3rd ODI (D/N), Indian tour of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka coughed, spluttered, tripped and stumbled their way to 217 for 9, while Jasprit Bumrah – full, straight and deceptive – claimed his first international five wicket haul, putting regular dents in the opposition’s progress. His figures were 5 for 27 from 10 overs.
For the most part, Sri Lanka’s innings felt like a two-stroke trishaw trying to scale a Kandy hillside – at no stage were they ever able to build up momentum, their progress forever frustrated by another indiscreet stroke, and the latest misjudgement of line and length. One of Bumrah’s wickets was lbw, two other batsmen he bowled, mixing up his pace to excellent effect on a pitch that at times seemed a little tacky. Backing him up were India’s spinners, constricting the opposition, as they have done all series.
For the hosts, only Lahiru Thirimanne managed to rise above mediocrity, hitting 80 off 105 balls, relying largely on placement and field manipulation over ambitious stroke-making or power. That he seemed the top order’s most natural accumulator of runs was an indictment on his team-mates: this was Thirimanne’s first ODI innings since January 2016.
The next highest score was Dinesh Chandimal’s 36 off 71 balls. Milinda Siriwardana landed some late blows to make 29 from 27 before missing a straight Bumrah delivery, but as has been the case throughout the tour, none of these batting performances will have left India feeling intimidated. It will take a truly outstanding bowling effort to prevent the visitors from sewing up the series.
It had been under somewhat strange circumstances that Bumrah eventually came by his first wicket. Niroshan Dickwella missed a full, straight delivery in the fourth over, and was adjudged lbw, only for the ball to have been proved to pitch outside the leg stump when the batsman reviewed. Next ball, Bumrah pitched another full ball on the stumps, Dickwella missed again, and though given not out initially, India overturned that decision with a review of their own. Kusal Mendis soon edged Bumrah to a diving Rohit Sharma at second slip. The two-stroke trishaw had backfired twice in quick succession.
This was when Thirimanne and Chandimal mounted something of a recovery, putting on 72 runs together, though they came very slowly – off 108 balls. Thirimanne, batting unusually at No. 4 when he was expected to open, played the stronger hand in the partnership. Chandimal hit two early boundaries, the first playing away from the body and the second because of a fielding error, but otherwise found it difficult to place the ball fruitfully, and was harangued by a series of expertly directed bouncers. He was hit on the right thumb by one from Hardik Pandya, which caused a hairline fracture.
Thirimanne was not altogether fluent either, but he settled eventually into a rhythm, using his feet to negate the modest turn, and his wrists to put the ball into vacant spaces. – Cricinfo
