By Srian Obeyesekere
Full marks to Sri Lanka to coming from behind a terrible defeatist gloom of having bitten dust shot out twice by India for 50-odd lows, one of which in the Asia Cup final at home, to a fresh in the nostrils lingering 3-0 humiliation in the short format last week to a new look side to scaling that tip of the iceberg to coming thumbs up even stevens against a full strength India to an honourable tie in the first of the 3-match ODI 50-over format to posting 230 by a rescuing 67 by youngster Dunith Wellalage from a dire 5 for 101 to the Lankan bowlers, spearheaded by wily leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga’s pegging 3 wickets, holding India to 230 for in 47.5 overs from a 75 for 1 high was a dramatic end to the first of the 3 ODIs yesterday at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
The 21- year-old Welalage produced the type of cricket from out of the gloom to driving home the message that young blood was the way forward to making it clear to the national selectors that old brooms should be cast out, by a spellbinding 65-ball innings built around built around crafting and exhilaration alike in crossing the boundary seven times to going over the top twice to a 2-wicket take that started with removing Shubman Gill for 16 and following up with the wicket of the explosive Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for 58 to checking the Indians from a threatening 75 start to 80 for 2 after 14.2 overs in a truly brilliant Player of the Match showmanship after the skipper had fronted India’s chase with a first Ball 6 off Asitha Fernando in 47-ball knock smashing 3 over the top and 7 to the ropes. His performance did ignite his recent past 5 for 40 against India in a lost Asia Cup game.
Yesterday, Wanindu Hasaranga made it matter his all-round ability putting to play his wily spin when it mattered in a 3 for 58 take netting in prize bat Virat Kohli regarded as the world’s greatest of batsmen for 25 when India was going strong on 130 into the 24th over, was cornerstone to that great pride redeeming performance by the Lankans. That newly installed skipper Charith Asalanka chipped in with the successive wickets vital wickets of Axar Patel 33 with the score 197 into 4.5th over, and going on to finish it off with the successive wickets of Shivam Dole 25 when the contest was hanging on a thread with both sides tied to going on to trapping last man Arshdeep Singh for a first ball duck in a nerve wracking end to 3 wickets was fantastic stuff to drawing the large home crowd to their feet to the dismay of quite an attractive vociferous Indian fan base that had turned up.
In that final result indeed, the efforts of the upfront Pathum Nissanka measured largely to that ultimate result when the hosts opted to bat first as the Lankan opener further enhanced his reputation as a virtual lone Mr. Reliable, many of whose remarkable innings have been confined to a valiant loser, when yesterday he once again he played a standout knock of 56 off 75 balls hitting 9 boundaries as frontline wickets perished at the other end – Avishka Fernando for a disappointing 7-ball 1 to Mohammad Siraj who had him held by Arshdeep Singh, Kusal Mendis 14 in a shelled 31 minute stay against a volatile Indian pace-spin attack finally falling leg before wicket to Shivam Dube followed by a disappointing Sadeera Samarawickrama for 8 snapped up Shubman Gill off Axar Patel and then Charith Asalanka for 14 off 21 as the hard hitting Lankan skipper strived to find his feet from a bad tour run as he crossed to double figures from low scores in the lost T20 series.
That the final result ultimately had much to do in the twosome pairing of Wellalage and Hasaranga, who deserves a pat on the back for a gritty bat-ball show smashing 24 off 35 sending two over and 2 to the boundary that saw him take Sri Lanka out of troubled waters of 6 for 142 by the second ball of the 35th over in a crucial 36 off 50 bonding together with youngster for the seventh wicket was high stuff.
CHIEF SCORES:
Sri Lanka 230/8 (50 Overs) RR: 4.60 (Dunith Wellalage 67, Pathum Nissanka 56, Janith Liyanage 20, Kusal Mendis 14, Charith Asalanka 14, Axar patel 2/33, Arshdeep Singh 2/47, Shivam Dube 1/19, Kuldeep Yadav 1/33, Mohammad Siraj 36, Washington Sundar 1/46)
India 230 47.5 Overs RR: 4.80 (Rohit Sharma 58, Axar Patel 33, K.L. Rahul 31, Shivam Dube 25, Virat Kohli 24, Shreyas Iyer 23, Subman Gill 16, Mohammad Siraj n.o. 5, Charith Asalanka 3/30, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/58, Dunith Wellalage 2/39, Asitha Fernando 1/34, Akila Dananjaya 1/40)
