India Vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI: Spinners put hosts on top as India suffer batting collapse

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan spinners have put the hosts in total command after they dismantled India’s top batting order in the third and final ODI which is being played at R Premadasa Stadium here on Friday. Spinner Praveen Jayawickrama who was added to the squad for the final ODI scalped three wickets while Akila Dhananjaya also got three wickets. 

India were 218/8 after 40 overs. 

The third ODI between India and Sri Lanka resumed around 6:30 PM with the match being reduced to 47 overs per side after rain played spoilsport when th Sikhar Dhawan-led side were 147 for 3 in 23 overs. 

Earlier, youngsters Prithvi Shaw and Sanju Samson frittered away fantastic starts as India reached 147 for 3 in 23 overs against Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI when rain stopped play. Rain has now subsided and the match is expected to resume anytime soon. Eyeing a clean sweep in the three-match ODI series, India are at 147/3 as of now. 

Not the sight we would have wanted to see

The rain has just gotten heavier now!#TeamIndia 147/3 in 23 overs

We will be back when we have updates #SLvIND

Scorecard https://t.co/7LRDbx0DLM pic.twitter.com/L3Yf5LcveR

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 23, 2021

Shaw (49 off 49 balls) and Samson (46 off 46 balls) were breath-taking as usual but failed to once again get big scores in a game where head coach Rahul Dravid handed out as many as five maiden ODI caps.

At the time of the break, Suryakumar Yadav (22) and Manish Pandey (10) were at the crease. For Sri Lanka, off-spinner Praveen Jayawickrama, skipper Dasun Shanaka and pacer Dushmantha Chameera got a wicket each. 

Earlier, India fielded five debutants in a One-day International (ODI) for the first time in over 40 years. Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Chetan Sakariya, Krishnappa Gowtham and Rahul Chahar got their ODI caps at the R Premadasa Stadium in the inconsequential third ODI against Sri Lanka. 

The Indians have already sealed the series by winning the first two ODIs and coach Rahul Dravid decided to experiment in the final match. 

While wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson and leg-spinner Rahul Chahar have already represented India in the T20 format, batsman Rana, spin-bowling all-rounder Gowtham and left-arm seamer Sakariya are playing for India for the first time in any format. 

The last time the Indian team featured these many first-timers was back in December, 1980 against Australia in Melbourne. 

Kirti Azad, Sandeep Patil, Roger Binny, Dilip Doshi and Tirumalai Srinivasan were given their ODI caps on December 6, 1980 against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Since there was no T20 cricket back then, it was the first time all five had donned India colours in international cricket.  

Quite unsurprisingly, Indians lost that match by 66 runs after folding for just 142 in response to 208/9 made by Australia. Despite the massive loss in that match, India took back a few positives. 

Sandeep Patil, who was one of the debutants, earned the man-of-the-match award scoring 64 off 70 deliveries. All-rounders Azad and Binny as well as Patil were part of the squad that lifted the 1983 World Cup trophy. Left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi too played plenty of cricket for India, representing the country in 33 Tests and 15 ODIs. 

Brief Scores: India: 147/3 in 23 overs (Prithvi Shaw 49 not out, Sanju Samson 46 off 46 balls) vs Sri Lanka. 

India: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Nitish Rana, Hardik Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Rahul Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Chetan Sakariya. 

Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, Minod Bhanuka (wicketkeeper), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama.