir departed, India remained firmly in contention for the bonus point.
4. Kohli and Raina Add 120 in 55 Balls
The final partnership transformed India’s chase into a spectacular victory.
Kohli accelerated, Raina attacked immediately and Sri Lanka’s bowling plans collapsed.
India reached 321 for 3 in 36.4 overs.
The bonus point was secured with 20 balls to spare before the 40-over deadline.
Why India’s Chase Was More Impressive Than the Seven-Wicket Margin Suggests
India’s victory was not simply a successful pursuit of 321.
The team had been required to score at a rate substantially higher than an ordinary ODI chase demanded.
Its target was effectively 321 from 40 overs.
That required an aggressive strategy and the willingness to risk wickets.
India executed the plan remarkably well.
Sehwag and Tendulkar attacked the Powerplay.
Gambhir provided stability.
Kohli dominated the middle and closing overs.
Raina accelerated immediately upon arrival.
The combination produced a scoring rate of 8.75 runs per over.
India completed the chase with 13.2 overs remaining in its full allocation.
The innings offered an early example of a more aggressive approach to ODI run chases, built around sustained scoring rather than preserving wickets until the final ten overs.
Continue A Celebration of 5000 ODIs
A Celebration of 5000 ODIsA Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 57: Dhoni Needs Four From Malinga’s Last Ball, but Three Runs Leave India and Sri Lanka Tied at 236
A Celebration of 5000 ODIsA Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 56: Pakistan Post 329, Kohli Unleashes 183, but India’s Greatest Chase Cannot Save Their Asia Cup
A Celebration of 5000 ODIsA Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 54: England Escape 33/5, but McGrath’s Last Ball Denies Victory in a Tied NatWest FinalKohli’s innings was especially significant because he maintained control while scoring at a rate normally associated with explosive T20 batting.
The Cruel Twist: India’s Bonus-Point Victory Still Could Not Save Its Tournament
India’s extraordinary performance at Hobart kept the team’s hopes alive.
The bonus-point victory gave the defending ODI world champions a chance to qualify for the Commonwealth Bank Series finals.
However, the outcome remained dependent on the final round-robin match between Australia and Sri Lanka.
India needed Australia to defeat Sri Lanka.
Instead, Sri Lanka produced a nine-run victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 2.
That result secured Sri Lanka’s qualification for the finals alongside Australia.
India were eliminated.
The irony is difficult to ignore.
Kohli had scored one of the greatest ODI centuries of his early career.
India had chased 321 in fewer than 37 overs.
The team had collected the bonus point needed to remain competitive.
Yet its earlier results meant the record chase was ultimately insufficient.
Sri Lanka’s recovery against Australia also provided a fascinating contrast.
Malinga, who had conceded 96 runs against India at Hobart, returned with four wickets for 49 runs in Melbourne.
His performance helped Sri Lanka win the decisive match and progress to the finals.
India’s success at Hobart had been extraordinary, but Sri Lanka’s subsequent response proved more valuable to the overall tournament standings.
Australia eventually defeated Sri Lanka 2-1 in the best-of-three final series.
Why Match 58 Belongs in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs
The Hobart encounter deserves recognition because of the unusual circumstances surrounding India’s chase.
Sri Lanka scored 320.
Dilshan remained unbeaten on 160.
Sangakkara contributed 105.
India needed to chase the target within 40 overs.
Sehwag and Tendulkar established an aggressive foundation.
Gambhir supported Kohli through a 115-run partnership.
Kohli scored an unbeaten 133 from 86 deliveries.
Raina contributed a rapid 40.
Malinga conceded 96.
India completed the chase in just 36.4 overs.
The result belongs alongside the greatest run chases in ODI history.
There is also a meaningful connection with Match 56, when Kohli scored 183 against Pakistan during the 2012 Asia Cup.
Both performances came within weeks of one another.
At Hobart, Kohli scored 133 from 86 balls.
At Mirpur, he made 183 from 148.
Both innings demonstrated his extraordinary ability to manage large ODI targets.
Both victories also carried the same unfortunate tournament consequence.
India won spectacularly but failed to reach the final.
The match also follows naturally from Match 57, when MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 58 helped India tie Sri Lanka at Adelaide.
That contest illustrated the difficulty of finishing even a modest chase.
At Hobart, India transformed a far greater target into a remarkably comfortable finish.
The contrast captures ODI cricket’s unpredictability.
India could not score the winning run against Sri Lanka at Adelaide despite chasing only 237.
Two weeks later, Kohli and his teammates chased 321 in just 36.4 overs.
For Sri Lanka, Hobart remains a painful reminder that even two centuries and a total above 300 cannot guarantee victory.
For India, it remains an extraordinary example of attacking batting under qualification pressure.
For Kohli, it marked another major step toward becoming one of the most accomplished run-chasers in ODI history.
The result ultimately failed to save India’s tournament.
But the brilliance of Kohli’s unbeaten 133 ensured that Hobart 2012 became one of the most unforgettable chases in the format’s history.
