IND vs SL ODI: Sri Lanka is on the verge of ending a 27-year drought against India thanks to an unexpected player: Jeffrey Vandersay had the good fortune of taking six wickets in the second ODI in Colombo, helping Sri Lanka beat India and move closer to their first bilateral series win over their Asian opponent since 1997.
Due to an injury to first-choice spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, Vandersay was able to play in his first international encounter since the year-end and only his 16th for his nation since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in England in 2019.
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Hasaranga was ruled out of the series with a hamstring complaint and Vandersay was called up in his place and the 34-year-old grabbed the opportunity to dismiss India’s top six batsmen in quick succession and swing the momentum of the game and the series in his favour.
Vandersay came in to bowl the 12th over when India were at 80/0 and chasing Sri Lanka’s target of 240/9. When he completed his spell in the 24th over, the visitors were bowled out for 147/6 and the hosts were in control.
The right-arm bowler got the ball going by dismissing Indian skipper Rohit Sharma (64) and then picked up the big wickets of Shubman Gill (35), Shivam Dube (0), Virat Kohli (14), Shreyas Iyer (0) and KL Rahul (0) to hand Sri Lanka a comfortable 32-run win. This put them 1-0 up and on the verge of a rare series win over India.
You have to go back to 1997 to know when was the last time Sri Lanka beat India in a bilateral men’s ODI series and Vandersay could help his side emulate the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga and Muttiah Muralitharan, who achieved the feat 27 years ago by avoiding defeat in the final match of the series on Wednesday in Colombo.
IND vs SL ODI: Best performances by Sri Lankan bowlers in ODIs against India
Vandersay’s performance was not just a match-winning one; it was a defining moment of his career. His figures now rank among Sri Lanka’s best bowling performances in ODIs against India alongside legends like Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews.
- Muttiah Muralitharan: 7/30 in Sharjah in 2000
- Ajantha Mendis: 6/13 in Karachi in 2008
- Angelo Mathews: 6/20 in Colombo in 2009
- Jeffrey Vandersay: 6/33 in Colombo in 2024
Waiting for the series decider
As Sri Lanka prepares for the series finale in Colombo on Wednesday, Vandersay’s confidence and form will be crucial. Reflecting on his performance, Vandersay credited the team’s batsmen for setting a challenging target and acknowledged the pressure of returning after a break.
“There was a lot of pressure coming into the side. I am coming out of a layoff. It is easier to take credit (for myself),” Vandersay said after the match.
“But I want to give credit to the batters as well, who put 240 on the board.
“Hasaranga is our No.1 spinner. I got to understand the atmosphere of the team and team balance. I have to keep pushing myself.
“There was assistance in the wicket, I was trying to hit the good areas. Once I got my first wicket (Rohit), that built up my confidence.”
The loss was India’s first at ODI level since they fell to a narrow defeat against Australia in last year’s 50-over World Cup and Rohit suggested his side needs to improve in all aspects of their game if they are to level the series on Wednesday.
“When you lose a game, everything hurts. It’s not just about those 10 overs (when Vandersay picked up six wickets),” the India captain said.
“You have to play consistent cricket and we failed to do that. Little disappointed but these things happen.
“We weren’t good enough. Don’t want to look too much into how we played. But there’ll be talks about our batting in the middle overs.
“You got to adapt to what’s in front of you. With left-right (combos) we felt it’ll be easier to rotate strike. But credit to Jeffrey, he got six wickets.”
Sri Lankan team looking for a historic opportunity
The excitement is building among fans and players as they await what could be a defining moment in the history of Sri Lankan cricket.
Sri Lanka last won a bilateral ODI series against India in 1997, with legendary cricketers like Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga and Muttiah Muralitharan leading the charge.
27 years later, Vandersay and his colleagues have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of these legends and deliver a much-needed series victory to Sri Lanka.
As the squad looks to add a new chapter to their cricketing history, all eyes will be on the championship game. Will Vandersay and his group be able to take advantage of this chance and make history? The world of cricket is waiting impatiently.
IND vs SL 2nd ODI Match details:
| Category | Details |
| Match | 2nd ODI |
| Venue | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo |
| Date & Time | Sunday 4th August, 14:30 |
| Series | India in Sri Lanka, 3 ODI Series, 2024 |
| Toss | Sri Lanka elected to bat |
| Umpires | Paul Reiffel (AUS), Raveendra Wimalasiri (SL), Joel Wilson (WI) |
| India Score | 208 (42.2) |
| Sri Lanka Score | 240/9 (50.0) |
| Player of the Match | Jeffrey Vandersay |
| Match Result | Sri Lanka beat India by 32 runs |
Also Read: IND vs SL 2nd ODI: List of Records broken in low-scoring thriller in Colombo
Source: ICC
