Colombo, Aug 7 2024-
Left-arm spin all-rounder Dunith Wellalage spun a vicious web around the Indian batting line-up and took Sri Lanka to a huge 110-run win in the third ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The result also means Sri Lanka got their first bilateral ODI series win over India since August 1997.
After half-centuries by Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis propelled Sri Lanka to reach 248/7, the highest total of this series, the Indian batting line-up was again found wanting in their plans and judgement in playing against spinners. It propelled Wellalage to pick 5-27 as India crumbled yet again to be bowled out for just 138 in 26.1 overs, with only four batters reaching double figures.
Rohit Sharma again provided a flying start to India by thumping six boundaries in the first four overs, five of which came against Maheesh Theekshana. Asitha Fernando got the first breakthrough for Sri Lanka when Shubman Gill tried to break the shackles by stepping out, but missed a skiddy delivery keeping low and saw his off-stump being rattled.
India’s batting implosion began when Rohit went for the slog-sweep but managed to get an outside edge caught by the keeper, giving Wellalage his first wicket. Theekshana joined the wicket-takers list when he enticed Rishabh Pant to come out against a flighted delivery and got it to spin past his bat, with the keeper completing a quick stumping.
Wellalage’s stellar show continued when Virat Kohli came forward to play for spin, but was trapped lbw, making it a hat-trick of dismissals for the batter spinners. He came back to castle Axar Patel with a sharp turning-in delivery and trapped Shreyas Iyer lbw on backfoot, as India burnt all of its reviews.
India slipped further when Riyan Parag suffered a brain fade — shouldering arms to a leg-break delivery from Jeffrey Vandersay, which instead of going away, crashed into the stumps. The leg-spinner struck again in his next over when Shivam Dube danced down the pitch for a slog-sweep but was hit on the back pad in front of stumps to be trapped lbw.
Washington tried to delay the inevitable by hitting five delightful boundaries in his 25-ball 30. But he holed out to long-off against Theekshana and Wellalage completed his five-for by trapping Kuldeep Yadav lbw to close out the game and kickstart jubilant scenes amongst the packed crowd in the stadium.
Earlier, after electing to bat first on a dry pitch, captain Charith Asalanka had wished to see a century coming from any of his batters. Avishka almost fulfilled that wish by making a fluent 96 off 102 balls, laced with nine fours and two sixes. But he fell four runs short of a century to become an impressive Riyan’s first ODI wicket.
With Riyan picking two more wickets by mixing his off-break and leg-break deliveries well, India clawed back to reduce Sri Lanka to 199/6 in 43.3 overs. But Mendis stepped up by hitting four boundaries in his 82-ball 53 at the fag end of the innings, as Sri Lanka hit 31 runs in the last three overs.
In-form Pathum Nissanka was dazzling from the word go, hitting Mohammed Siraj for four boundaries in the first three overs. Avishka joined in by taking two fours off him, and one against part-time pacer Shivam Dube. Nissanka continued to impress by slog-sweeping Axar for two sixes and a four, followed by Avishka glancing and sweeping off Kuldeep for boundaries.
But Axar broke the 89-run opening stand as Nissanka went for the slog-sweep again, but this time gave a top edge to the keeper. Avishka reached his fifty by steering Axar for four and welcomed Siraj by edging him for four, before pulling him twice for sixes. Two more boundaries got him into the 90s, but a century eluded Avishka as he was trapped lbw by a leg-break from Riyan, leaving him distraught.
From there, Sri Lanka suffered a wobble as Riyan got a ball to straighten in and trap Asalanka lbw, followed by Siraj trapping Sadeera Samawickrama lbw with a yorker. Janith Liyanage was inside-edged to his stumps off Washington, while Riyan got a flighted delivery to straighten in and hit h Wellalage’s top of off-stump.
Mendis slammed a couple of boundaries at the fag end to get his fifty and take Sri Lanka to a competitive total, with the hope that their spinners will do enough to keep India away from chasing it down. Well, it did go that way as Wellalage ensured Sri Lanka will have a long night of ecstatic celebrations.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 248/7 in 50 overs (Avishka Fernando 96, Kusal Mendis 59; Riyan Parag 3-54, Washington Sundar 1-29) beat India 138 all out in 26.1 overs (Rohit Sharma 35, Washington Sundar 30; Dunith Wellalage 5-27, Jeffrey Vandersay 2-34) by 110 runs (Agency)
