In a mail-biting game played at the R Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka triumphed over a formidable Indian team, winning by 32 runs to the delight of a nearly full crowd at the RPS.
Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 240/9, thanks to contributions from Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis at the top, and Kamindu Mendis and young Wellalage again, setting a challenging target on a turning pitch.
In reply, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma scored a quickfire 64 off 44 balls, giving India a strong start. At one stage, they were 97 for no loss in the 14th over and seemed to be in a commanding position. However, Jefferey Vandersay, filling in for the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, took the next six wickets to fall, bringing Sri Lanka back into the game.
Other spinners also played crucial roles, helping Sri Lanka finish off the game and take a 1-0 lead in the series, with one game remaining. Sri Lanka now has a great opportunity to win a bilateral ODI series against India for the first time in 27 years.
The last time they achieved this was in 1997, when current interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya’s Man of the Series performance led the team to a 3-0 victory. (NewsWire)