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Nail-Biting ODI Thriller: India VS Srilanka First ODI Ends In Dramatic Tie

india sri lanka 1st odi
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A Nail-biting feeling was the reaction of the attendants present as the ODI opener reached a point of the highest tension on Friday. Charith Asalanka, the lad who wore the nation’s trust on his shoulders, was getting warmed up at the crease.

Within a stunning 9th over, he nurtured a second-to-none class in accuracy by tossing the bails of Shivam Dube and Singh with lbw and giving the balls to Arshdeep Singh, who then succeeded in taking an engaging tie from the clutches of defeat. So, it was more exciting than the whole match combined.

The contest has been replete with ups and downs. India’s ambitious plan of a 231 run target appeared to be a walk in the park when Rohit Sharma also entered the fray and batted like a burning ball.

His bat split the Colombo air wide apart, launching a six and a four to the stands (both) while the very first ball was being bowled by the new comer. The message was clear: India was going for the kill.

Shubman Gill immediately joined the team, and with the boundaries being rained down, it appeared as if Sri Lanka criket players had no solution. Debutant Mohamed Shiraz experienced the brunt of India’s attack, which was not over as they raced to 40 in only four overs. But the action was far from being over.

Noticing changes in the air, the Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka bowled a slow delivery, starting with spin. It was Dunith Wellalage who changed the game, taking a double wicket by getting rid of Gill for 16 and then Ibw Rohit who had nearly hit a ton off 47 balls. The game turned drastically, and India’s comfortably moving pace declined.

Unexpected tranquility among the Indians followed the short innings of Washington Sundar, who was sent at the top of the line-up.

It was the time for Virat Kohli and Shreyas lyer to guide the ship through the rough seas. The aggressor that he is, Kohli slashed his way with a storm of boundaries, but the show was not over. Hasaranga managed to knock Kohli low at 24.

Immediately, the following over, lyer’s stumps were blown like a pinwheel after scoring 23, letting India wobble in the middle.

Despite the target that was almost 100 runs away and with only KL Rahul, Axar Patel and Dube left, the task for India seemed Herculean. However, during the eleventh- over, Rahul and Axar put together a dogged partnership which revived the faith of their teammates to the fullest. But dusk was drawing near, and the bowling attack tightened their noose.

Hasaranga struck once again, and he took Rahul who returned with 31. Axar’s exit after scoring 33 runs took India to the edge of disaster.

Taking into account that India required five runs from the last 18 balls with only two wickets left, the match was still open for any side.

At the last moment, with tension and excitement, Dube took the course of drowning quite desperately. His absurdly complementary combinations and a towering hit of six almost made the audience go crazy.

He was ready to deliver the final spin for a six over the mid-wicket. He had a wide, long-on delivery of the leg-breaker of Wanindu Hasaranga, which he picked up and swiped over for a six. Asalanka’s choice was either to bowl the fast bowler Asitha Fernando or to play the debutant Mohamed Shiraz, but he opted to be the one to get the job done and give the Sri Lankan team a win.

People behind the curtains were God’s within Navod Asalanka’s hand that day turning things against India and having India look down after Dube and Arshdeep got Ibw in two successive balls resulting in heartbeat galluping of the fans awaiting the winner of the game.

When the Ind SL match was at an early stage, the Indian pacers Mohammad Siraj and Arshdeep did well. They were able to make the ball move in a non-predictable way, and hence, the batters’ task was to fight all difficulties coming their way.

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis ensured the Sri Lankan innings were steady. Despite the match, once the partnership seemed to be a source of the problem, Mendis was still dismissed by Dube.

The spinner Axar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar were in charge of the middle turns during the middle overs, as they were able to get the four wickets together, with Axar being the most impressive among them.

Dunith Wellalage really shined in the batting department for Sri Lanka, and he was single-handedly reviving them. Sri Lanka, however, was under pressure when they hit 101/5, but Wellalage’s hard-fighting 67 was able to help them accumulate a sum of 230.

Janith Liyanage and Dunith Wellalage felt pressure during a few probing overs by Kuldeep and Sundar. They changed the momentum of the game and set the tempo they really needed when we pitched in Gill for an over, taking 14 runs off him and thus releasing the pressure.

It was the turning point in the match when Janith Liyanage walked off owing to the fact that there was a strong appeal for a catch at slip, only to see replays revealing that he didn’t touch the ball at all. Their 41-run part in the match was the win-or-loss deciding role for Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka was at 101 for 5 runs, and they already looked like the team that was going to be over with opposition India in the most usual and common way, but they were still able to get the ball away and fly it to the other end, with the bat and yet they managed to time it with this match.

In their first ODI leading Sri Lanka, Charith Asalanka became the lucky one who made the thrilling play and was the one to send home Dube and No. 11 Arshdeep Singh one after the other on the pitch, which was a slow, dry Khettarama turner with the public dancing and singing to his music.

References:

https://revsportz.in/sri-lankas-last-gasp-heroics-force-thrilling-tie-against-india-in-first-odi/

https://www.uniindia.com/~/asalanka-s-death-over-heroics-seal-thrilling-tie-in-india-sri-lanka-clash/Sports/news/3254364.html

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/india-in-sri-lanka-2024-1442984/sri-lanka-vs-india-1st-odi-1442990/match-report

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/india-vs-sri-lanka-live-score-1st-odi-ind-vs-sl-scorecard-updates-today-match-2-august-2024-in-premadasa-stadium-colombo-101722575561546.html

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