Left-arm spin all-rounder Dunith Wellalage produced a magical spell against the Indian batsmen, ensuring Sri Lanka an emphatic 110-runs victory in the third and final ODI at R. Premadasa on Wednesday. Today's win ensured Sri Lanka a first bilateral series win over India in ODIs since August 1997.
It was Sri Lanka posting a challenging target after their highest total of the series, 248/7, on the back of half-centuries from Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis. But once again, the Indian batsmen had no answer to the spinning threat as Wellalage returned magical figures of 5-27. Only four Indian batsmen made it to double figures as they were bowled out for the lowest total of the series—138 in 26.1 overs.
Rohit Sharma had given India a good start with six boundaries in the first four overs before the first five of them had come off Maheesh Theekshana. Something sensational from Sri Lanka had happened just after that when Asitha Fernando had sent Shubman Gill down, attacking but missing a low delivery to see the off-stump topple.
India's middle-order collapse started as Rohit tried a slog-sweep but only nicked one to the keeper to present his wicket to Wellalage. Before long, wickets were falling—Rishabh Pant couldn't handle yet another scrambled seam delivery from Theekshana and was stumped quite quickly.
The revelation of the extraordinary game by Wellalage continued as he dismissed Virat Kohli in front of the wicket, thereby completing a hat-trick of dismissals for spin bowlers. He then picked the wickets of Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer, both lbw, reducing India's reviews to zero.
The leg-break from Jeffrey Vandersay hit the stumps, but in a brain-fade moment, Riyan Parag left it. Vandersay struck on the very next ball, picking up the wicket of Shivam Dube lbw.
Washington Sundar attempted to delay the inevitable with a whirlwind 25-ball 30, laced with five boundaries, before holing out to long-off Theekshana for Wellalage, in a composed manner, to clean up the tail and seal a five-for, trapping Kuldeep Yadav lbw and sending the Sri Lankan camp into jubilation.
Earlier, having sent into bat on a dry pitch, Sri Lanka targeted a century from their batters. Avishka Fernando almost made it with a fluent 96 off 102 balls that was ably decorated with nine fours and two sixes before perishing to Riyan Parag, four short of a ton.
Riyan Parag chipped in with a couple of wickets from his different types of off-break and leg-break deliveries besides, in the process, making it 199/6 in 43.3 overs for Sri Lanka. But Mendis would play a vital knock here, getting a late 53 off 82 balls in the process of assisting Sri Lanka to 31 runs in the latter three overs.
Pathum Nissanka hammered six boundaries off Mohammed Siraj and then took two sixes off Axar Patel, the all-rounder who came in to the side for Akila, to provide that early burst. Avishka Fernando kept pace with power shots for long on one end, going past 50, and almost towards 100 before the leg-break from Riyan got past his defences.
The Lankan innings did face a brief wuddle when Riyan Parag got rid of Charith Asalanka while Siraj removed Sadeera Samawickrama. Handed to follow were Janith Liyanage and Wellalage before Mendis' late boundaries ensured a competitive total and a long night of celebration for Sri Lankan fans.
Summary of Scores:
- Sri Lanka: 248/7 in 50 overs (Avishka Fernando 96, Kusal Mendis 59; Riyan Parag 3-54, Washington Sundar 1-29)
INDIA: 138 all out in 26.1 overs (Rohit Sharma 35, Washington Sundar 30; 5-27 Dunith Wellalage, 2-34 Jeffrey Vandersay).
