Dunith Wellalage, a rising star in Sri Lankan cricket, showcased his exceptional all-round abilities in the first ODI against India at Khettarama. Batting at number seven, the 21-year-old played a crucial innings of 67 not out off 65 deliveries, guiding Sri Lanka to a respectable total of 230 for 8.
Wellalage’s innings was a beacon of composure on a challenging pitch where no other batter looked entirely settled. He displayed a wide range of shots, including powerful boundaries, and drew inspiration from his teammate Pathum Nissanka, who has been in impressive form throughout the tour.
“I was watching Pathum Nissanka bat quite a lot,” Wellalage said. “I put his batting in my mind as I came up with a plan. If you take the pitch, it was one that supported spin bowling. I tried to put as much pressure on the bowler and build partnerships.”
With the ball, Wellalage proved equally effective, claiming two crucial wickets for 39 runs in nine overs. He dismissed India’s top scorer, Rohit Sharma, with a well-flighted delivery that beat the batsman in flight and struck him in front of the stumps.
Wellalage’s dismissal of Shubman Gill was equally impressive, as he deceived the opener with another flighted delivery that Gill top-edged to the keeper.
“We knew that the wicket was spinning,” Wellalage explained. “So Charith Asalanka had told me that I would be bowling in the powerplay. I had good support from the wicket too.”
“With Rohit at the time, I was trying just to bowl wicket-to-wicket, because I knew how much assistance there was from the pitch.”
Wellalage’s contributions with both bat and ball played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s ability to tie the match. His performance is a testament to his growing maturity and versatility as a cricketer.
