Wellalage five-for sends India crashing to 2-0 defeat
The Sri Lankan cricket team created history in the 3rd ODI as they defeated India in a bilateral ODI series after 27 years. The hosts, led by Charith Asalanka, defeated a star-studded Team India by 110 runs in the third ODI match at Colombo. They secured the 3-match series by 2-0 with the win, as the first match resulted in a tie.
After being put to bowl, the Indian bowling line-up, led by debutant Riyan Parag, kept chipping regularly to restrict Sri Lanka to 248/7. Riyan Parag picked 3 wickets, while Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav clinched one wicket each. Avishka Fernando scored 96 off 102 balls for Sri Lanka, while Kusal Mendis (59) and Pathum Nissanka (45) made notable contributions with the bat.
While the target of 249 didn’t look big, it turned out to be a mountain chase for the visitors as they struggled against the spin. India were all-out for 138 runs in just 26.1 overs. Dunith Wellalage was the pick of the bowlers, claiming a 5-fer. He was well supported by Maheesh Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay who took 2 wickets each. For India, skipper Rohit Sharma scored 35 off 20 balls, and Washington Sundar hit 30 off 25 deliveries.
Records Galore at Colombo
It was milestones galore at Colombo on Wednesday. Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage became the first spinner to take five wickets in an ODI against India on more than one occasion. He previously claimed a 5-fer (5/40 in Colombo) in 2023. For India, it was a series to forget as they lost 27 wickets to spin which is the most by any team in a bilateral ODI series. Notably, this is the first time since 1997 that India has failed to win an ODI series in Sri Lanka.
What Next for India and Sri Lanka?
After an abysmal performance in the ODI series, India’s next challenge is against Bangladesh at home scheduled from 19th September where the Men in Blue will play Two test matches and 3 T20Is. Sri Lanka will next feature in the three-match test series against England starting on 21st August. For both teams, the upcoming test series are crucial as each match result counts for the World Test Championship.
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