In a splendid showcase of cricket, Sri Lanka triumphed over India with a 2-0 series victory in the 50-over format, breaking a 27-year drought since their last series win against the neighbors in 1997. The pivotal third and final One Day International (ODI) saw India flounder under lights, once again struggling to chase a target as they fell short by 110 runs, bringing forth the bitter reminder of their Achilles’ heel—chasing scores under pressure.
Sri Lanka, buoyed by their impressive performances in the earlier games, elected to bat first after winning the crucial toss. The visitors set a formidable target of 248, with Avishka Fernando leading the charge by narrowly missing a century, scoring an astounding 96 runs. It wasn’t just Fernando’s innings but the strong opening partnership that laid the groundwork for Sri Lanka’s competitive total. Pathum Nissanka and Fernando combined for an 89-run stand that deflated the Indian bowling attack early on.
Nissanka’s aggression was noticeable from the outset, slamming four boundaries in just the first two overs bowled by Mohammed Siraj, India’s solitary frontline pacer. This initial onslaught forced India to rethink their tactics quickly. Axar Patel provided temporary respite by dismissing Nissanka following a mistimed slog-sweep that broke the opening partnership. However, Fernando’s resilience showed as he constructed another steady half-century off 65 balls, countering the Indian spinners with finesse. Despite a slow start against the pacers, Fernando adapted to the conditions and showcased an array of shots before falling short of his century due to a leg break from debutant Riyan Parag.
Parag, while new to the format, made an immediate impact by dismissing the crucial wicket of Charith Asalanka. He played a critical role in stemming the Sri Lankan runs during the middle overs, ending with three wickets, including that of Wellalage. India was able to claw back some control but faltered in the death overs, with Kusal Mendis accelerating the score. Mendis’ 59 off 77 balls was instrumental in adding 31 runs in the final three overs, giving Sri Lanka a strong finish at 248/7.
India’s chase wobbled from the start, despite a brisk start by Rohit Sharma. Sharma’s aggressive approach yielded 35 quick runs before the Indian batting line-up faltered against the relentless spin attack.
. Virat Kohli’s continuing poor form added to India’s woes, culminating in his lowest-ever performance in a bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka. The pitch’s dry and abrasive nature further compounded India’s struggles as they lost six wickets within the first 13 overs.
The standout bowler for Sri Lanka was Dunith Wellalage, who proved to be a nemesis for Indian batsmen with his left-arm orthodox spin. Wellalage managed to claim four of the first six Indian wickets, dismantling the chase. His clever bowling outwitted Rohit Sharma with an away-spinning delivery and soon trapped Kohli in front with an arm ball. The duo of Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer failed to provide any resistance as they too fell prey to Wellalage in his successive overs.
The middle order saw the inclusion of debutant Riyan Parag, hoping to fortify India’s batting in place of a pacer. However, the strategy didn’t pay off as Parag was bowled by Jeffrey Vandersay after failing to read a leg break. Similarly, Rishabh Pant, replacing KL Rahul, couldn’t alter the fate for India, who were plagued by mistakes and misreads throughout.
Wellalage continued his demolition act, adding Kuldeep Yadav to his tally and completing a five-wicket haul, his second such performance against India in bilateral series, a record achievement. India’s innings capitulated for a mere 138 runs in just 26.1 overs, with nine wickets falling to spin, echoing their earlier matches’ struggles.
Sri Lanka’s remarkable series win not only underscores their resurgence in the ODI format following their failure to qualify for the upcoming Champions Trophy but also marks their first back-to-back ODI wins over India since August 2010. This series has highlighted significant areas of concern for India, particularly their vulnerability under chasing pressure and against proficient spin bowling.
As the dust settles, Sri Lanka celebrates a historic victory while India heads back to the drawing board, striving to rectify critical gaps in their ODI strategy.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 248/7 (Fernando 96, Mendis 59, Nissanka 45; Parag 3-54) defeated India 138 in 26.1 overs (Rohit 35; Wellalage 5-27, Vandersay 2-34) by 110 runs.