Dunith Wellalage Shines in Tied ODI Match Between Sri Lanka and India

Sri Lanka’s all-rounder Dunith Wellalage delivered an outstanding performance in the 1st ODI against India, held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Wellalage was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 67 runs off 65 balls, which included seven boundaries and two sixes. He also took two wickets in his nine-over spell, conceding just 39 runs.

Wellalage explained his strategy, saying, “They have a lot of experienced bowlers, so the more we can limit our mistakes, the more we can put pressure on them. I was watching Pathum Nissanka bat quite a lot. I put his batting in my mind as I came up with a plan. If you take the pitch, it was one that supported spin bowling. I tried to put as much pressure on the bowler and build partnerships.”

In the match, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat, scoring 230/8. Pathum Nissanka contributed 56 runs from 75 balls. India’s Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel each took two wickets. During India’s chase, Rohit Sharma scored 58 runs from 47 balls, giving India a strong start. Axar Patel and KL Rahul also made significant contributions, scoring 33 and 31 runs respectively. However, the match ended in a tie as India lost all their wickets while chasing the target. Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka each took three wickets to lead their bowling attack.