In the second ODI of the India tour of Sri Lanka 2024, Sri Lanka beat India by 32 runs at the R Premadasa Stadium.
The home team won the toss and decided to bat first. The team recovered admirably after losing a wicket on the first ball itself, with Avishka Fernando (40) and Kusal Mendis (30) putting up a 70-run stand. Both batters handled the new ball pressure effectively during the powerplay and also laid the groundwork for subsequent batters. Samarawickrama (14), Charith Asalanka (25) and Janith Liyanage (12) all contributed a few runs, but it was Dunith Wellalage (39) and Kamindu Mendis (40) who carried the scoreboard with an attacking approach. Both batters scored 72 runs for the seventh wicket stand, helping Sri Lanka to reach a respectable total of 240/9 after 50 overs.
In the chase, skipper Rohit Sharma (64) once again provided India with a strong start with an aggressive half-century, which included five fours and four sixes. From the other end, Shubman Gill (35) also contributed decent runs. However, after the powerplay, the visitors kept losing wickets, with the majority succumbing to Jeffrey Vandersay’s outstanding effort with the ball. Axar Patel (44) worked hard but was unable to bat till the end. Unfortunately, India were bundled for 208 runs in 42.2 overs.
With the ball while defending, Jeffrey Vandersay grabbed six wickets at an economy rate of 3.30. Along with him, three wickets were also taken by Charith Asalanka.
In the first innings with the ball, three wickets were picked by Washington Sundar. Two wickets were plucked by Kuldeep Yadav, while one wicket each was grabbed by Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel.
Jeffrey Vandersay was adjudged Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling show. Following this result, the home unit has registered a lead in the three-match series.
Scorecard:
Sri Lanka: 240/9, Overs 50, Kamindu Mendis 40, Washington Sundar 3/30
India: 208/10, Overs 42.2, Rohit Sharma 64, Jeffrey Vandersay 6/33