S Poddar
Charith Asalanka emerged the hero in a pulsating one-day international that Sri Lanka and India played out to a fighting draw at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
With scores level and India needing just one run to win with two wickets in hand and 15 balls remaining, Asalanka delivered a dramatic finish as he dismissed Shivam Dube for 25 and then had Arshdeep Singh out for a duck on consecutive deliveries to ensure India were bowled out for 230 while chasing Sri Lanka’s 230-8.
This was only the second ODI tie between these teams, the first being in February 2012 when both sides scored 236-9 at the Adelaide Oval. Remarkably, this game followed another tied match just four days earlier in the final Twenty20 international in Pallekele, which India won in a super over.
The undefeated 67 by Dunith Wellalage and the patient 56 by Pathum Nissanka anchored the Sri Lankan innings to help them get a very competitive total. The likes of Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took two wickets each to help the Indians in getting their wickets.
Rohit Sharma led from the front, his first international appearance since leading India to T20 World Cup victory in June. The India skipper made a quick 58 off 47 balls, but fell with 2-39 to Wellalage. Further contributions from Kohli with 24, KL Rahul with 31 and Patel with 33 kept India in the chase but could not quite seal it as Wanindu Hasaranga took 3-58.
Though India were the favourites going into the match, they floundered under pressure. Off-spinner Asalanka showed nerves of steel in the 48th over which left Mohammed Siraj stranded as the not-out batsman.
At the end of the match, Rohit Sharma commented, “The score was gettable, but you had to bat well to achieve it. We batted well in patches. It’s disappointing not to get that one run, but we won’t dwell on it too much. I am very proud of the way we fought, but we should have gotten that one run.”
The second game of this three-game series will be played at the same venue on Sunday.
