By Srian Obeyesekere
Leg spinner, Jeffrey Vandersay emerged from a groping darkness of just a 1-match ODI wilderness after 3-year limbo to rising as an injury replacement Player of the Match heartthrob 6 for 33 wrecker of a high riding India for 208 breaking the back of the Indian batting in an extraordinary removal of the top five like nine pins as underdogs Sri Lanka broke free from a long bashed 3-year long loss gloom on the back of the lower order young brigade of Kamindu Mendis 40 off 44 and Dunith Wellalage 39 off 35 seventh-wicket 72 partnership to bleeding Rohit Sharma’s men by 32 runs as they chased 241 to go 1-up as Vandersay followed it up, the sixth change bowler when the visitors were sitting pretty on 97 for no loss in turning the game on its head to the glee of a roaring capacity home fan base last night at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
The 34-year old Vandersay, typically showcasing that old wine runs strong in the art of spin bowling, was so unplayable that he torpedoed the top order Indian line-up of five into the third ball of the 14th delivery of the innings in extinguishing the high placed 97 tearing up of the hitherto Lankan attack as he removed the dangerous looking Indian captain whom he had caught by Pathum Nissanka for 64, and Shubman Gill held by Kusal Mendis for 35, Shivam Dube leg before wicket for 14 followed by the prize wicket of Virat Kohli 14 groping as in the previous game to missing and rapped plumb leg before wicket and Shreyas Iyer LBW for 7 as the Indians sunk to 135 for 5 in the space of 55 deliveries.
Indeed, the medium built fair complexioned Vandersay reached the height of in his second ODI appearance since December 28, 2015 when he debuted against New Zealand ran over the Indian batting in a brilliant bout of leg spin clean bowling K.L. Rahul for a second ball duck for his sixth wicket after Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka had caught and bowled Axar Patel for a defiant run a ball 44 hitting 4 boundaries and 2 over the top following India’s sudden decimation when Sharma went strong in a 44-ball scorcher powered by 4 over the top and 5 across.
Lankan Skipper Charith Asalanka was on song with 3 for 20 towards that victory.
Sri Lanka’s score of 240 largely belonged to the works of Wellalage, who once again batted like a young trojan following his 67 in the previous tied game when Sri Lanka looked sunk on 6 for 136 into the 5th delivery of the 36th over when skipper Charith Asalanka had gone for a fighting 25 off 42 hitting 3 calculated boundaries in lifting the side from 111 for 4 after 26.4 overs together with Kamindu Mendis at No. 9 who struck 4 boundaries in a 72 bonding that muscled the Lankan score to winning heights. Sri Lanka reached 111 for 4 after 26.4 when Sadeera Samarawickrama was removed by Axar Patel mistiming to the close in Virat Kohli for 14 off 31 as the Lankans fronted a threatening pace-spin Indian attack on a slow surface that made batting difficult. Right up Avishka Fernando scored a battling 40 off 62 inclusive of 5 boundaries in a second-wicket rescue act of 74 off 17 overs together with Kusal Mendis who made 30 off 42 after Pathum Nissanka had been removed first ball by Mohammad Siraj. It was to Mendis’ credit carrying the Lankan innings from 208 for 7 to the ultimate 240 with Akila Dananjaya contributing 15.
