SOCIAL MEDIA CRITICS SILENCED
By Srian Obeyesekere
Young all-rounder Dunith Wellalage yesterday destroyed India in just 5.1 overs by a magical 5 for 27 bout of brilliant leg spin as Sri Lanka did it in style to bringing down India, the No.1 ODI team to a history making 2-0 series euphoria after 27 years under new captain Charith Asalanka to shedding a bad past to the former world champions reclaiming its ODI status as India’s batting invincibility was brought down from that mighty pedestal in next to no time crashing to 138 off just 26.1 overs chasing 249 in a resounding 110-run triumph in the third and final ODI before a jubilating capacity home crowd to silencing vociferous social critics last night at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
By just one stroke, the new look Lankans thus silenced bearing down critics, particularly wicked social media brick batters who had written off the country’s cricketers, as for once India’s top gear batting machine fronted by skipper Rohit Sharma buckled on a track that progressively slowed down by some indiscriminate shot making that was triggered by Subman Gill blindly rushing down the wicket to fast man Asitha Fernando to losing his stumps while Sharma himself charged down at Wellalage in like manner to be undone by the sharp turn generated by the leggy to mistiming to be caught behind by wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis. India’s chase began with the thunder of Sharma smashing Fernando’s first over of the innings for 6, 4, 4, 4, had in a flash been brought to nought by the Lankans as the score dipped to 53 for 2 after 7.1 overs, and when Rishabh Pant was stumped by Mendis off Maheesh Theekshana, who replaced Akila Dananajaya for yesterday’s game making it 63 for 3 after 9.2, and India’s center piece Virat Kohli who was their last hope lunged and was beaten by the turn plumb leg before wicket to Wellalage for his third like manner disappointing run, it was good as over for the Indians reeling on 71 for 4 just past the halfway mark of 10.5 overs.
The rest was a formality as India crashed to 138 with Wellalage going on to claim three more wickets including the important twosome of Axar Patel bowled for 2, and trapping Shreyas Iyer leg before for 8 as the 21-year-old proved to be India’s bogey man to a Player of the Series high.
Jeffrey Vandersay, hero of the previous game, took 2 for 34.
Sri Lanka’s victory was set up by a Player of the Match 96 by Avishka Fernando off 102 balls hitting 9 boundaries and 2 sixes, but it was unfortunate the opener once again failed to cross the 90’s to w well deserved magical three figure mark that has beset him before when he was trapped leg before wicket by Riyan Parag.
Batting first, Sri Lanka posted a handsome 248 for 7 in the 50 overs on an easing surface before bright sunshine with the top three clicking. Pathum Nissanka 45 off 65 with 5 boundaries and 2 sixes in posting 89 together with Avishka Fernando for the first wicket off 19.5 overs was spot on followed by the 82 for the next wicket off 94 between Fernando and Kusal Mendis who performed a truly praiseworthy center piece innings of 59 off 82 content with just the 4 boundaries in going the very stretch falling in the fourth over of penultimate over of the innings. Skipper Charith Asalanka 10 and Sadeera Samarawickrama 0 were disappointments before Kamindu Mendis as in the previous game played a scorcher undefeated on 23 off 19 hitting a six.
CHIEF SCORES:
Sri Lanka 248/7 (50 Overs) (Avishka Fernando 96, Kusal Mendis 59, Pathum Nissanka 45, Kamindu Mendis n.o. 23, Maheesh Theekshana n.o. 3, Riyan Parag 3/54, Washington Sundar 1/29, Kuldeep Yadav 1/36, Shivam Dube 1/41, Mohammad Siraj 1/78)
India 138 (26.1 Overs) (Rohit Sharma 35, Virat Kohli 20, Washington Sundar 30, Riyan Parag 15, Dunith Wellalage 5/27, Jeffrey Vandersay 2/34, Maheesh Theekshana 2/45, Asitha Fernando 1/29)
