Sri Lanka Humbles India with a 110-Run Victory and 2-0 Series Win .

Sri Lanka decisively defeated India by 110 runs in the third ODI in Colombo on Wednesday, clinching a 2-0 series win in the three-match series. The hosts had previously secured a 32-run victory in the second ODI after the first game ended in a thrilling tie. Chasing 249, India started well but faltered against the Sri Lankan spinners, with Dunith Wellalage (5.1-0-27-5) spearheading the attack. India was bowled out for 138 in 26.1 overs, despite efforts from skipper Rohit Sharma (35) and Washington Sundar (30). Earlier, all-rounder Riyan Parag took 3 for 54 on debut, but Sri Lanka managed a competitive 248 for 7, thanks to Avishka Fernando’s composed 96 and Kusal Mendis’s well-crafted 59. Fernando’s 102-ball innings included nine fours and two sixes, and he formed significant partnerships with Pathum Nissanka (89 for the first wicket) and Mendis (82 for the second wicket).

TOSS-

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. Maheesh Theekshana replaced Akila in the lineup.

India made two changes: Rishabh Pant and Riyan Parag came in for KL Rahul and Arshdeep Singh.

 TEAMS LINE UP-

India:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (w), Shreyas Iyer, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Sri Lanka:

Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (c), Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando

SRI LANKA-

Openers Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando provided Sri Lanka with a solid start, putting together an 89-run partnership. Nissanka, the early aggressor, hit four boundaries in Mohammed Siraj’s opening overs. Axar Patel eventually dismissed Nissanka with a top-edged slog-sweep in the 20th over. Fernando, who struggled initially against the pacers, found his groove against the spinners, completing a half-century off 65 balls. In Siraj’s second spell, Fernando hit a boundary and two sixes within five balls but missed out on a century, giving Riyan Parag his first ODI wicket with a full legbreak. Parag also dismissed Charith Asalanka (lbw), initiating a collapse that saw Sri Lanka go from 171/1 to 199/6. Washington Sundar and Siraj added crucial wickets, but Kusal Mendis’s fifty off 77 balls helped Sri Lanka add 31 more runs in the final three overs, ensuring a strong total on a challenging pitch.

INDIA-

Rohit Sharma provided another blazing start, but Virat Kohli’s poor run continued, contributing to India’s quick collapse against the spinning, skidding ball, with six wickets lost in the first 13 overs. Dunith Wellalage was particularly effective, taking four of India’s first six wickets. After Shubman Gill was bowled by Asitha Fernando, Wellalage dismissed Rohit Sharma with an away-spinning delivery and then trapped Kohli lbw with an arm-ball. He further bowled Axar Patel and trapped Shreyas Iyer lbw, making India lose 24 wickets to spin across the series, a record in bilateral ODI series. India ended with a total of 27 wickets lost to spin. Reeling at 92/6, India saw Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag at the crease, but Parag misjudged a legbreak from Jeffrey Vandersay and was bowled. The plan to include Parag didn’t work while batting, despite his three wickets. The inclusion of Rishabh Pant for KL Rahul also made little difference.

Wellalage claimed his fifth wicket, dismissing Kuldeep Yadav, leading to a significant loss for India, who were bowled out for 138 in 26.1 overs. Like the first two ODIs, nine wickets fell to spin. Wellalage became the first spinner to claim a five-wicket haul against India on more than one occasion. The total proved more than sufficient, securing Sri Lanka a memorable series win and consecutive ODI victories over India for the first time since August 2010.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka 248/7 (Fernando 96, Mendis 59, Nissanka 45; Parag 3-54) defeated India 138 in 26.1 overs (Rohit 35; Wellalage 5-27, Vandersay 2-34) by 110 runs.