India’s Batting Woes Continue as Sri Lanka Clinch ODI Series
In a disappointing display, India’s batting lineup crumbled against Sri Lanka’s spin attack in the third and final ODI in Colombo. Chasing a competitive target of 249, India were bowled out for a mere 138, handing Sri Lanka a comprehensive 110-run victory and their first bilateral ODI series win over India since 1997.
Despite a promising start from Rohit Sharma, India’s batters fell prey to the guile of Sri Lankan spinners Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana. Wellalage, who claimed a five-wicket haul, and Theekshana wreaked havoc on the Indian batting lineup, with Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and debutant Riyan Parag all falling victim to their spin wizardry.
Earlier, Sri Lanka had posted a competitive total of 248/7, thanks to a well-paced 96 from opener Avishka Fernando and a solid contribution from Kusal Mendis (59). Fernando’s innings laid the foundation for Sri Lanka, as he shared crucial partnerships with Pathum Nissanka (45) and Mendis.
India’s bowling effort was led by debutant Riyan Parag, who picked up three wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav provided valuable support. However, the Sri Lankan batters managed to capitalize on the Indian bowlers’ inconsistencies, with Mohammed Siraj proving expensive.
The series victory marked a significant achievement for Sri Lanka, as they had not won a bilateral ODI series against India since 1997. The result also highlighted the challenges faced by the Indian team on turning tracks, as acknowledged by Maheesh Theekshana in his post-match comments.
“We knew they are used to small grounds and good wickets in India. So they would struggle on a big Premadasa ground. We knew we could get an advantage with some turn on the wicket, and we have good spinners,” Theekshana said after the win.
