COLOMBO: Dunith Wellalage demonstrated excellent spin bowling skills to lead Sri Lanka to a dominant 110-run victory over India in the third ODI at R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka secured a 2-0 victory in the three-match series, marking their first ODI series win against India since 1997.
After opting to bat first, the hosts posted a fighting 248-7 on a spinning track pitch courtesy of Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis’ half-centuries.
Pathum Nissanka also played a good hand, scoring 45 runs during an 89-run opening stand with Fernando.
Axar Patel provided the first breakthrough before Fernando and Mendis added 82 runs for the third wicket.
Fernando played a stellar knock of 96 runs from 102 balls but missed out on his fourth ODI century when debutant Riyan Parag sent him back to the pavillion.
Mendis held on to one end while wickets kept falling on the other end before Kamindu Mendis joined him and they stitched a crucial partnership of 36 runs to help Sri Lanka score 248-7 in 50 overs.
Kamindu Mendis remained unbeaten at 23 off 19, while Kusal Mendis got out in the 49th over after scoring 59 runs.
Parag returned with bowling figures of 3-54, while Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with one wicket each.
Indian batters could not pose much threat to Sri Lankan spinners as they bundled for a meagre 138 in 26.1 overs
Rohit Sharma gave a solid start with a 20-ball 35 before he became the first scalp of Dunith Wellalage. The young spinner also removed Virat Kohli, who scored 20 off 18, to reduce India to 71-4.
The next over saw Axar Patel (2) and Shreyas Iyer (8) also falling prey to Wellalage, leaving India struggling.
India failed to recover from this and slipped to 101-8. Washington Sundar played a valuable cameo, scoring 30 runs, but Maheesh Theekshana ended his knock, while Wellalage wrapped up the innings in the next over.
Dunith Wellalage led the bowling attack with 5-27, while Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay managed two wickets each.
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