Skipper Rohit Sharma played on a different ‘track’ from his other colleagues, who were thoroughly exposed against quality spin bowling as Sri Lanka managed to eke out a tie against India in a low-scoring but thrilling opening ODI in Colombo on Friday. In a chase of 231, skipper Rohit smashed 58 off 47 balls on a rank turner with variable bounce, taking his team to 71 in 10 overs but all the other batters never looked comfortable against an army of Lankan spinners as skipper Charith Asalanka got wickets off back-to-back deliveries to play his part in the 44th tie in the history of ODI cricket.
When Shivam Dube (25) hit those two sixes and a boundary through the extra cover to tie the scores, it seemed like Sri Lanka’s woes would continue, but Asalanka took it upon himself to at least earn a psychological win for the home team.
Rohit didn’t look one bit rusty during his destructive half-century but the Indian middle-order stuttered badly, showing their ineptitude against slow bowlers.
After the Indian bowling unit collectively put up a good show on a turner, restricting Sri Lanka to 230 for 8, Rohit’s 58 gave India a destructive start. Things went into a downward spiral after that as Sri Lanka’s battery of spinners, led by Wanindu Hasaranga (3/58 in 10 overs), Akila Dananjaya (/140 in 10 overs), Dunith Wellalage (2/39 in 8 overs) and skipper Charith Asalanka (3/30 in 8.5 overs), not only choked the run flow but also got breakthroughs when necessary.
On a pitch where Rohit made batting look ridiculously easy, KL Rahul (31 off 43 balls) seemed to once again play his natural waiting game that has always proved to be detrimental for his team’s cause. And, by the time he threw away his wicket, he couldn’t ensure a decisive turnaround.
Virat Kohli (23), Shreyas Iyer (24) and Axar Patel (33) all got starts but couldn’t capitalise.
However, it was Rohit, who looked like playing on a different track compared to all other batters across both teams. He started with an 88-metre six over cow corner off the very third ball of India’s innings bowled by Asitha Fernando and then welcomed debutant pacer Mohamed Shiraz with a couple of boundaries and a slap over deep mid-wicket for a six.
While Shubman Gill (16) struggled at the other end, Rohit treated the Lankan bowlers with disdain.
Once he was adjudged leg-before trying a slog sweep off Dananjaya, suddenly the pitch, which looked easy to bat on, started showing its vagaries.
The ball started turning a wee bit more and the variable bounce also created confusion. Kohli got a skidder and was plumb in front while Washington Sundar (5) got one that Dananjaya fired in with an angle. Iyer didn’t look bad in his short innings before an in-cutter from Fernando breached his defence.
Earlier, intelligent fifties from Pathum Nissanka and Dunith Wellalage carried the hosts to a fighting score.
Nissanka (56, 75b, 9×4) was a picture of concentration and Wellalage (67 not out, 65b, 7×4, 2×6) of confidence on a pitch that offered some turn after Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka opted to bat first.
Sri Lanka had a shaky start to their innings when Mohammed Siraj ousted Avishka Fernando but Nissanka and Kusal Mendis (14) added 39 runs for a steady second wicket as the hosts staged a mini-recovery.
Just as it happened in the preceding T20I series, the Islanders showed the propensity to throw their wickets away from that point.
This is not to undermine the excellent effort put in by the Indian bowlers, who elicited several false shots from the Lankan batters.
Mendis fell leg-before to Shivam Dube, who made his return to one-day cricket after a hiatus of five years with that scalp.
From a relatively comfortable 46 for two, the Lankan innings soon crash-landed to 101 for five in the 27th over.
Wellalage was quite impressive after his initial struggles against Kuldeep. The crunchy back-foot punch through the covers for four off Washington and a few other ramps and scoops were a testimony to the youngster’s potential.
The left-hander, who added another 46 with Akila Dhananjaya for the eighth wicket, brought up his maiden ODI fifty in 59 balls, also assisting his side to go past the 200-run mark that once appeared far away.
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