Sri Lanka 248 for 7 (Avishka 96, Mendis 59, Parag 3-54) beat India 138 (Rohit 35, Wellalage 5-27) by 110 runs
For India, it was a culmination of their travails against spin over the past week, losing nine wickets to spinners for the third game straight – the 27 in total their most over a three-match series.
Wellalage was chief destroyer this time out with figures of 5 for 27, but at various times across the series it’s been Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, or even Charith Asalanka. But at no point – aside from during Rohit Sharma’s now expected top-order romps – have India looked like they would be able to consistently contend.
But this time, even Rohit’s impact was relegated to a mere cameo – 35 off 20 – as Wellalage had him caught behind trying to sweep before he could make any significant dents into Sri Lanka’s total.
Aside from him, only Virat Kohli, Riyan Parag and Washington Sundar – 20, 15, 30 – got into double digits, and of those only Washington’s innings had sought to put any sort of pressure back on the Lankan bowlers.
India’s struggles placed an even higher premium on Avishka’s 96 off 102 earlier in the day, which had set Sri Lanka up so well that not even a collapse that saw them lose 28 runs for five wickets could derail their innings to any significant end.
Over the course of his innings, he was part of Sri Lanka’s most profitable partnerships – 89 and 82 for the first and second wickets respectively – but his innings was not a case of Sri Lanka playing spin considerably better than the opposition, rather finding a way to maximise the opportunities afforded by the seamers.
In this case, while Shivam Dube went for just nine runs off his four overs, Mohammed Siraj was struck for his joint worst figures in ODIs – 78 for 1 off nine. And of that 78, Avishka was responsible for 36 of them, at a strike rate of 200.
This though was more Siraj erring in his lines and lengths, than anything Avishka himself might have done to put him off. But on tricky surfaces such as those dished up at Khettarama, these are the margins that must be capitalised on.
Anything short was invariably put away, while Siraj was also guilty of bowling too straight to him; of the 36 runs he conceded to Avishka, 32 were square or behind square on the onside.
But while Siraj was having a mare, Parag was having a debut to remember. He grabbed the key wicket of Avishka, getting a leg break to slide on into his front pad, before getting another to grip, straighten and skid to trap Charith Asalanka on the crease.
His best delivery though was reserved for danger man Wellalage, who was done in by one that dipped and turned, pitching middle and spinning past the outside edge to knock back off stump.
His economy rate of six an over meanwhile was impacted by some late strikes, but the rest of the spinners – Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington – proved miserly as ever, picking up a wicket apiece and none going for more than Axar’s 4.10 per over.
Parag and his spin cohorts however had to be patient for their rewards, as Sri Lanka strung together two strong stands at the top of the order. Alongside Avishka, Pathum Nissanka (45) and Kusal Mendis (59) made important contributions, but like in the first two games, Sri Lanka’s middle order succumbed swiftly and suddenly.
From 171 for 1 they spluttered to 199 for 6. From midway through the 36th over when they lost Avishka, up until midway through the 48th – 72 deliveries to be precise – not a single boundary was scored, scrounging just 49 runs in the period. And from targeting a score in the region of 280, they were now struggling to reach 250.
Fortunately for them, Mendis – one of Sri Lanka’s better players of spin – was around at the death, and he was able to strike some powerful blows to help push the total towards 240. A score that seemed competitive but perhaps underwhelming considering the start provided by Avishka and co., but one that proved plenty in the end.
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