Dunith Wellalage's master plan to dismiss Rohit Sharma in nail-biting 1st IND vs SL ODI revealed

Sri Lanka, on Friday (August 2), played out a thrilling tie with Team India in the first match of the ongoing three-ODI series at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

The hosts were low on confidence after being whitewashed in the T20I series and needed a strong display in the first ODI to bounce back. However, things did not really start on a good note for the Islanders. Batting first, they were reeling at 101/5 at one stage and even the 200-run mark was looking like a distant dream. However, they managed to recover well and ended their innings on a challenging total of 230/8.

In reply, India started well with the bat. A swift fifty from captain Rohit Sharma put India in the driver's seat. He also shared a 75-run stand with his opening partner Shubman Gill. However, once Rohit was dismissed, India kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The middle-order batters got the starts but none of them could stay till the end.

In the end, India were bowled out for 230 runs as the match ended in a tie. The Men in Blue needed one run to win the game and had two wickets in hand. However, Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka dismissed Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh on successive deliveries to pull off a tie for his team.

One of Sri Lanka's best performers in the game was their 21-year-old spinner Dunith Wellalage. He impressed with both bat and ball and was adjudged the Player of the Match. With the bat, he scored an unbeaten 67 to take his team to a 200-plus total before dismissing both the India openers.

Dunith Wellalage on the victory:

Speaking after the game, Dunith Wellalage opened up on his bowling plans. The youngster said that the captain wanted him to bowl in the powerplay and he pretty much justified the decision by dismissing both the India openers to help his side claw its way back into the game.

"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.

After Wellalage's early strikes, Wanindu Hasaranga and Asalanka took charge with the ball. They picked up 3 wickets each to derail India's innings and eventually pull off 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 game of the three-match series is scheduled to take place on Sunday (August 4).