IND vs SL 2021: 3 major talking points from Sri Lanka's fighting win in the 3rd ODI
India lost ground in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League as they fell to Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. However, by virtue of their wins in the first two games, the visitors sealed the series.
Sri Lanka notched up only their second win in the Super League after an over-rate offence in the second ODI had brought their points tally down even further. India, on the other hand, paid the price for heavy experimentation.
Here are three major talking points from the final game of the ODI series between India and Sri Lanka.
#3 Sri Lanka spinners make the most of their chance
Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka's star in the second ODI, was ruled out of the final encounter with a muscle tear. Lakshan Sandakan, for all his mystery and guile, had been rather unimpressive in the first two games.
Sri Lanka chose to replace the duo with Akila Dananjaya and Praveen Jayawickrama, both of whom returned three-wicket hauls in the third ODI by bowling exceptionally well. While the Indian batsmen found it tough to pick Dananjaya out of the hand, Jayawickrama was almost unplayable with his variations in length and pace.
It was a promising outing for both spinners against an Indian outfit known for its prowess against slow bowlers. Dananjaya, who scalped a hat-trick and conceded six sixes in the same T20I against West Indies earlier this year, will be particularly boosted by this showing.
#2 Indian batsmen fail to convert their starts yet again
India's familiar pattern with throwing away starts continued in the third ODI as no batsman crossed the 50-run mark.
Prithvi Shaw came the closest, making a run-a-ball 49 before being trapped in front by a seemingly harmless delivery from Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka. Sanju Samson, batting at No. 3 on his ODI debut, stroked his way to 46 before holing out while trying to clear the infield.
Suryakumar Yadav, adjudged the Man of the Series, tallied 40 before being caught on the front pad for the second game running. Even others like Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey and Hardik Pandya, who reached double figures, couldn't carry on and hold up one end in the Indian innings.
Sri Lanka's batsmen have been heavily criticized for throwing away their starts, but India's willow-wielders must be too. Dhawan's unbeaten 86 in the first ODI was the only big fifty in the series, and after all the clamor surrounding India batting first in the third ODI, the batting performance was a collective letdown.
#1 A sign of things to come for Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka may have won the third ODI because India weren't anywhere near full strength, but they gave a good account of themselves and can't be faulted for beating the team that was put in front of them.
Led by the astute Dasun Shanaka, who ran into criticism earlier in the series for some passive captaincy and poor decision-making with the bat, the hosts proved they won't be pushovers much longer. Despite being without several first-choice stars - Angelo Mathews, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka and Binura Fernando, to name a few - Sri Lanka put up a fight in every game.
Players like Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka and Chamika Karunaratne were gritty competitors with the bat, while Dushmantha Chameera bowled with aggression and pace. The spinners were, of course, superb.
Sri Lanka may have lost the series, but the future looks bright for the team that was hammered earlier this month by England. The only way is up for the 2011 World Cup finalists.