In the third and final ODI of the series, Sri Lanka clinched a series win by defeating India. Seizing the opportunity, Sri Lanka capitalized on India’s batting collapse, led by the stellar performance of spinner Dunith Wellalage. The left-arm spinner took 5 wickets for just 27 runs, and along with Vandersay’s 2 wickets, they restricted India to a mere 134 runs. Rohit Sharma’s team suffered a crushing 110-run defeat. This marked the first time in 27 years that India lost a bilateral series to Sri Lanka, who won the series 2-0.
On Wednesday, August 7, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka chose to bat first on a slow wicket after winning the toss for the third consecutive match. Openers Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando started cautiously. Despite not losing any wickets during the powerplay, they managed only 41 runs.
The opening partnership of 89 runs off 119 balls ended with Nissanka’s departure. Avishka Fernando then joined forces with Kusal Mendis at number three to build the innings. Avishka scored a fifty, and Kusal batted fluently. Their effective partnership propelled Sri Lanka’s innings forward. Avishka neared a century but fell short, scoring 96 runs off 102 balls with the team total at 171.
Kusal Mendis stayed at the crease, anchoring the innings, but other batters failed to show similar responsibility. Captain Charith Asalanka got out after scoring 10 runs off 12 balls, and Sri Lanka began losing wickets in quick succession.
In the end, Kusal played a resilient innings of 59 runs off 82 balls before being dismissed. Kamindu Mendis remained unbeaten with a quick 23 runs off 19 balls. At the end of their 50-over innings, Sri Lanka posted a total of 248 runs for 7 wickets. For India, Riyan Parag took 3 wickets, and Mohammad Siraj, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav took 1 wicket each.
Chasing 249 runs, Rohit Sharma gave India a promising start, but his partner Shubman Gill couldn’t support him, getting bowled by Asitha Fernando for just 6 runs off 14 balls in the fifth over. Virat Kohli, batting at number three, tried to build a partnership with Rohit, but Dunith Wellalage intervened.
Rohit attempted a slog sweep off an off-stump delivery from Wellalage, but the ball turned and caught the lower part of his bat, leading to a catch by Kusal Mendis behind the stumps. Rohit scored 35 runs off 20 balls. Rishabh Pant, at number four, didn’t last long either, getting stumped off a length delivery from Maheesh Theekshana for 6 runs.
Kohli tried to stabilize the innings but couldn’t convert his start, falling leg before wicket to Wellalage for 20 runs. Before India reached 100 runs, Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer were also dismissed. Riyan Parag and Shivam Dube were taken by Vandersay. Struggling at 101 for 8, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav tried to resist.
They added 37 runs for the ninth wicket before Washington, attempting to hit Theekshana over long-off, was caught by Vandersay. Wellalage then dismissed Kuldeep, securing Sri Lanka’s victory and completing his five-wicket haul. Vandersay and Theekshana contributed with two wickets each.