Twitter Reactions: Avishka Fernando, Dunith Wellalage annihilate visitors in third ODI; SL win series against India after 27 years

Once more, Sri Lanka emerged victorious during the toss and chose to bat first. The hosts made a like-for-like substitution, with Maheesh Theekshana replacing Akila Dananjaya. Meanwhile, India bolstered their spin-bowling arsenal by granting Riyan Parag his ODI debut and also saw Rishabh Pant replace KL Rahul as part of their strategic adjustments.

In contrast to the first two encounters, it was the hosts who made an immediate impression this time, with Pathum Nissanka striking a couple of boundaries. Nissanka, who had been dismissed for a golden duck in the previous game by the same bowler, Mohammed Siraj, began this match with renewed vigor, as he followed up with a couple of hits to the rope.

For the first time in the series, Sri Lanka navigated the powerplay without losing a single wicket, maintaining this solid stance until the penultimate delivery of the 20th over. It was then that Axar Patel secured a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Nissanka, with Rishabh Pant executing a catch off a top-edged slog-sweep. 

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The hosts continued their ascent as Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis forged a solid partnership, progressing with notable fluency. It developed at a brisk pace, eventually yielding another stand in the 80s. Yet, it was Riyan Parag’s golden touch that turned the tide, as he claimed two pivotal wickets in successive overs. Among these, Avishka fell agonizingly short of his fourth ODI century, being dismissed just four runs shy of the milestone.

It was Siraj who trapped Sadeera Samarawickrama in front for a first-baller with a precisely executed yorker, plunging the Lankans into disarray as their score plummeted from a commanding 171/1 to a precarious 184/4 - an all-too-familiar predicament for the Lankans. The momentum of the Lankan innings faltered until the 48th and final overs, which yielded 12 and 13 runs, respectively. This late surge elevated Sri Lanka to their highest total of the series, concluding the innings at 248/7 as the teams headed into the break. 

Despite going at a run-a-ball and proving to be the most costly among the quartet of spinners, Parag emerged as the standout bowler. His ability to extract significant grip from the surface made him the most formidable threat in the bowling attack.

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Rohit Sharma commenced the innings in his usual flamboyant manner, showcasing an aggressive approach during the powerplay. Conversely, vice-captain Shubman Gill continued his streak of disappointing performances, succumbing to a modest score of 6 off 14 deliveries, after an ill-judged swing led to his leg stump being pushed back.

With Virat Kohli joining Rohit at the crease, it appeared they would adopt a more measured approach while settling in. However, shortly thereafter, Rohit's aggressive attempt at a sweep shot to a delivery that turned and bounced unexpectedly resulted in him being caught behind, granting Dunith Wellalage his first wicket of the evening.

Shortly after India reached a score of 100, Parag, who had been looking promising at the crease, was dismissed. This was followed by the departure of Shivam Dube, leaving India in dire straits at 101/8.

Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav endeavored to salvage the situation, forging a partnership where Sundar took the aggressive route while Kuldeep adopted a more restrained approach. Despite their efforts, Sundar's dismissal after a brisk 30-run knock off 25 balls led to Kuldeep being trapped LBW shortly after, securing Wellalage a crushing five-wicket haul.

This marked a historic triumph for the Lankans, as their 2-0 series victory was their first against India since 1997.

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