Coming in as a like-for-like replacement for injured Wanindu Hasaranga, leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay shone with a sensational six-wicket haul and powered Sri Lanka to a famous 32-run win over India and went 1-0 up in the three-match series at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Sunday.
Electing to bat first on a dry pitch offering turn and bounce to spinners, Dunith Wellalage and Kamindu Mendis rescued Sri Lanka’s innings for the second time in as many matches with an inspiring lower-order fightback to post a competitive 240/9.
In reply, India were cruising at 97/0 before things went haywire for the visitors.
But Rohit Sharma perishing to a reverse-sweep off Vandersay triggered a collapse of the visitors, as the leg-spinner picked 6-33 in his 10 overs, the seventh-best figures by a Sri Lankan bowler in ODIs. Captain Charith Asalanka took three wickets with the ball again, including the big scalp of a defiant Axar Patel, to bowl out India for 208.
Rohit got India off to a flying start again by cutting Dunith Wellalage twice, before sweeping him to take three boundaries in the fourth over. He was quick to rock back and pull Akila Dananjaya for a four, followed by driving and pulling Asitha Fernando for a four and six respectively.
When Dananjaya pitched it short, Rohit dispatched him off backfoot for six and stylishly brought up his second successive fifty in 29 balls by carving a delightful inside-out lofted shot over extra cover off Kamindu Mendis for six.
After slog-sweeping Wellalage for six, Rohit went for a high-risk reverse-sweep off Vandersay but only managed to get a top edge, which was caught by backward point running across and diving to grab the catch with both hands.
Rohit’s fall triggered a sensational Indian meltdown to Vandersay as he got Shubman Gill to drive outside the off-stump, and the outside edge was grabbed by the slip fielder sticking out his right hand to complete the catch. He then struck in quick succession as his leg-breaks trapped Shivam Dube and Virat Kohli lbw.
Vandersay completed his first five-wicket haul in ODIs when his googly went past Shreyas Iyer’s forward defence and trapped him lbw. He soon grabbed his sixth wicket when K.L. Rahul went for a cut, but was castled.
Axar, who began with a cut in the gap between third man and backward point for four, began his counterattack by lofting Charith Asalanka inside-out over cover for six, followed by him sweeping and paddling for two more boundaries. He clipped Dananjaya for four, followed by hitting a lofted drive for six.
But Asalanka struck as Axar punched off the backfoot, and couldn’t keep it down. The Sri Lankan skipper moved to his left and took the catch with both hands just inches above the ground to dismiss Axar for 44.
Asalanka then trapped Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj lbw, and Arshdeep Singh’s run-out by Kusal Mendis got Sri Lanka a famous ODI win.
Earlier, Sri Lanka found themselves in trouble at 136/6 in 34.5 overs, despite a 74-run stand between Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis. But Wellalage (39) and Kamindu (40) stepped in to stitch a superb 72-run partnership off 68 balls for the seventh wicket. The duo’s efforts meant Sri Lanka made a fighting total, especially with 79 runs coming off the last ten overs.
The duo’s efforts meant Sri Lanka made a fighting total, especially with 79 runs coming off the last 10 overs. Moreover, Kamindu’s inclusion in place of fast-bowler Mohamed Shiraz proved to be a useful move. For India, Washington starred with 3-30, while Kuldeep Yadav (2-33) and Axar (1-38) shared three wickets between themselves.
Siraj gave India a wicket on the very first ball when Pathum Nissanka felt for the ball angling in, but it seamed too late to take an outside edge and was caught by KL Rahul falling to his right. Fernando was comfortable from the get-go – cover-driving, pulling and clipping with ease.
But he gave a leading edge off the flick to give Washington a catch off his own bowling, as the off-spinner broke a crucial second-wicket stand at the stroke of drinks break. He struck again as Kusal Mendis missed the delivery on a sweep and was trapped plumb lbw.
Axar, who challenged the batters constantly in his first spell, got a scalp when Sadeera Samawickrama danced down the pitch for a slog, but miscued it and was caught by a back-pedaling cover fielder.
Janith Liyanage fell prey to the slowness of an outside off-stump delivery from Kuldeep and hit the drive straight to the spinner, who took a leaping overhead catch in his follow-through. Washington came back to get his third wicket by rattling Charith Asalanka with turn and bounce and give a simple catch to backward point.
Kamindu began the rearguard act by reverse-sweeping Kuldeep and being given a reprieve off the same shot when Dube dropped the catch. Wellalage, who ran well between the wickets, joined in by steering Axar past third man for four and getting just enough on the slog to beat long-on for six. He then played a lofted off-drive against Siraj for six, followed by Mendis going down the ground against Arshdeep for a boundary.
But Wellalage’s attempt to reverse-sweep Kuldeep didn’t get the desired timing and gave a catch to short fine-leg. Dananjaya got an inside edge past Arshdeep for four, before he and Mendis lofted Siraj for a boundary each. Kamindu sliced a low full toss over point off Arshdeep for four in the final over, before he and Dananjaya were run out on the last two balls of the innings.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 240/9 in 50 overs (Kamindu Mendis 40, Avishka Fernando 40; Washington Sundar 3-30, Kuldeep Yadav 2-33) beat India 208 in 42.2 overs (Rohit Sharma 64, Axar Patel 44; Jeffrey Vandersay 6-33, Charith Asalanka 3-20) by 32 runs