In a remarkable turn of events, Sri Lanka clinched a 2-0 series win against India in the third and final ODI, with a commanding 110-run victory. This achievement marks Sri Lanka’s first series win over India in the 50-over format since 1997. It is a particularly significant milestone for Sri Lanka, especially on the heels of their failure to qualify for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
The decisive match saw India falter while chasing under the lights, underscoring once again their vulnerability in such conditions. Sri Lanka’s total of 248, bolstered by Avishka Fernando’s crucial 96 runs, proved too high a target for India to chase down. India’s struggles were evident from the outset, as they had already succumbed to targets of 231 and 241 in the preceding ODI matches. Facing the highest target yet on a dry, abrasive pitch only added to their woes.
Rohit Sharma provided India with a promising start; however, the troubles began as Virat Kohli suffered yet another low score, ending with his worst-ever performance in a bilateral series against Sri Lanka. This poor form contributed to India’s rapid collapse against the spin and skidding deliveries, losing six wickets within the first 13 overs.
Dunith Wellalage emerged as a key figure for Sri Lanka with his left-arm orthodox spin, taking four of the initial six wickets to fall. Following Shubman Gill’s dismissal by Asitha Fernando, Wellalage took center stage. He first deceived Rohit Sharma with an away-spinning delivery and then trapped Kohli in front with an arm-ball. Wellalage continued his onslaught in the next over, claiming the wickets of Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer, the latter pinned leg-before-wicket.
By the end of the series, India had lost a staggering 24 wickets to spin, which increased to 27—the highest number of wickets lost by a team to spin in a bilateral ODI series consisting of up to three matches. India’s disappointing score of 138 in just 26.1 overs bore testament to their failure against spin, with nine wickets falling to spin in the final ODI alone. Wellalage’s five-for stood out, making him the first spinner to take a five-wicket haul against India on more than one occasion.
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As the Indian batting line-up crumbled to 92/6, hopes now rested on Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag. Parag, making his ODI debut to bolster the middle order at the expense of pacer Arshdeep Singh, managed to pick three wickets but failed to deliver with the bat, bowled by Jeffrey Vandersay after misjudging a legbreak. Another key change for India was bringing in left-handed batsman Rishabh Pant in place of KL Rahul, though this alteration had little effect on the ultimate outcome.
Wellalage’s spell continued to spell doom for India as he bagged his fifth wicket by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav, closing India’s innings at a paltry 138. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka had set up their innings with a sturdy foundation laid by opening batsmen Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando. Their partnership of 89 runs gave Sri Lanka a solid platform, with Nissanka assuming the role of the initial aggressor by hitting four boundaries in the first few overs bowled by India’s sole frontline pacer, Mohammed Siraj.
Axar Patel provided India with a breakthrough by dismissing Nissanka through a top-edged slog-sweep in the 20th over. However, Sri Lanka continued with another strong partnership, driven by Fernando, who reached his half-century off 65 balls, showcasing his skills against the spinners particularly after a hesitant start against the pacers. Fernando appeared poised for a well-deserved century but was ultimately dismissed by Parag’s full legbreak, marking Parag’s first ODI wicket.
This dismissal triggered a collapse, with Sri Lanka plummeting from 171/1 to 199/6 as Indian bowlers Washington Sundar and Siraj contributed crucial wickets. Parag ended up with three wickets, reinforcing his utility even as Sri Lanka slipped in the middle overs. Nevertheless, Kusal Mendis stepped up during the closing overs, achieving a fifty off 77 balls and steering Sri Lanka to add 31 runs in the last three overs—securing a strong total on a challenging pitch.
In the end, Sri Lanka’s total proved more than sufficient, leading to a historic series win and their first back-to-back ODI victories over India since August 2010. The win not only highlighted the team’s resurgence but also underlined India’s ongoing struggles with chasing under lights.
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.