On a slow, dry Khettarama wicket, India’s spinners flourished, restricting Sri Lanka to 230 for 8 in the opening match of the ODI series. Due to half-centuries from opener Pathum Nissanka and all-arounder Dunith Wellalage, Sri Lanka was able to reach 230 for 8.
Claiming combined figures of 29-1-112-4, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar—who was selected ahead of Riyan Parag—often generated puffs of dust from the surface that was also utilised for last month’s LPL Qualifier 2.
Axar’s opening over of spin served as a premonition of the play that was to come. Axar immediately found grip and turn as he threw his opening ball up outside, and Nissanka checked his drive to additional cover. Then, just like Rangana Herath used to do here, Axar managed to kick up and rag away his fifth ball past the outer edge. Axar threw the ball up into Arshdeep Singh’s footmarks instead of looking for the magic ball because the surface gave the spinners ample of grip. Axar struck in his sixth over, having Sadeera Samarawickrama chip a catch to short cover for eight off eighteen balls, after applying pressure with figures of 5-0-11-0.
Then, with his cunning variations, Kuldeep increased the pressure even more on Sri Lanka’s middle order. Following a few balls that he had ripped past Charith Asalanka’s outside edge, he had the skipper of Sri Lanka directing his stock ball straight to Rohit Sharma at first slip for 14 off 21 balls. If Rohit hadn’t dropped Wanindu Hasaranga at slip, Kuldeep may have also dismissed him on eight.
Washington, the third spinner for India, did not enter the assault until the twenty-first over. But he settled into a rhythm almost away, using a hard-spun offbreak to beat Asalanka’s outside edge. In the 27th over, Washington then overcame Nissanka’s inside edge, lbw him for 56 off 75 balls.
Though Wellalage was struck for 20 off 21 balls, he countered Washington’s offspin, moving up to No.
7 before Hasaranga. Even more creatively, he rampaged Mohammed Siraj clean of deep third for fours and reverse-swept Washington over the two slips. Wellalage displayed glimmers of his power when Arshdeep pitched one in his arc, too, clearing Siraj at broad long range. He then reached his first fifty in an ODI, off 59 balls.
Nissanka’s fifty was more composed once Sri Lanka decided to bat. He only went on the attack when Siraj and Arshdeep made mistakes with their lines and lengths, showing appreciation for the good balls. He took 67 balls to get his half-century, and just when it appeared he may go higher, he was dismissed by Washington. If Siraj hadn’t missed a challenging opportunity at fine leg during the powerplay, India might have ended his innings at 20.
The bottom order then mounted a comeback under Wellalage, who forged stands of 41 with Janith Liyanage, 36 with Hasaranga, and 46 with Akila Dananjaya, who was chosen before Maheesh Theekshana.
If Sri Lanka is to defend their total, Hasaranga, Dananjaya, and Wellalage will be asked to do more with the ball.
Also Read: ‘IPL wala rule hai kya?’- KL Rahul to Rohit Sharma for reviewing wide during the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka
India employed seven bowling options in all, including Shubman Gill, who was bowled over for just the second time in his ODI career. After having to wait over four years for his second ODI, all-rounder Shivam Dube claimed his maiden wicket in the format, dismissing Kusal Mendis for 14 runs off of 31 balls with a delivery that nipped away and struck his back pad like a fast legcutter.
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