Dunith Wellalage secured his maiden five-wicket haul and contributed a vital 42 when his team direly needed it. However, all efforts went in vain as India emerged victorious in the low-scoring affair against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup on the tricky Premadasa surface.
India opted to bat after winning the toss, but they failed to replicate the batting prowess they displayed against the quality attack of Pakistan. Instead, they stumbled to a mere 213, losing all their wickets.
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In the final wicket partnership, Axar Patel and Mohammad Siraj added 27 runs, a contribution that proved invaluable for their team.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma scored a half-century, but others struggled to conceal their fatigue after being on the field for the third consecutive day. Their previous Super Four match in the Asia Cup against Pakistan took two days to end due to bad weather.
Wellalage scalped the first three wickets, causing India to lose three wickets even before reaching the 100-run mark, despite an 80-run partnership in the first-wicket stand.
He went on to take two more wickets, completing his first five-wicket haul in ODIs.
Eventually, India found themselves in trouble with only 213 runs on the board.
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Surprisingly, that total proved to be enough. Kuldeep Yadav led the Indian bowling attack, claiming four wickets. He had recorded a five-for in the previous match against Pakistan.
Sri Lanka lost six wickets for 99 runs, and they seemed to be on the verge of conceding the match. However, Dhananjaya de Silva and Wellalage had a different plan. They stood firm in the middle, rekindling Sri Lanka’s hopes to secure the match. Their seventh-wicket partnership of 63 runs kept the contest alive until Dhananjaya was dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja.
Following his dismissal, Sri Lanka's hopes began to fade. They were eventually bowled out for 172 in 41.3 overs, falling 41 runs short.
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Yadav claimed four wickets for India, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja also scalped two wickets each.