Shikhar Dhawan, India, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won by three wickets [Image-Twitter]

A brilliant bowling performance by Pradeep Jayawickrama [3/59] and Akila Dananjaya[3/44] and half-centuries from Avishka Fernando [76] and Bhanuka Rajapaksa [655] has helped Sri Lanka break their 10-match ODI losing streak against India on home soil and claim 10 crucial Super League points in Colombo on Friday.

Defending an under-par total of 225 [DLD target of 227], India needed wickets in the first ten overs to give themselves a chance to stay in the contest. And, while they did got rid of Minod Bhanuka, the calculated onslaught by opener Avishka Fernando, who notched up his second half-century of the series, and the stylish Bhanuka Rajapaksa, backed up with some poor bowling and abysmal fielding by the visitors kept Sri Lanka in the driver’s seat in the final ODI.

Avishka Fernando once again displayed his skills to the hilt as he took the attack to the Indian seamers as well as spinners, serving as a bedrock of the Sri Lankan batting during the run-chase.

India got their first wicket in the form of stumper Bhanuka in the 6th over when the southpaw found Chetan Sakariya at square-leg to perfection. The dismissal gave Krishnappa Gowtham his maiden wicket in international cricket.

Krishnappa Gowtham,
Avishka Fernando [Image-Twitter]
However, lack of bowling depth and poor line and length by the likes of Navdeep Saini, Hardik Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham meant India was never able to apply any sort of pressure on Fernando and Rajapaksa.

What made matters worse was the inept catching that led to Rajapaksa get as many as three chances. Chetan Sakariya, Shikhar Dhawan, and Nitish Rana were the three culprits as the left-hander made optimal use of it rack up a brilliant half-century.

India, Sri Lanka
Chetan Sakariya, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw [Image-Twitter]
His luck, however, ran out as Krishnappa Gowtham completed a fine catch at backward square-leg to give Sakariya his maiden wicket. Sakariya then backed it up with a brilliant back-of-the-hand slower ball which proceeded to flummox Dhananjaya de Silva to the hilt.

Silva wasn’t even looking at the ball when the ball kissed his glove and lobbed up in the air. Sakariya completed an easy catch to give Sri Lanka back-to-back blows.

Fernando and Asalanka calmed the Sri Lankan nerves by stitching 43 runs in the next seven overs before Hardik Pandya dislodged the latter for 24. Rahul Chahar dismissed skipper Shanaka, who chipped the leggie straight to Pandey at cover, in the following over. Chahar could have had Mendis on the very next delivery but for Prithvi Shaw, who shelled it at Gully.

Chahar, however, continued to impress and he eventually dislodged Avishka Fernando by inducing an outside edge of the latters bat to claim his 2nd wicket. Shaw, this time, did not make a mistake.

He [3/54] claimed his 3rd wicket in the form of Chamika Karunaratne in a classical leg-spinner dismissal where he drew the batter before zipping the ball past his outside edge. Sanju Samson did the rest with a brilliant stumping.

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However, it was too little, too late for Team India as Ramesh Mendis and Akila Dananjaya took Sri Lanka past the finishing line in the 44th over.

 

 

India falter against spin as Akila Dananjaya and Praveen Jayawickrama run riot in the middle-overs

Earlier, Indian captain Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and he had no hesitation in opting to bat first.

Shikhar Dhawan got India off to a whirlwind start as he smashed Dhananjaya de Silva for three fours in the 2nd over.

But, a loose flashy drive outside the off-stump led to the southpaw’s downfall thanks to  Dushmanta Chameera in the very next over.

India, Sri Lanka
Shaw fell on 49 [Image-Twitter]
Prithvi Shaw and debutant Sanju Samson then proceeded to treat the fans with exquisite stroke play for the next 12 overs or so.

The talented pair accumulated as many as 74 runs for the 2nd wicket before Shaw (49) once again fell against the run-of-play as he got trapped in front in an attempt to flick the ball on the on-side.

Twitter Reacts As Sri Lanka End 10-Match Losing Streak Against India At Home By Claiming A Comfortable 3-Wicket Win
Samson fell for 46 [Image-Twitter]
Sanju Samson (46)  flattered to deceive again as he uppishly chipped Jayawickrama to the cover region, squandering yet another promising start.

Suryakumar Yadav survived an LBW scare off Jayawickrama on the first ball of the 23rd over when he missed an attempted slog sweep.

Yadav was given out by the on-field umpire, Kumar Dharmasena but he successfully challenged the review as the ball-tracking confirmed that the impact would have been outside the off-stump.

Sri Lanka, DRS
Jaywickrama dismissed Pandey and Pandya in quick succession [Image-Twitter]
Sri Lanka came out all guns blazing after the game resumed post the rain break.

On a surface that was gripping substantially, the spinners made merry. The left-arm orthodox Jayawickrama dismissed Manish Pandey and a dangerous-looking Hardik Pandya within a space of few overs.

Akila Dananjaya then joined the party big time as he dealt a body blow on the visitors by trapping a well-set Surya plumb in front of the wicket.

Dananjaya backed it up with wickets of the debutant duo of Nitish Rana and Krishnappa Goutham and while Navdeep Saini and Rahul Chahar did hang around to take the score to the 225-run mark, Karunaratne and Chameera knocked them over to restrict India to 227 in 43.1 overs.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

 

https://twitter.com/ShashankSatyam0/status/1418598201121071108?s=19

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