That is why the match deserves its place in The Sports Encounter’s A Celebration of 5000 ODIs.
5. Complete Match Scorecard
India vs Sri Lanka, 11th match, Commonwealth Bank Series, February 28, 2012. R = Runs, B = Balls, SR = Strike Rate, O = Overs, M = Maidens, Econ = Economy Rate.
Sri Lanka Innings: 320/4 in 50 Overs
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahela Jayawardene (c) | c Sehwag b Jadeja | 22 | 33 | 1 | 1 | 66.67 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | Not out | 160 | 165 | 11 | 3 | 96.97 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (wk) | b Praveen Kumar | 105 | 87 | 8 | 2 | 120.69 |
| Thisara Perera | Run out (Tendulkar/Praveen Kumar) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Angelo Mathews | c Ashwin b Zaheer Khan | 14 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 140.00 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | Not out | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Lahiru Thirimanne | Did not bat | |||||
| Farveez Maharoof | Did not bat | |||||
| Nuwan Kulasekara | Did not bat | |||||
| Lasith Malinga | Did not bat | |||||
| Rangana Herath | Did not bat | |||||
| Extras | 3 lb, 11 wides | 14 | ||||
| Total | 4 wickets, 50 overs | 320 |
Fall of wickets: 1-49 (Jayawardene, 11.6 overs), 2-249 (Sangakkara, 43.2), 3-279 (Perera, 45.3), 4-309 (Mathews, 48.5).
India Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaheer Khan | 9 | 0 | 61 | 1 | 6.78 |
| Praveen Kumar | 9 | 0 | 64 | 1 | 7.11 |
| Umesh Yadav | 8 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 7.00 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 9 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 4.78 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 10 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 5.20 |
| Virender Sehwag | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 8.00 |
| Suresh Raina | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 8.50 |
India Innings: 321/3 in 36.4 Overs
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virender Sehwag | c Dilshan b Maharoof | 30 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 187.50 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | lbw b Malinga | 39 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 130.00 |
| Gautam Gambhir | Run out (Chandimal/Mathews) | 63 | 64 | 4 | 0 | 98.44 |
| Virat Kohli | Not out | 133 | 86 | 16 | 2 | 154.65 |
| Suresh Raina | Not out | 40 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 166.67 |
| MS Dhoni (c, wk) | Did not bat | |||||
| Ravindra Jadeja | Did not bat | |||||
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Did not bat | |||||
| Praveen Kumar | Did not bat | |||||
| Zaheer Khan | Did not bat | |||||
| Umesh Yadav | Did not bat | |||||
| Extras | 4 b, 6 lb, 6 wides | 16 | ||||
| Total | 3 wickets, 36.4 overs | 321 |
Fall of wickets: 1-54 (Sehwag, 6.2 overs), 2-86 (Tendulkar, 9.2), 3-201 (Gambhir, 27.3).
Sri Lanka Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lasith Malinga | 7.4 | 0 | 96 | 1 | 12.52 |
| Nuwan Kulasekara | 8 | 0 | 71 | 0 | 8.88 |
| Farveez Maharoof | 3 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 7.00 |
| Thisara Perera | 7 | 0 | 59 | 0 | 8.43 |
| Angelo Mathews | 7 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 6.29 |
| Rangana Herath | 4 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 5.00 |
Result: India won by seven wickets with 80 balls remaining and secured a bonus point.
Player of the Match: Virat Kohli, 133 not out from 86 deliveries.Scorecard figures and dismissal details cross-checked against historical scorecard records. The scorecard arithmetic, overs and economy rates have been independently recalculated.
Cricbuzz
+2
6. Frequently Asked Questions
Who won India vs Sri Lanka at Hobart in 2012?
India defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets on February 28, 2012, chasing 321 in 36.4 overs.
How many runs did Virat Kohli score?
Kohli scored an unbeaten 133 from 86 deliveries, including 16 fours and two sixes.
Why did India need to chase 321 within 40 overs?
India needed a bonus-point victory to remain in contention for the Commonwealth Bank Series finals. Under the tournament rules, completing the target within 80% of the available overs earned the additional point.
Who was the Player of the Match?
Virat Kohli received the award for his unbeaten 133.
How many runs did Lasith Malinga concede?
Malinga conceded 96 runs from 7.4 overs, claiming one wicket.
How many runs did Dilshan and Sangakkara score?
Dilshan scored an unbeaten 160, while Sangakkara contributed 105. They shared a 200-run second-wicket partnership.
How quickly did India complete the chase?
India reached 321 for 3 after 36 overs and four deliveries, leaving 80 balls unused.
How many runs did Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina score?
Gambhir scored 63 from 64 balls, while Raina finished unbeaten on 40 from 24 deliveries.
Did India qualify for the Commonwealth Bank Series finals?
No. Although India earned a bonus-point victory at Hobart, Sri Lanka subsequently defeated Australia in the final round-robin match and qualified alongside Australia.
Who eventually won the 2012 Commonwealth Bank Series?
Australia defeated Sri Lanka 2-1 in the best-of-three finals.
