Hasaranga destroys Zimbabwe in come back game

Wanindu Hasaranga who ran through the Zimbabwe batting with seven wickets, scalps the captain Craig Ervine for a duck

Kusal Mendis who scored his first fifty as captain drives for runs  

• Sri Lanka take 3-match ODI series 2-0

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga wreaked havoc in his come back to international cricket after injury when he ran through the Zimbabwe batting taking a career best 7/19 to bowl Sri Lanka to a comprehensive eight-wicket win (on DLS method) in the third and final ODI played at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium yesterday. The win gave Sri Lanka the three-match series 2-0 (with one no-result).

The Zimbabweans were all at sea against Hasaranga’s leg-spin and googly deliveries succumbing to 96 all out in a rain affected match reduced to 27 overs a side.

Sri Lanka knocked the runs off in 16.4 overs, with skipper Kusal Mendis going onto make an undefeated 66 off 51 balls (9 fours, 1 six) – his first fifty as captain.

Hasaranga’s figures were the best in ODIs at this venue surpassing Angelo Mathews’ 6/20 against India in 2009. It was also the second best by a Sri Lankan bowler in ODIs after Chaminda Vaas’ 8/19 against Zimbabwe at the SSC in 2001, and the fifth-best figures overall in all ODIs.    

Zimbabwe who won the toss and batted first could not get any momentum going in their innings with rain causing two stoppages at 40/0 and then again at 48/3. They began well with the openers posting 43 in nine overs, but after the first rain break of 132 minutes, they lost three quick wickets to Hasaranga, and after a second stoppage of 146 minutes, they simply didn’t have any drive and were bowled out for a paltry total.

Hasaranga coming for his first bowl in five months after undergoing surgery to a hamstring injury which he suffered in the LPL, was on the money right from the very first over he bowled. He had opener Takudzwanashe Kaitano top edging a sweep to short fine-leg’s hands for 17, and then followed it up with a double strike in his second over to send back the other opener Joylord Gumbie for 29 and Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine for a duck – both becoming lbw victims.

The hapless Zimbabwean batsmen simply had no answers against the wily spinner, and it was a display of abject surrender as they came and went in procession.

Sikander Raza was dismissed in an unusual manner when he overbalanced going for a sweep and was given out stumped when the ball ricocheted off wicket-keeper Mendis’ pads onto the stumps.

The presence of Hasaranga made a vast difference to the Sri Lankan side. Hasaranga proved quite a handful in the ICC World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe finishing as the top wicket-taker with 22 wickets at a cost of 12.99 from seven matches, and was largely instrumental in helping his country come through the qualifiers unscathed and gain entry to the World Cup. He was badly missed in the Asia Cup as well as the World Cup.

Hasaranga took the Player of the Match award and Janith Liyanage received the Player of the Series award.

Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe next meet in a three-match T20I series starting on Sunday 14 January at the same venue.