Sri Lanka spinner Dunith Wellalage became the first player to take a five-wicket haul against India in an ODI match on two separate occasions.
It was a Wellalage show in Colombo as India succumbed to a 110-run defeat in the third ODI against Sri Lanka.
Wellalage was the star of the show with a five-wicket haul inflicting a dent that the Indian team could never recover from.
India’s mainstays, skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel, perished in front of Wellage’s slow left-arm orthodox style of spin.
However, this was the second occasion he starred against India with a five-wicket haul in the 50-over format. At the age of 21, Wellalage became the first player to achieve the feat against India.
He took his first five-wicket haul against India in the ODI format last year at the same venue. He picked 5/40 at R Premadasa Stadium in 2023. In the third ODI, Wellalage made an everlasting impression with his figures of 5/27 in 5.1 overs.
After the match, Wellalage opened up about his experience in the post-match presentation and said, “I want to thank my skipper, teammates and coaching staff. Everyone gave me great support and that’s why I am here. We adjusted to the wicket as it was turning.
It was the same like the first two ODIs, and committed less mistakes today. The batters did a good job, and then the spinners bowled well. Everyone is supporting each other, and I am excited to be part of the team.”
While chasing 249, Wellalage provided the major blow, and other bowlers chipped in to force India to fold on 138 in 26.1 overs. Jeffery welcomed India to ‘Vander-land’ with his two wickets, and Maheesh Theekshana applied the finishing touches to seal another impressive display with the ball for Sri Lanka spinners.
Their remarkable effort sealed a thumping 110-run win for Sri Lanka and overall a 2-0 series win in the 50-over format series over the number one ODI team.
