Top 5 best bowling figures in men's ODIs for Sri Lanka ft. Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga spun a web against the Zimbabwean batters on Thursday when Sri Lanka took them on in the third ODI of the bilateral series being played between the two teams at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Hasaranga picked up 7/19 in just 5.5 overs to ensure that the visiting side were bowled out for 96 in just 22.5 overs.
Sri Lanka faced no issues while chasing these runs down, and took the series 2-0 after the first match got washed out.
Hasaranga's figures were the fifth-best in Men's ODIs overall, and second-best for Sri Lanka in this format of the game.
In this listicle, we bring you the top five bowling figures for Sri Lanka in men's ODIs.
#1 Chaminda Vaas (8-19)
The man leading this pack is Chaminda Vaas, whose 8-19 is still unsurpassed in Sri Lanka's annals of bowling history.
Vaas, who was one of the best left-arm seamers in the history of the game, picked up these magical figures against Zimbabwe at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo in 2001.
In an LG Abans Tri-Series game, Sri Lanka bowled Zimbabwe out for a paltry 38 in 15.4 overs. They chased the runs down quite comfortably in just 4.2 overs later on.
Vaas was the wrecker-in-chief for them, with the rest of the wickets being picked up by the legendary Muttiah Muralidaran.
#2 Wanindu Hasaranga (7-19)
Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga comes second on this list owing to the 7-19 he picked up against Zimbabwe on Thursday.
Once again, this came against Zimbabwe in Colombo, albeit at the R Premadasa Stadium and not the Sinhalese Sports Club.
The visitors, batting first, could only muster 96 in their essay. The game was curtailed to a 27-over-a-side fixture due to rain, and Sri Lanka chased these runs down quite comfortably in 16.4 overs.
Hasaranga spun a web against the Zimbabwean batters and gave them no room to free their arms at all.
He ran through the top order and then decimated the rest of the lineup in just 5.5 overs.
#3 Muttiah Muralidaran (7-20)
The legendary Muttiah Muralidaran, who enjoys an almost God-like status in Sri Lanka's cricketing circles, comes third on this list.
His claim to fame is the 7-20 he picked up against India in the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy in Sharjah in October 2000.
Sri Lanka batted first and put up a competitive 294-5 on the board thanks to centuries from Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene.
In India's reply, Muralidaran worked his magic and ensured that their subcontinental rivals ended well short of the target by 68 runs. Sachin Tendulkar scored a half-century for the Indians.
#4 Ajantha Mendis (6-18)
Sri Lanka's famous mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, who was all the rage in the cricketing world in the late 2010s, comes fourth on this list owing to the 6-13 he picked up against India in the 2008 Asia Cup.
Sri Lanka batted first in this game at the National Stadium in Karachi and put up 273 thanks to a swashbuckling century from Sanath Jayasuriya. India folded up meekly for 173, falling short by an exact 100 runs.
Virender Sehwag scored 60 and MS Dhoni 49, but the rest of the batters were bamboozled by Mendis' bowling. The latter gave away just 13 runs while picking up his six wickets.
#5 Farveez Maharoof (6-14)
Medium pacer Farveez Maharoof, who was a key cog in the Sri Lankan wheel in the mid-2000s, comes fifth on this list.
Maharoof picked up 6-14 against the West Indies in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
The Windies, who were the defending champions, were bowled out for a paltry 80 in 30.4 overs thanks primarily to Maharoof's efforts.
Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga picked up a brace apiece. In reply, Sri Lanka chased the runs down in just 13.2 overs.
Although Upul Tharanga got out first ball, Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene ensured that there were no further hiccups for them.