Asia Cup: India register a forgettable record in ODIs
India claimed a phenomenal win over Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, to reach the Asia Cup 2023 final. The Men in Blue successfully defended 213 despite being bowled out. They restricted the Lankans to 172. Although India sealed the victory, they registered a forgettable record. They lost each of their 10 wickets to spinners, with youngster Dunith Wellalage taking a fifer.
Why does this story matter?
India's decision to bat first on a spin-friendly track in Colombo proved fruitful in the first 10 overs. However, they suffered a batting collapse thereafter. Spinner Wellalage took a five-wicket haul, while off-spinner Charith Asalanka scalped four wickets. Spinner Maheesh Theekshana took the remaining wicket. This was the first-ever instance of India losing all 10 wickets to spinners in an ODI.
A look at the notable numbers
As mentioned, India lost all 10 wickets to spinners in an ODI for the first time. In 1997, Sri Lanka's spinners took nine wickets against India at the same venue, the most for spinners against the Indian team until the Asia Cup 2023 encounter. Overall, this was the 10th time when spinners took all 10 wickets in an ODI innings.
Wellalage wreaks havoc with his maiden ODI fifer
Left-arm spinner Wellalage ran through India's top and middle order. He dismissed Shubman Gill on his first delivery of the match. Wellalage dismissed both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in his next two overs. The Lankan spinner got rid of KL Rahul, who added 63 runs with Ishan Kishan. Wellalage completed his maiden ODI fifer by removing Hardik Pandya on his match's final delivery.
Fourth SL spinner with ODI fifer against India
Wellalage took five wickets for 40 runs in 10 overs. He has become just the fourth Sri Lankan spinner to take a fifer against India in the 50-over format. He joins Muthiah Muralidaran, Ajantha Mendis, and Akila Dananjaya on this list. However, Wellalage remains the only left-arm spinner to have taken an ODI fifer against the Men in Blue.
Career-best ODI figures for Asalanka
Like Wellalage, off-spinner Asalanka recorded his career-best figures in ODI cricket. He took four wickets for just 18 runs in nine overs, including a maiden. Ishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav were his victims. Asalanka dismissed Bumrah and Kuldeep on consecutive balls. Notably, the Lankan spinner had only one ODI wicket before this match.
A look at the match's summary
India were cruising on 81/0 after electing to bat. However, India's top order departed within 20 overs. Wellalage and Asalanka ignited India's batting collapse, sharing nine wickets. However, India crawled to 213. SL lost six wickets for just 99 runs, but Dhananjaya de Silva and Wellalage kept them afloat. The Indian bowlers aced the innings' second half, with Kuldeep leading their charge.