Washington Sundar was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3 for 30,
CHIEF SCORES: Sri Lanka 240/9 (50 Overs) RR:4.80 (Avishka Fernando 40, Kamindu Mendis 40, Dunith Wellalage 39, Kusal Mendis 30, Charith Asalanka 25, Sadeera Samarawickrama 14, Akila Dananjaya 15, Sadeera Samarawickrama 14, Janith Liyanage 12, Washington Sundar 3/30, Kuldeep Yadav 2/33, Axar Patel 1/38, Mohammad Siraj 1/43)
India 208 42.2 Overs RR: 4.91 (Rohit Sharma 64, Axar Patel 44, Shubman Gill 35, Washington Sundar 15, Virat Kohli 14,
Jeffrey Vandersay 6/33, Charith Asalanka 3/20)
Jeffrey Vandersay from 9-year hibernation to destroy India with 6/33 in historic win
By Srian Obeyesekere
Leg spinner, Jeffrey Vandersay emerged from a groping darkness of just a 1-match ODI wilderness after 9-year limbo to rising as an injury replacement Player of the Match heartthrob 6 for 33 wrecker of a high riding India for 208 breaking the back of the Indian batting in an extraordinary removal of the top five like nine pins as underdogs Sri Lanka broke free from a long bashed 3-year long loss gloom on the back of the lower order young brigade of Kamindu Mendis 40 off 44 and Dunith Wellalage 39 off 35 seventh-wicket 72 partnership to bleeding Rohit Sharma’s men by 32 runs as they chased 241 to go 1-up as Vandersay followed it up, the sixth change bowler when the visitors were sitting pretty on 97 for no loss in turning the game on its head to the glee of a roaring capacity home fan base last night at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
The 34-year old Vandersay, typically showcasing that old wine runs strong in the art of spin bowling, was so unplayable that he torpedoed the top order Indian line-up of five into the third ball of the 14th delivery of the innings in extinguishing the high placed 97 tearing up of the hitherto Lankan attack as he removed the dangerous looking Indian captain whom he had caught by Pathum Nissanka for 64, and Shubman Gill held by Kusal Mendis for 35, Shivam Dube leg before wicket for 14 followed by the prize wicket of Virat Kohli 14 groping as in the previous game to missing and rapped plumb leg before wicket and Shreyas Iyer LBW for 7 as the Indians sunk to 135 for 5 in the space of 55 deliveries.
Indeed, the medium built fair complexioned Vandersay reached the height of in his second ODI appearance since December 28, 2015 when he debuted against New Zealand ran over the Indian batting in a brilliant bout of leg spin clean bowling K.L. Rahul for a second ball duck for his sixth wicket after Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka had caught and bowled Axar Patel for a defiant run a ball 44 hitting 4 boundaries and 2 over the top following India’s sudden decimation when Sharma went strong in a 44-ball scorcher powered by 4 over the top and 5 across.
Lankan Skipper Charith Asalanka was on song with 3 for 20 towards that victory.
Sri Lanka’s score of 240 largely belonged to the works of Wellalage, who once again batted like a young trojan following his 67 in the previous tied game when Sri Lanka looked sunk on 6 for 136 into the 5th delivery of the 36th over when skipper Charith Asalanka had gone for a fighting 25 off 42 hitting 3 calculated boundaries in lifting the side from 111 for 4 after 26.4 overs together with Kamindu Mendis at No. 9 who struck 4 boundaries in a 72 bonding that muscled the Lankan score to winning heights. Sri Lanka reached 111 for 4 after 26.4 when Sadeera Samarawickrama was removed by Axar Patel mistiming to the close in Virat Kohli for 14 off 31 as the Lankans fronted a threatening pace-spin Indian attack on a slow surface that made batting difficult. Right up Avishka Fernando scored a battling 40 off 62 inclusive of 5 boundaries in a second-wicket rescue act of 74 off 17 overs together with Kusal Mendis who made 30 off 42 after Pathum Nissanka had been removed first ball by Mohammad Siraj. It was to Mendis’ credit carrying the Lankan innings from 208 for 7 to the ultimate 240 with Akila Dananjaya contributing 15.
Washington Sundar was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 3 for 30,
CHIEF SCORES: Sri Lanka 240/9 (50 Overs) RR:4.80 (Avishka Fernando 40, Kamindu Mendis 40, Dunith Wellalage 39, Kusal Mendis 30, Charith Asalanka 25, Sadeera Samarawickrama 14, Akila Dananjaya 15, Sadeera Samarawickrama 14, Janith Liyanage 12, Washington Sundar 3/30, Kuldeep Yadav 2/33, Axar Patel 1/38, Mohammad Siraj 1/43)
India 208 42.2 Overs RR: 4.91 (Rohit Sharma 64, Axar Patel 44, Shubman Gill 35, Washington Sundar 15, Virat Kohli 14,
Jeffrey Vandersay 6/33, Charith Asalanka 3/20)
