The calibre of their fast bowlers was the deciding
factor on a wicket where India selected three frontline spinners and lost all
ten of their wickets to spin for the first time in ODIs. Before Sri Lanka could
bowl a single ball of spin while Sri Lanka was defending 214, India had them
three down, which had an impact on the rest of the match.
With a quick 63-run partnership, Dhananjaya de Silva
and Dunith Wellalage reduced Sri Lanka’s equation to 52 from 82 balls, which is
vital in the circumstances of this game. However, the stand came with very
little batting to follow. India knew that one wicket would open up the bottom
order even if their spinners were having a difficult time controlling this
partnership.
India changed their attack in the evident anticipation
of a turn because the game was played on a different field from the one used
for the India-Pakistan game, which had far less grass cover. However, it wasn’t
until the 12th over of the game that India’s openers followed up back-to-back
century stands with a quick partnership of 80 that it became clear just how
significant – and how unpredictable – the turn would be. The innings was won by
Rohit Sharma, who pounded out a barrage of boundaries, including four fours off
Dasun Shanaka in the tenth over and a straight six off Kasun Rajitha in the
seventh to pass 10,000 ODI runs.
It wasn’t until the typical fingerspinner was
introduced that the pitch’s characteristics became apparent. Wellalage’s first
ball dipped on Shubman Gill and turned past his outside edge to hit off stump
right away. Wellalage had returned the top three bowlers for India by the end
of his third over. The first stopped on Virat Kohli to have him caught off an
uppish flick, while the second skidded through low and with the angle to bowl
Rohit for 53 off 48 balls, demonstrating how difficult the surface was.
India appeared to be on track for at least 250 when
they were 154 for 3 in the 30th over thanks to a fourth-wicket stand of 63
between Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul. However, Kishan failed to get the proper
elevation when attempting to hit Charith Asalanka over short extra-cover, and
Rahul was then hit by another ball that became lodged in the field. Then, with
the final ball of his spell, Wellalage dealt India a crucial blow by finding
sharp turn to have Hardik Pandya caught behind while defending, forcing India
to make the most of their additional batting depth, which now includes Axar
Patel at No. 8.
In India’s defence, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj
received the new ball from opposite ends. The superiority of these two over Sri
Lanka’s injured pace attack was instantly apparent, with the scoreboard
displaying 25 for 3 after the ninth over. Both found swing, but the movement
and bounce they wrung out by pounding on the shorter side of a good length was
more crucial.
With a 43-run partnership for the fourth wicket,
Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama helped Sri Lanka recover before Kuldeep
Yadav, who had just taken five wickets against Pakistan, produced his first
incision. Early on, after primarily bowling his typical stump-to-stump line, he
went wider and found a sharp turn to stump a charging, flailing Samarawickrama.
Even after Axar was taken out of the assault, De Silva
and Wellalage continued to score rapidly and started to play shots that would
have scared India a lot. However, after four calm overs from Bumrah, Hardik,
and Jadeja that combined for just nine runs, Wellalage stepped out to drive
Jadeja past mid-off for four. De Silva was unable to do the same over mid-on,
and India had their opening. The conclusion came quickly as Hardik sent
Theekshana back with a slower ball.