MATCH REPORT
Follow UsOne of the most repeated stats uttered throughout this series was Sri Lanka’s dismal record in bilaterals against India. Today, after nine years, they finally broke that streak. The heroes for them were Avishka Fernando, the debutant Praveen Jayawickrama and the comeback man Akila Dananjaya. It was also their never-say-spirit that is associated with their preceding generation of cricketers. They had already lost the series but this win means a lot from the viewpoint of their 2023 World Cup qualification. It is also only their second win in ODI cricket this year.
They almost bottled it in the end though. Chasing 227 in 47 overs, when Charith Asalanka and Fernando got out bringing Sri Lanka to the brink of the finish line, India had a ray of hope with Rahul Chahar targeting the lower middle-order. He picked three wickets, one of which was of Fernando, and looked good for more. However, a first-ball boundary by Dananjaya when 6 were required with three wickets left finally sealed the game for them.
The tour is advertised as a competition between Sri Lanka and a second-string India. But a depletion in the Sri Lankan side meant they were still thin on experience in the first two ODIs. Today, India fielded five debutants today which narrowed down the gap - an experience of 250 ODIs versus that of 193. India were lackluster in all departments exploring their unprecedented depth at the international level.
For starters, their batting can be divided into two halves - before rain and after rain. Before, they were marching towards 300. Batting first for the first time in the series, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw added 35 runs in the first four overs. Dhawan went early but the calmness of Shaw and Samson hinted at ominous signs for the hosts. The pair added 74 off 80 balls. The more promising aspect of their stand was the two curbing their natural instinct to set themselves up for a big knock.
Samson made the commentators talk about the aesthetic factor of his batting with his mastery over spin. Shaw waited for the opportunities and toyed with the field, especially in the 15th over when he collected three boundaries. But both batsmen fell to soft dismissals in the 40s. Shaw missed a bread-and-butter glance off his legs to be adjudged LBW on 49. Samson proceeded for another inside-out drive but hit one straight to the extra cover on 46.
The rain appeared at the end of the 23rd over with the run-rate well over 6. But the 100-minute break turned things around. The Sri Lankan spinners were at the helm of it. Jayawickrama slowed his pace and fetched Manish Pandey soon after the break. Four overs later, he added Hardik Pandya to his kitty, beating another batsman with turn imparted through more airtime on the ball.
With a specialist batsman at seven in Nitish Rana, India had the batting depth to tackle this situation but Dananjaya put the final nail in the coffin for India with a three-for in his second spell. India lost Suryakumar Yadav, another batsman in the 40s, Krishnappa Gowtham and Rana in a space of nine balls. India slid further, from 190 for five to 195 for eight. Rahul Chahar and Navdeep Saini added 29 for the ninth wicket but India were ultimately swooped for 225 in 43.1 overs.
India’s bowling attack consisted of only three specialist bowlers, two of whom were on debut and the other one was going through a torrid time in terms of control. There were two batting all-rounders and an off-break bowler in Gowtham who doesn’t turn the ball.
The latest bowling pair of Saini and Chetan Sakariya couldn’t rectify India’s poor bowling returns with the new ball. Sri Lanka got off to a decent start before it was a spinner for the third time in the series, Gowtham, to provide the first wicket - Minod Bhanuka for 7. 
This was India’s window to break in the game. However, Bhanuka Rajapaksha’s calculated counter-attack left them far behind in the game. He added 109 off 105 balls for the second wicket with Avishka Fernando. While Fernando shifted his focus on batting through, Rajapaksha was more adventurous, the hints of which he had dropped in the first ODI when he began his maiden ODI innings with a six.
Chahar was the key bowler for India. Rajapaksha, the left-hander, countered the leggie with his footwork to score 17 runs off the 13 balls he faced against him. For as long as they were in the middle, the run-rate was above 6 per over.
Sakariya bowled a much better second spell where he broke the partnership and then removed Dhananjaya de Silva with an immaculate back-of-the-hand slower one. However, the calmness of Charith Asalanka and Fernando kept the door shut on the visitors.
Asalanka’s soft dismissal, with Sri Lanka 33 runs away, provided an opening. Dhawan brought Chahar back into the attack to target the new batsmen. The leggie responded on this occasion and sent Dasun Shanaka for a golden duck and ended Fernando’s rearguard knock of 76 runs.
The number seven Ramesh Mendis fought it out and took Sri Lanka to a much-needed three-wicket win, alongside the number nine, Dananjaya.
The Sri Lankans were helped by the Indian fielders throughout the chase. Mendis himself was dropped first ball by Shaw at the second slip off Chahar. Fernando, on 68, received a life from Manish Pandey at mid-wicket.
India’s least experienced side in the last few years thus had an off day. Sri Lankan unit cherished it to pull one back in their favour.
