COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage and part-time spinner Charith Asalanka delivered a remarkable bowling performance that rattled the Indian batting powerhouse in the 10th match of the Asia Cup, held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.
Opting to bat first, the Indian cricket team found themselves in a challenging position from the outset. Apart from the Indian captain, who managed to score 53 runs, and contributions from Ishan Kishan (33) and KL Rahul (39), the rest of the Indian batters struggled to make a significant impact. Ultimately, India was bowled out for a total of 213 runs in 49.1 overs.
Virat Kohli, who had displayed exceptional form against Pakistan, faced considerable difficulty and was dismissed by Dunith Wellalage for just three runs from 12 deliveries, marking a significant setback for the robust Indian batting lineup.
Other Indian batsmen, including Shubman Gill (19), Hardik Pandya (5), Ravindra Jadeja (4), Jasprit Bumrah (5), and Kuldeep Yadav (0), failed to mount substantial resistance with the bat against the impressive Sri Lankan bowling attack.
Wellalage and Asalanka’s bowling efforts were well complemented by Dhananjaya De Silva, who maintained relentless pressure on the Indian batters by conceding just 28 runs in his ten overs, even though he did not secure any wickets.
Rain Interrupts Sri Lanka-India Match
Rain interrupted the match proceedings after 47 overs, with India at 197/9. Axar Patel (15) and Mohammed Siraj (2) were at the crease for India’s final wicket.
For Sri Lanka, Dunith Wellalage was the standout performer with an impressive haul of five wickets for 40 runs, while Charith Asalanka chipped in with four crucial wickets for just 19 runs. Maheesh Theekshana also contributed with one wicket, claiming 1-41.
Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Kasun Rajitha, and Matheesha Pathirana, while wicketless in this encounter, played their part in maintaining pressure on the Indian side throughout the innings.
