Axar, Kuldeep and Washington thrived on a slow pitch to claim combined figures of 4 for 112 from 29 overs
Sri Lanka 230 for 8 (Wellalage 67*, Nissanka 56, Axar 2-33, Arshdeep 2-47) vs India
India's spinners thrived on a slow, dry Khettarama pitch, limiting Sri Lanka to 230 for 8 in the ODI series opener. Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar, who was picked ahead of Riyan Parag, claimed combined figures of 29-1-112-4 and often raised puffs of dust from the surface that had also been used for the LPL Qualifier 2 last month. That Sri Lanka eventually got to 230 for 8 was down to half-centuries from opener Pathum Nissanka and allrounder Dunith Wellalage.
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The first over of spin from Axar was a portent for the passage of play that was to follow. When Axar liberally tossed his first ball up outside off, he found immediate grip and turn and had Nissanka checking his drive to extra cover. Axar then got his fifth ball to kick up and rag away past the outside edge like Rangana Herath used to back in the day here. With the pitch offering plenty of purchase to the spinners, Axar didn't go searching for the magic ball and simply tossed the ball up into the footmarks created by Arshdeep Singh. After building up the pressure with figures of 5-0-11-0, Axar struck in his sixth over when he had Sadeera Samarawickrama chipping a catch to short cover for eight off 18 balls.
Kuldeep then ramped up the pressure even further on Sri Lanka's middle order with his nifty variations. After ripping a couple of deliveries past the outside edge of Charith Asalanka, he had the Sri Lanka captain guiding his stock ball straight to Rohit Sharma at first slip for 14 off 21 balls. Kuldeep could have also dismissed Wanindu Hasaranga on 8 had Rohit not dropped him at slip.
As for Washington, India's third spinner, he wasn't introduced into the attack until the 21st over. But he got into his groove immediately and beat Asalanka's outside edge with a hard-spun off break. Washington then beat the right-handed Nissanka's inside edge and pinned him lbw for 56 off 75 balls in the 27th over.
Wellalage, who was promoted to No. 7 ahead of Hasaranga, though, countered Washington's off spin, hitting him for 20 off 21 balls. He even got inventive, reverse-sweeping Washington over the two slips and ramping Mohammed Siraj fine of deep third for fours. When Arshdeep pitched one in his arc, Wellalage showed glimpses of his power, too, clearing Siraj at wide long-on. He proceeded to bring up his maiden ODI fifty, off 59 balls.
Nissanka had scored a more measured fifty after Sri Lanka opted to bat. He respected the good balls and went on the offensive only when Siraj and Arshdeep erred with their lines and lengths. He reached his half-century off 67 balls and just when he looked good for more, he fell to Washington. India could have cut his innings short on 20 had Siraj not dropped a difficult chance at fine leg in the powerplay.
Wellalage then rallied with the lower order, forging stands of 41 with Janith Liyanage, 36 with Hasaranga and 46 with Akila Dananjaya, who was selected ahead of Maheesh Theekshana.
Hasaranga, Dananjaya and Wellalage will have a bigger role to play with the ball if Sri Lanka are to defend their total.
All up, India used seven bowling options, with even Shubman Gill rolling his arm over for only the second time in his ODI career. Allrounder Shivam Dube, who had to wait more than four years for his second ODI, took his first wicket in the format when he had Kusal Mendis lbw for 14 off 31 balls with one that nipped away to hit his back pad like a quick leg cutter.
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