IND vs SL: In a stunning turn of events, the Indian batting lineup fell apart against Sri Lankas spinners, led by the impressive Dunith Wellalage, who claimed five wickets for 27 runs. This led to Indias humiliating 110-run defeat in the third and final ODI on Wednesday. With this victory, Sri Lanka secured a 2-0 win in the three-match series, marking their first bilateral ODI series triumph over India since 1997.India stumbles chasing 249India faced a challenging target of 249 on a pitch offering sharp turns at the Premadasa Stadium but were bowled out for a mere 138 in just 26.1 overs. The disappointing performance leaves new head coach Gautam Gambhir with much to reflect on early in his tenure. Despite Rohit Sharmas explosive 35 off 20 balls, including a remarkable 18-run over against Maheesh Theekshana, the rest of the batting order struggled to cope with the Sri Lankan spin attack.Sri Lanka seal the ODI series 2-0! What a dominant performance from our Lions! 🇱🇰🏆 #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/py9hzveaYz— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) August 7, 2024Batting woes continueVirat Kohli (20) misjudged a delivery from Wellalage and was trapped leg before. Returning from injury, Rishabh Pant was out stumped by Kusal after misreading Theekshanas flight. Debutant Riyan Parag, replacing Arshdeep Singh, was bowled by a straight delivery from Jeffrey Vandersay. Shreyas Iyer also fell to Wellalage, highlighting the struggles of Indias top-order against spin, with seven dismissals either lbw or bowled.Theekshanas comments post-match reflected on Indias difficulty with the larger Premadasa ground and turning pitch, adding to the visitors misery.Sri Lankas batting effortBefore the spin assault, Sri Lanka posted a competitive 248 for seven, thanks to Avishka Fernandos brilliant 96 off 102 balls and Kusal Mendis 59. Fernandos innings laid the foundation with partnerships of 89 with Pathum Nissanka (45) for the first wicket and 82 with Kusal for the second. Despite a mid-innings collapse engineered by Parags three-wicket haul, Fernandos aggressive play, particularly against Mohammed Siraj, set the tone for Sri Lankas innings.Brief ScorecardIndia: 258/7 in 50 Overs (Avishka Fernando 96, Kausal Mendis 59, Pathum Nissanka 45 Riyan Parag 3/54).Sri Lanka: 138/10 in 26.1 Overs (Rohit Sharma 35, Washington Sundar 30, Virat Kohli 20 Dunith Wellalage 5/27).
