In the third ODI of the India tour of Sri Lanka 2024, Sri Lanka defeated India by 110 runs at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The home team once again won the toss and opted to bat first. The side got off to a strong start with both openers, Pathum Nissanka (45) and Avishka Fernando (96), putting up 89 runs. Both batters were quite aggressive in their approach, but it was Fernando, who not only got a nice start but also capitalised on it to the fullest. The right-handed batter had a brilliant outing, in which he missed his century by just four runs. Kusal Mendis (59) also looked sharp with his shot selection, as he also scored a well-earned fifty. Post this, the side collapsed, and from 171/2, the unit only managed to reach 248/7 in 50 overs. Surely the old ball played a huge role in the second half of the first inning.
For India with the bat, the unit got bundled for just 138 runs in 26.1 overs. Skipper Rohit Sharma (35) provided a positive start and had some help from Virat Kohli (20) as well. Nonetheless, other batters failed to bat long and failed miserably to Sri Lankan spinners. Washington Sundar (30) was the last hope for Indian fans, but it was already curtains for the Men in Blue.
While defending, Dunith Wellalage picked up a fifer, while two wickets each were grabbed by Maheesh Theekshana and Jeffrey Vandersay. One wicket was also plucked by Asitha Fernando.
For India with the ball, debutant Riyan Parag secured three wickets, which included SL’s highest run-getter Fernando. One wicket each was also taken by Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav.
With this win, Sri Lanka have registered the three-match series win by 2-0.
Scorecard:
Sri Lanka: 248/7, Overs 50, Avishka Fernando 96, Riyan Parag 3/54
India: 138/10, Overs 26.1, Rohit Sharma 35, Dunith Wellalage 5/34