Sri Lanka Triumphs Over India in Thrilling Second ODI

In a thrilling match on August 4, Sri Lanka managed to defeat India by 32 runs in the second ODI held at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This victory allowed Sri Lanka to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

Chasing a target of 241 runs, the Indian team struggled and found themselves bowled out for 208 in just 42.2 overs. The standout performer for Sri Lanka was Jeffrey Vandersay, who showcased his bowling prowess by taking 6 wickets, earning him the Player of the Match award.

Captain Rohit Sharma led the Indian batting effort with a speedy 64 off 44 balls, while Axar Patel contributed 44 runs from 44 deliveries. Shubman Gill also put up a fight with a score of 35 runs, but the rest of the batting line-up faltered, with no other player managing to reach the 15-run mark.

Sri Lanka’s innings saw them post a total of 240 runs before losing 9 wickets. Avishka Fernando, Dunith Wellalage, and Kamindu Mendis were key contributors with the bat, scoring 40 runs each, while Kusal Mendis added 30 runs and Charith Asalanka helped with 25 runs.

On the bowling front for India, Washington Sundar stood out with 3 wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav took 2 wickets. Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj each picked up 1 wicket to aid in the chase.

Rohit Sharma, who had a stellar inning in the previous ODI, began the chase positively, but after his dismissal, India’s batting order collapsed under pressure, and they struggled to secure a win.

The defeat brings an end to India’s impressive streak of 11 consecutive series wins against Sri Lanka in bilateral ODIs, with their last series loss dating back to December 1997 as reported by Cricbuzz.

As the teams prepare for the third ODI, Sri Lanka looks to maintain their momentum, while India hopes to regroup and bounce back.