India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI: MS Dhoni leaves Rohit Sharma heartbroken – Watch

New Delhi: MS Dhoni relinquished limited-overs captaincy in January, but he still remains India's decision maker in the field. That's what fans witnessed on Sunday during the third and final ODI match against Sri Lanka, which the Men in Blue won by eight wickets, in Visakhapatnam. (AS IT HAPPENED/SCORECARD/MATCH REPORT)

After putting Sri Lanka to bat first, Rohit Sharma, who's standing in for Virat Kohli as the captain of India, needed Dhoni's advice in the 14th over in deciding what to do with a huge LBW shout off the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav against Sadeera Samarawickrama.

(Also read: India vs Sri Lanka: After first ODI series win, Rohit Sharma wants consistency abroad)

Samarawickrama, going for a flick, missed the ball, and it hit him on the front foot, below the roll. It seemed out, then captain Rohit pleaded to Dhoni, with his longing eyes, to go for the review. But a 'thinking' Dhoni took some time and walked towards Rohit, who's fielding at the first slip, and advised not to take the review.

Watch the incident here, courtesy BCCI:

And, how close was that? https://t.co/Jeo86jt6pH #BCCI — Cricket-atti (@cricketatti) December 17, 2017

Dhoni, who is known as the walking DRS, this time missed the trick by not going for the review. As the replays showed, the ball was hitting the target, and the umpire was wrong not to give it out.

Then, Samarawickrama was batting at 15. He went on to hit 42 runs and trouble Indian bowlers by stitching a century stand with Upul Tharanga.

(Also see: India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI: MS Dhoni's magical stumping stuns Upul Tharanga — Watch)

It was one rare blip from an ever reliable Dhoni.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan scored his 12th ODI hundred to chase down the 216-run target, and gave Rohit his first series win as a captain. In the process, India also registered their eighth successive ODI series win.

Earlier in the series, Lanka cantered to a seven-wicket win Dharamshala to take a 1-0 lead, but Rohit's third ODI double ton helped India level the series 1-1 in Mohali.