Sri Lanka creates history – beat India in ODI series after 27 years

Sri Lanka Captain Charith Asalanka receives the ODI trophy for winning the series against India from Sports Minister Harin Fernando in the presence of Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva.

 Player of the Series Dunith Wellalage

Dunith Wellalage rejoices taking the wicket of Virat Kohli

Kusal Mendis and Asitha Fernando during their 82-run partnership

Player of the Match Asitha Fernando

The Sri Lanka team celebrates their ODI series win

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Give Asian neighbours a proper drubbing with 110-run win in 3rd ODI

History was created at the famous R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium yesterday in front of a 27,000 crowd when Sri Lanka clinched a famous victory beating India by 110 runs in the third and final ODI to take the three-match series 2-0 (1 tie) and win a bilateral contest between the two sides in 27 years.

The last occasion Sri Lanka won a bilateral ODI series against India was in 1997 when they swept to a 3-0 win under the leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga. On that occasion Sanath Jayasuriya was the Player of the Series scoring 210 runs and taking 5 wickets. Jayasuriya used to torment India as a player and now he has tormented them as a coach. This Sri Lanka team that was down and out after they lost the T20I series to India 3-0 seems to have risen from the dead under his coaching.

India came to this game knowing it would be a trial by spin going by the trend in the first two ODIs and whatever plans they had in mind to counteract it failed miserably as they were bundled out for 138 off 26.1 overs in reply to Sri Lanka’s total of 248-7.

Indian Captain Rohit Sharma once again provided his side with a flying start racing to 35 off 20 balls, but once he was dismissed at 53 in the eighth over the procession began. India’s batsmen had no clue against the Lankan spinners especially left-armer Dunith Wellalage who picked up the key wickets of Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel in his first spell to reduce India to 82-6 and came back to complete the demolition job taking the final wicket of Kuldeep Yadav for his second five-fer in this format (5/27) against India. He took 5/40 at the same venue in 2023. With his contribution of 107 runs and 7 wickets Wellalage took the Player of the Series award.

The highest partnership for India came between Washington Sundar (30 off 25 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes) and Kuldeep (6 off 30) when they added 37 off 51 balls for the ninth wicket delaying the inevitable.

Sri Lanka hit up the highest total in the series when they scored 248-7. They kept on improving with each game scoring 230-8 in the first, and 240-9 in the second. On a new surface Sri Lanka’s Captain Charith Asalanka won the toss for the third consecutive time in the series and chose to bat first. It seemed like the best pitch to bat on although there were cracks on the surface. The Indian spinners didn›t get much assistance for the good part of 20-30 overs which allowed Sri Lanka›s top three batsmen to set the innings up, but after that the pitch began to assist spin and Sri Lanka lost six wickets for 77.

Pathum Nissanka (45 off 65 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) and Avishka Fernando added 89 of 119 balls for the opening wicket. Both batsmen fell short of their milestones, Nissanka for his fifty and Fernando for his hundred. Producing his best form of the series Fernando hit 9 fours and 2 sixes in 102-ball knock for 96 that brought him the Player of the Match award.  

One drop batter Kusal Mendis struggled to find his tempo but he stuck around after Fernando’s dismissal and scored vital runs towards the fag end of the innings making 59 off 82 balls with 4 fours. Spinner Riyan Prayag took three wickets on his debut.