3rd ODI
Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis has helped Sri Lanka team to reach to the total of 248 Runs

Sri Lanka scored 248/7 vs India
Sri Lanka’s bid to win their first ODI series against India in nearly three decades looks on course, with a target of 249, thanks to Avishka Fernando’s 96, poised to challenge India on yet another dry surface at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Notably, India failed to chase targets of 231 and 241 in the first two ODIs respectively.
Opting to bat first for the third time in three games, openers Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando gave Sri Lanka a solid start with an 89-run stand.
As is his wont, Nissanka was the early aggressor, hitting four boundaries in the first couple of overs bowled by Mohammed Siraj, who was India’s lone pacer in this game.
The visitors had dropped Arshdeep Singh and picked Riyan Parag (making his ODI debut) to strengthen their middle-order batting after twin collapses; Rishabh Pant replaced KL Rahul as another change for the visitors.
Axar Patel broke the opening stand in the 20th over by dismissing Nissanka with a top-edged slog-sweep.
However, another solid partnership ensued, with Fernando leading this one with an attractive half-century off 65 balls.
Fernando’s play against the spinners stood out after a sluggish start against the pacers.
In Siraj’s second spell, Fernando didn’t hold back, hitting a boundary and a couple of sixes in the space of five balls.
He looked set for a well-deserved hundred but played back to a full leg break from Riyan Parag, handing the debutant his first ODI wicket.
Parag soon added the wicket of Charith Asalanka (lbw), triggering a collapse from Sri Lanka, who went from 171/1 to 199/6 as Washington Sundar and Siraj chipped in with crucial strikes.
Parag finished with three wickets, his third victim being Dunith Wellalage (bowled), helping India dominate the latter half of the middle overs.
However, like in the first two ODIs, Sri Lanka found someone to step up in the final overs, this time being Kusal Mendis.
The No.3 batter reached his fifty off 77 balls and helped his team add 31 runs in the final three overs of the innings, a phase that once again delivered Sri Lanka to a strong total on a challenging pitch.
Leave a Reply