Suranga Lakmal’s top 3 bowling performances in ODIs

Suranga Lakmal in the later phase of his career played predominantly in Test cricket for Sri Lanka. But the notable fact is that he also had a decent stint in ODI cricket, having taken 109 wickets in 86 matches in the 50-over format. On that note, let us dive deep and put some spotlight on his top 3 bowling performances in ODI cricket. 

1. 4/13 vs India, 2017

With his best bowling spell in his ODI career, Lakmal decimated a strong Indian batting lineup in the first match of the ODI series between the two teams in 2017. Winning the toss, Sri Lanka elected to bowl first in order to take advantage of the bowling-friendly conditions of Dharamsala. 

Lakmal dismissed four of the key Indian batters including the captain Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Manish Pandey. As a result of this bowling performance, India collapsed in the first innings. Sri Lanka later chased the low total of 113 runs in the second innings to take a valuable lead in the series and Suranga Lakmal was awarded the player of the match for his heroic bowling effort. 

2. 4/30 vs England, 2014

England and Sri Lanka played a long 7-match ODI series in 2014. The series was interestingly poised at 3-2 in favour of Sri Lanka before the sixth ODI. The sixth match at Pallekele was a must-win encounter for Sri Lanka if they had to seal the series. Batting first, the home team posted a challenging total of 292 runs. 

The rest of the job was done by Lakmal in the second innings. In his 8 overs, he conceded only 30 runs and dismissed four English batters including Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, and Joe Root. Eventually, Sri Lanka won the match by 90 runs to clinch the series. 

3. 4/38 vs Ireland, 2016

Here is another bowling performance from the Sri Lankan fast bowler where he picked up four wickets. These four wickets were taken in the second innings against Ireland. The Irish team was chasing a humongous target of 378 runs. It was an arduous task which was made even tougher by Suranga Lakmal. Ireland showed some courage but Lakmal’s 4-fer did not let them do the unthinkable. 

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