SL vs IND, 3rd ODI: Avishka Fernando and Dunith Wellalage star as Sri Lanka beat India in third ODI and clinch the series by 2-0 margin.
Brief Scores: SL - 248/7 (Avishka Fernando 96, Kusal Mendis 59, Riyan Parag 3/54) beat IND - 138 (Rohit Sharma 35, Washington Sundar 30, Dunith Wellalage 5/27) by 110 runs.
Player of the Match: Avishka Fernando 96 off 102
Player of the Series: Dunith Wellalage
Sri Lanka finally ended its 27-year wait to clinch a bilateral ODI series against India. The hosts beat India in the third and final ODI by a huge margin of 110 runs to win the three-match series by 2-0. Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis's stunning innings and Dunith Wellalage's five-wicket haul led Sri Lanka to a historic win.
Sri Lanka put on a competitive total despite Riyan Parag’s three-fer
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first in the third and final ODI of the series against India in Colombo. Their openers Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando, played solid cricket at the start of the innings, bringing up their fourth fifty partnership in ODIs. Sri Lanka, aided by Fernando's composed 96 and Kusal Mendis' well-compiled 59, managed to achieve a fightable total at the end of the innings on a challenging batting surface.
For India, Riyan Parag took 3 for 54 on his ODI debut, but Sri Lanka still managed to post 248 for 7. The young spinner trapped Avishka in front of the wicket with a leg-break. It took India 20 overs but they finally broke through, with Axar Patel dismissing Pathum Nissanka for a brilliant 45 as Sri Lanka lost their first wicket. Kusal Mendis also played a helpful knock till the end of the innings. Besides Parag, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav clinched one wicket each for India.
Read More: SL vs IND, 2nd ODI, 2024: No. 7 ranked Sri Lanka better no. 1 ranked India; go 1-0 up in series
India once again suffered a batting collapse while chasing
Chasing a target of 249, India once again began well but crumbled against Sri Lankan spinners as Dunith Wellalage (5.1-0-27-5) led the attack for the island nation with a fine spell. India were bowled out for 138 in 26.1 overs, with skipper Rohit Sharma (35) and Washington Sundar (30) waging lone battles. A dismal batting performance by the Indian batters throughout this series led them down. Apart from Rohit, the star-studded line-up failed miserably to chase the below 250 targets. It has been a disappointing start to India's preparations for the Champions Trophy.
Sri Lanka spinner Dunith Wellalage stuns the Indian camp by picking big wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He claimed Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer wickets in an over as India witnesses an embarrassing collapse. Wellalage finishes the game with an outstanding five-wicket haul and emerges as the standout player of this series. Asitha Fernando bowls a lovely spell up top as well, and Maheesh Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay chip in with a couple of wickets.
Statistical Highlights from SL vs IND, 3rd ODI
● Riyan Parag made his ODI debut.
● Riyan Parag took a three-fer (3-54) on his ODI debut.
● Since January 1, 2014, leg break bowlers have the best average at R Premadasa Stadium, clocking at close to 29 runs per wicket.
● Sri Lanka has been unbeaten at home in bilateral ODI series since India beat them in 2021.
What’s Next
India will play a two-match home Test series against Bangladesh. The first match is scheduled for 19 September 2024 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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