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On Friday (August 2), Sri Lanka and Team India fought out a dramatic tie in the first ODI of their three-match series at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Sri Lanka, coming off a clean sweep in the T20I series, were eager to turn their fortunes around with a strong showing in the ODI opener. Their start, however, was rocky; batting first, they found themselves in trouble at 101/5, and reaching 200 runs seemed uncertain. Yet, they staged a commendable recovery, finishing their innings with a competitive total of 230/8.
India, in response, began their chase positively. Captain Rohit Sharma’s brisk fifty put them in control, and his 75-run partnership with Shubman Gill seemed to put India in a strong position. However, once Rohit was out, India began losing wickets consistently. Despite promising starts from the middle order, no one was able to see the innings through to the end.
In a nail-biting finish, India was bowled out for 230, resulting in a tie. They were just one run away from victory with two wickets in hand when Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka took consecutive wickets, dismissing Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh to secure the tie for his team.
Dunith Wellalage, the 21-year-old spinner from Sri Lanka, was a standout performer. He was named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution, scoring an unbeaten 67 and taking crucial wickets of the Indian openers.
Dunith Wellalage on the victory
After the match, Dunith Wellalage discussed his bowling strategy. The young spinner revealed that the captain had specifically asked him to bowl during the powerplay. Wellalage lived up to the expectation by taking out both Indian openers, playing a crucial role in bringing his team back into the contest.
“We knew that the wicket was spinning. So Charith Asalanka had told me that I would be bowling in the powerplay. I had good support from the wicket too,” Dunith Wellalage was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“With Rohit at the time, I was trying just to bowl wicket-to-wicket, because I knew how much assistance there was from the pitch,” he added.
Following Wellalage’s early breakthroughs, Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka took over the bowling duties. Both bowlers claimed 3 wickets each, effectively disrupting India’s innings and contributing significantly to securing the tie.
“When we bowled, the game changed with the wickets that Wanindu aiya and Charith aiya took. They took wickets at very difficult times, and that’s how we were able to at least keep it to this score. If you take Axar Patel and KL Rahul, these are batters who have finished a lot of matches.
“At that time we needed to get the bowlers in, and when Charith aiya got Axar out and Wanindu aiya got KL Rahul out. It was important to stay calm at that stage, and the match turned our way,” said Wellalage.
The second ODI of the three-match series is set to be held on Sunday, August 4.
