Colombo: Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay’s magical six-wicket haul robbed the roar from Rohit Sharma’s brutal fifty as Sri Lanka etched an emotional 32-run win over India in the second ODI on Sunday. Sri Lanka now lead the three-match series 1-0 after the first match ended in a tie.
India were asked to chase down 241 on a pitch that had plenty of assistance for the spinners, and they ended up at 208 all out in 42.2 overs with Vandersay wrecking them with a haul of six for 33. A different result loomed as long as skipper Rohit was at the crease, creaming the Lankan bowlers en route to his 64 off 44 balls (5×4, 4×6).
Unmindful of the nature of the pitch, Rohit cut, swept and pulled spinners Dunith Wellalage and Akila Dananjaya and pacer Asitha Fernando to all parts of the ground in the company of a compact Shubman Gill (35, 44b) as India waltzed to 97 in just 13.3 overs.
But a fatal reverse sweep off Vandersay that was taken by a diving Pathum Nissanka snapped Rohit’s stay, and it also put the Indian batting unit in a tailspin. The 97/1 became 116/2 in 17.1 overs and it transpired into even trickier 116/3 four balls later.
But more shocks were in store for the Indians as they tumbled to 123 for four, 133 for five and eventually to 147/6. That was six wickets for 50 runs in the span of 10 overs, and the dance of destruction was performed by one man — Vandersay — who came in as a replacement for injured Wanindu Hasaranga.
Gill drove away from his body for Kamindu Mendis to take a screamer at first slip, Shivam Dube (0) failed to pick a ripping leg-break, Virat Kohli (14) did not read a wrong’un and Shreyas Iyer was defeated by a slider. Dube, Kohli and Shreyas were adjudged leg before, indicating the indecisiveness in their feet and mind.
KL Rahul lasted just two balls before dragging Vandersay’s delivery that pitched outside the channel onto his stumps. Axar Patel (44, 44b) played smart cricket and milked 38 runs for the seventh wicket with Washington Sundar to keep India ticking.
Axar took 14 runs off Charith Asalanka’s first over (6, 4, 4) and later moussed Akila Dananjaya for a six over mid-off. But even that feeble lifeline halted when Axar slapped a catch back to Asalanka (3/20) and the rest was a mere formality.
Earlier, Indian spinners led by Washington put the Lankan batters through a test of skill, but the hosts found enough fight from their late order to make an acceptable 240/9. Washington (3/30) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/33) were at their smartest as the home batters found the going tough.
It required a 72-run association for the seventh wicket between Wellalage (39) and Kamindu (40) for them to wriggle out of a stifling 136/6. However, the first blow was landed by Mohammed Siraj when he had Nissanka caught by Rahul behind the wicket.
But a recovery phase followed as Avishka Fernando (40, 62b, 5×4) and Kusal Mendis (30, 42b, 3×4) used the freshness of the new ball to add 74 for a rather fluent second wicket stand. But once the spinners began to operate from both ends the scoring rate dwindled, and the Lankans were forced to nudge the ball around for runs.
Fernando leaned forward to turn the ball to onside but Washington just had to hold on to the resultant leading edge. Mendis went for a sweep against Washington, but missed it altogether and the umpire had the simple job of accepting the shout for leg before.
Asalanka showed enough pluck to stand up against the tweakers. But the left-hander could not keep an intended cut off Washington, who bowled around the wicket to the left-handers, down as Axar took an easy catch inside the circle.
Lanka were 136 for six then, and once again the darning job was left to the young Wellalage. The left-hander took on Axar and Siraj, hammering them for a six each and he had a perfect partner in Kamindu, who was dropped on nine by Dube off Kuldeep.
The dismissal of Wellalage by Kuldeep did not stop Kamindu from playing a couple of beefy shots of his own. The Indian bowlers’ effort in the last five overs were also less than satisfactory, often spraying the ball around as Sri Lanka added 44 precious runs.
