Five key highlights as Vandersay’s six-for helps Sri Lanka demolish India

Avishka-Mendis with a partnership

Losing Pathum Nissanka, your trustable opener, off the first ball isn’t the best result. But Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis put up a spirited partnership of 74 runs.

In particular, it was a welcome knock from Fernando, who hit a counter-attacking 62-ball 40, with four boundaries to his name. 

Washington Sundar fires all cylinders

At 74/1, India desperately needed someone to answer the bowling call, and that’s when Washington Sundar put his hand up. With figures of 3/30, Sundar’s spell broke the back of Sri Lanka’s middle-order as he removed both the well-set batters Fernando (40) and Mendis (30) before putting and end to Charith Asalanka’s 42-ball 25. 

It was Washington’s joint-best figures in ODIs. 

Sri Lanka’s late assault

Sri Lanka’s batting in this series has begun after the fall of the sixth wicket. 

At 136/6, most of the teams would be happy with 170 on board, but not Sri Lanka. Their batters from No.7 to No.11 have scored 204 runs in the series. More importantly, they have got their runs at a strike rate of 95. 

Things nearly repeated in the second ODI from the first in Colombo. As a result, Dunith Wellalage’s 35-ball 39 and Kamindu Mendis’ 44-ball 40 stretched Sri Lanka’s score to 240 after 50 overs. 

Rohit’s thunderous start

Chasing 241, Rohit Sharma batted on a completely different planet, crushing Sri Lankan bowlers. Within the blink of an eye, Rohit raced to a stunning half-century off just 29 deliveries, his second-fastest in ODI history.

But just when Rohit was hitting the ball sweetly, Jeffrey Vandersay started his spell…

Jeffrey Vandersay has the last laugh

In his first game in over six months, Vandersay proved to be Sri Lanka’s match-winner. The leg spinner, who replaced Wanindu Hasaranga in the lineup, finished with career-best figures of 6/33, picking the first six wickets to fall in India’s innings. 

Vandersay bowled tight lines with four of his wickets coming in the line of the stumps. It was also the third-best figures for a Sri Lankan spinner against India behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis. This 32-run win was Sri Lanka's first over India in three years. 

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