Captain Rohit Sharma played on a different ‘track’ to his other colleagues, who were fully exposed to quality spin bowling as Sri Lanka managed to draw against India in a low-scoring but thrilling ODI opener in Colombo on Friday. In a chase of 231, captain Rohit hit 58 off 47 balls in a rank turner with variable bounce, taking his team to 71 in 10 overs, but all the other batsmen never looked comfortable against an army of Lankan spinners while the Captain Charith Asalanka took wickets in consecutive deliveries to play his part in the 44th knockout round in the history of ODI cricket.
When Shivam Dube (25) hit those two sixes and a boundary through extra cover to level the scores, it looked like Sri Lanka’s problems would continue, but Asalanka took it upon himself to at least achieve a psychological victory for the home team.
Rohit didn’t look rusty at all during his destructive half-century, but the Indian middle-order stuttered a lot, showing their ineptitude against slow bowlers.
After the Indian bowling unit collectively put on 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 when 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 captain Charith Asalanka (3/30 in 8.5 overs), not only stifled the run flow but also got breakthroughs when required.
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, which has always proved to be detrimental to his team’s cause. And, when he threw away the wicket, he failed to secure a decisive comeback.
Virat Kohli (23), Shreyas Iyer (24) and Axar Patel (33) started but failed to capitalize.
However, it was Rohit, who seemed to be playing on a different track compared to all the other batsmen from both teams. He started with a six-yard corner cow from 88 meters off the 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 to mid-wicket for a six.
While Shubman Gill (16) struggled at the other end, Rohit treated the Lanka players with disdain.
As soon as he was judged, before trying to sweep Dananjaya, suddenly the pitch, which looked easy to hit, started showing its vagaries.
The ball started to spin a little more and the variable bounce also created confusion. Kohli hit a skidder and went straight forward, while Washington Sundar (5) hit one that Dananjaya shot from an angle. Iyer didn’t look bad in his short innings before an incuser from Fernando breached his defence.
Earlier, smart fifties from Pathum Nissanka and Dunith Wellalage took 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 turnaround after Lanka captain Charith Asalanka opted to bat first.
Sri Lanka made a shaky start to the innings as Mohammed Siraj edged out Avishka Fernando, but Nissanka and Kusal Mendis (14) added 39 runs for a steady second wicket as the hosts staged a mini-comeback.
As was the case in the previous T20I series, the Islanders showed a propensity to take their wickets from that point onwards.
This is not to detract from the excellent effort of the Indian bowlers, who provoked several false shots from the Lankan batsmen.
Mendis fell ahead of Shivam Dube, who returned to one-day cricket after a five-year hiatus with that scalp.
From a relatively comfortable 46 for two, Lanka’s innings soon fell to 101 for five in the 27th over.
Wellalage was quite impressive after his initial fights against Kuldeep. Washington’s crunchy punch in the covers on all fours and a few other ramps and shells were a testament to the youngster’s potential.
The left-hander, who added 46 more with Akila Dhananjaya for the eighth wicket, made his maiden ODI fifty in 59 balls, also helping his team surpass the 200-run mark that previously seemed distant.
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