Sanath Jayasuriya and Charith Asalanka. (Photo Source: Sri Lanka cricket)
In the third and final ODI of the series, Sri Lanka once again chose to bat first. The hosts made a single alteration, with Maheesh Theekshana replacing Akila Dananjaya. For India, Rishabh Pant was granted the opportunity to make his ODI return after a 21-month hiatus, stepping in for KL Rahul, while Riyan Parag made his ODI debut in place of Arshdeep Singh.
Two substantial partnerships in the 80s set the stage for a formidable total by Sri Lanka, but Riyan Parag intervened decisively, dismissing Avishka Fernando for 96 and captain, Charith Asalanka, both adjudged LBW, thwarting the Lankans’ momentum. The middle order faltered significantly, with Kamindu Mendis contributing a late 23-run innings as Sri Lanka concluded their innings at 248/7. Despite the spinners delivering commendable performances throughout, Parag emerged as the standout bowler, securing three wickets and showcasing his proficiency.
Once again, Rohit Sharma dominated the powerplay, launching a blistering assault. However, the familiar narrative unfolded as his colleagues succumbed to the relentless spin attack of the Sri Lankans. The continuous loss of wickets severely crippled the Indian innings. After the eighth wicket fell at 101 runs, four middle-order and lower-order batters failed to reach double digits. Despite efforts by Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav to salvage the situation, they ultimately fell short, with India succumbing to a 110-run defeat. This loss secured a historic bilateral series victory for Sri Lanka, their first against India since 1997.
1. Top three ignites, middle-order melts (again)
It was a reminiscent scenario of the T20I series as Sri Lanka’s top three excelled with contributions of 45, 96, and 59. However, the remainder of the batting lineup could only aggregate a meagre total, failing to build upon the solid foundation laid by the top order.
2. Riyan Parag: The new spin prodigy on the block?
In his inaugural ODI, Riyan Parag emerged as the most formidable among the trio of established spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. Parag’s incisive accuracy and the sharp bite of his spin off the pitch distinguished him as the most potent weapon, proving to be a pivotal factor in the match.
3) Rohit’s departure causes yet another domino effect
As observed in the preceding ODIs, where it seemed as if the dynamics of the pitch-shifted dramatically following the aggressive captain’s brief but impactful innings, a similar pattern unfolded. While Rohit remained at the crease, it appeared that the game was firmly within India’s grasp. However, his dismissal marked a pivotal turning point, instigating a catastrophic collapse that saw India succumb to a devastating downturn.
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Losing skipper, Rohit Sharma
I don’t think it is a concern. But it is something we have to look at individually and as a gameplan. It is a joke, when you are playing for India there is never going to be complacency. When I am captain there is no chance of complacency. But you have to give credit to good cricket. Sri Lanka played better than us. We looked at the conditions and went with the combinations, there also guys who need to be looked at and hence the changes. There are lot of areas we need to look at rather than the positives. These things happen, series lost is not the end of the world, you will lose an odd series here and there but it is about how you come back after the loss.
Winning skipper, Charith Asalanka
I am a happy captain right now. The team did all things right throughout the series. We all knew they are a strong batting line up and we wanted to back our strength, spin was our strength and we backed it. They are in a good mood right now and our coach (Sanath Jayasuriya) is very active. The boys really enjoyed the team environment.
Player of the Match, Avishka Fernando
Very happy with the innings. The batters got together and did a good job. It was a challenging wicket and a bit disappointed not to get a hundred but happy with the win.