Sri Lanka Recovers from Early Wobble to Post Competitive Total
Sri Lanka faced a tough challenge after being reduced to 136/6, but a resilient 72-run partnership for the seventh wicket helped them reach a competitive total of 240/9 against India in the 150th ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Key Contributions
The duo of Dunith Wellalage and Kamindu Mendis, batting at numbers 7 and 8 respectively, played crucial roles in steering Sri Lanka out of trouble. Despite Washington Sundar’s impressive figures of 3 for 30, the lower order batsmen managed to frustrate the Indian bowlers and push the total past 200.
Batting Performance
Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a shaky start with the early dismissal of Pathum Nissanka, but Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis steadied the ship with a 74-run partnership for the second wicket. However, the slow and low pitch made scoring difficult, with spinners coming into play early on.
Spinners Dominate
The Indian spinners, led by Washington Sundar, posed a constant threat to the Sri Lankan batsmen. Sundar’s crucial breakthroughs disrupted partnerships and pushed Sri Lanka on the back foot. Despite some resistance from the lower order, Sri Lanka found it tough to accelerate the scoring rate.
Final Push
With the match delicately poised at 136/6, Wellalage and Mendis provided the much-needed impetus with some attacking strokeplay. Their partnership helped Sri Lanka score 79 runs in the final 10 overs, taking the total to 240/9. The seamers, however, managed to restrict the flow of runs towards the end.
Looking Ahead
India, who struggled to chase a similar target in the previous match, will have their task cut out as they aim to chase down Sri Lanka’s total of 240. With the pitch expected to offer assistance to the spinners, it promises to be an intriguing run chase in Colombo.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 240/9 (Mendis 40, Fernando 40, Wellalage 39; Sundar 3-30, Kuldeep 2-33) vs India