CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – Dunith Wellalage returned career-best figures as Sri Lanka bowled out India for 213 runs in their Asia Cup 50-Overs Cricket Tournament Super Four match played under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old slow left-arm spinner struck in his very first ball of the innings and went on to complete a maiden five-wicket haul as India suffered a major collapse after they had won the toss and elected to bat first.
Wellalage came into the attack in the 12th over when India were cruising along at 80 for no loss with the openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill laying the platform for another match winning total.
However, Wellalage completely changed the complexion of the game as he sent back both openers and followed up with the prize-wicket of Virat Kohli, who had completed four successive hundreds at this venue.
Wellalage captured his fourth wicket in the 30th over by removing K. L. Rahul to leave India at 154 for four and he claimed his fifth wicket by dismissing Hardik Pandya in his last ball of the match.
“I want to thank my coaches and management, especially my spin bowling coach. I tried to bowl my normal variations and not give too many runs. My dream wicket was Kohli’s wicket. The surface is uneven, and it is not easy, but we have a good batting line-up, we will give a good fight,” Wellalage said after the innings.
This is the 10th instance wherein spinners have bagged all 10 wickets in an ODI innings, the first against India. India had lost nine wickets to spin against Sri Lanka at the same venue back in 1997.
This is also the 14th match in-a-row that Sri Lanka had bowled out their opposition in ODIs.
Wellalagae was well supported by the part-time spinner Charith Asalanka, who exploited the conditions well to return career-best figures of four wickets for 18 runs.
Chief scores
India: 213 in 49.1 overs (Rohit Sharma 53, Ishan Kishan 33, K. L. Rahul 39, Axar Patel 26, Dunith Wellalage 5/40, Charith Asalanka 4/18) v Sri Lanka.
