And they said the middle overs in an ODI are dull. India and Sri Lanka are playing a series where all of the action is contained in the exact period where the 50-over format tends to be dull. And that's largely because they have been playing these games – the first of which ended in a tie – on pitches that challenge a batter, in ways that extend far beyond technique.

The Khettarama is asking people to play cricket thinking two overs ahead; to avoid the expansive drive just even if the ball seems to be tossed up, because that juicy half-volley is actually going to dip and turn to go past the middle of the bat and take the edge through to slip.

Restraint is the very thing that India have spent the better part of two years beating out of themselves, but now it is the very thing that stands between them and a bit of a black mark on a very proud record. They have lost only five out of 22 bilateral ODI series. They have won the last 10 rubbers against Sri Lanka – a streak that will come to an end regardless of the result on Wednesday – and that is tribute to the way this Sri Lanka side has performed even though it is missing several first-teamers. They are certainly shading the middle-overs battle.

Throughout the series, the aggression of Rohit Sharma at the top of the order has made Sri Lankan fans wax nostalgic about the days when their line-up was littered with all-time greats too. In the same way perhaps, India fans might be looking at Dunith Wellalage, all of 21 years old, shepherding Sri Lanka through back-to-back collapses like someone who used to do it for them. He is one of two men in this series to strike at better than run a ball and the other one has been playing this format for almost as long as he has been alive.

In the spotlight – Virat Kohli and Avishka Fernando
Virat Kohli has only one fifty in his last 15 innings for India across formats. But here’s the thing. He doesn’t look out of form. And this is ODI cricket as well. He could probably write five different books about it – and star in their movie adaptations – and still not be done explaining how well he knows it. So a big score is probably on the horizon, and even if it isn’t, he isn’t the sort to be fussed about his numbers, not as long as he feels good in training and doesn’t have to force himself to be involved. That’s when there will be cause for worry.

Avishka Fernando is the best of both worlds. He can finesse the ball to the boundary, or if the mood strikes him, inflict that same ball to a whole lot worse. He puts attacking shots together like the rest of us put two and two together. It’s just that natural to him. Except sometime he might get carried away, which is why 26 of his 40 innings have ended at or before the 30-run mark and 17 of those innings have been single-digits. He’ll be pushing himself to justify the talent he has and take his place as one of Sri Lanka’s mainstays.

Avishka Fernando struck 96 – the highest individual score this series – and Dunith Wellalage picked up a five-for as Sri Lanka secured a first ODI bilateral series win against India in 27 years, with a dominant 110-run win in the third and final ODI in Colombo. For India, it was a culmination of their travails against spin over the past week, losing nine wickets to spinners for the third game straight – the 27 in total their most over a three-match series.

Wellalage was chief destroyer this time out with figures of 5 for 27, but at various times across the series it’s been Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, or even Charith Asalanka. But at no point – aside from during Rohit Sharma’s now expected top-order romps – have India looked like they would be able to consistently contend. But this time, even Rohit’s impact was relegated to a mere cameo – 35 off 20 – as Wellalage had him caught behind trying to sweep before he could make any significant dents into Sri Lanka’s total.

India’s struggles placed an even higher premium on Avishka’s 96 off 102 earlier in the day, which had set Sri Lanka up so well that not even a collapse that saw them lose 28 runs for five wickets could derail their innings to any significant end. Over the course of his innings, he was part of Sri Lanka’s most profitable partnerships – 89 and 82 for the first and second wickets respectively – but his innings was not a case of Sri Lanka playing spin considerably better than the opposition, rather finding a way to maximise the opportunities afforded by the seamers.

But while Siraj was having a mare, Parag was having a debut to remember. He grabbed the key wicket of Avishka, getting a leg break to slide on into his front pad, before getting another to grip, straighten and skid to trap Charith Asalanka on the crease. His best delivery though was reserved for danger man Wellalage, who was done in by one that dipped and turned, pitching middle and spinning past the outside edge to knock back off stump.

His economy rate of six an over meanwhile was impacted by some late strikes, but the rest of the spinners – Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington – proved miserly as ever, picking up a wicket apiece and none going for more than Axar’s 4.10 per over.

Parag and his spin cohorts however had to be patient for their rewards, as Sri Lanka strung together two strong stands at the top of the order. Alongside Avishka, Pathum Nissanka (45) and Kusal Mendis (59) made important contributions, but like in the first two games, Sri Lanka’s middle order succumbed swiftly and suddenly. From 171 for 1 they spluttered to 199 for 6. From midway through the 36th over when they lost Avishka, up until midway through the 48th – 72 deliveries to be precise – not a single boundary was scored, scrounging just 49 runs in the period. And from targeting a score in the region of 280, they were now struggling to reach 250.

Fortunately for them, Mendis – one of Sri Lanka’s better players of spin – was around at the death, and he was able to strike some powerful blows to help push the total towards 240. A score that seemed competitive but perhaps underwhelming considering the start provided by Avishka and co., but one that proved plenty in the end. Before this series, Sri Lanka had played 19 ODIs against India since the start of 2015, and lost 16 of those games. The most recent memories were of being bowled out for 55 at the Wankhede in the World Cup and being blasted out for 50 in the Asia Cup final last year, when Siraj took 6 for 21 at this very venue and was inflicting so much trauma it seemed more appropriate for India’s players to cuddle Sri Lanka’s batters rather than cuss at them.

But through the course of this ODI series, this Sri Lanka team, ranked seventh in ODIs, who finished ninth in last year’s World Cup and as such have not qualified for the Champions Trophy, who struggle to get their seam bowlers on the field, and who haven’t made a global-tournament semi-final in 10 years, has asked some serious questions of an India side whose ambitions are world domination. For a team not playing next year’s Champions Trophy so little beyond the present matters, in ODIs. Their only worry is whether they can be competitive in anything other than extremely spin-friendly conditions. Almost everyone in Sri Lankan cricket – players, administrators, coaches, support staff, fans – has this question in mind right now. But they will happily take Siraj being this angry at their batters. They will take Kohli being this expressive.

And they should take captain Asalanka being realistic. When asked whether he took pride in achieving a bilateral series victory over India that had eluded even greats of the Sri Lankan team such as Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Tillakaratne Dilshan and others, he said, “I don’t think we’re at the level of those players. I think we have the potential, but at ICC tournaments those players took us very far. That’s how we were able to have global recognition. I don’t think we can be equals to those players at the moment. But as a captain I’m happy we were able to defeat a team as good as this. This is a process. We have some talented players. If we manage them and look after them, we can go far.”

Sri Lanka have more modest ODI goals now than they have had in roughly 25 years. India are aiming higher than ever. Right now, it’s enough to just have shaken India up a little.

About the writer
Shahzeb Ali Rizvi is a sports aficionado with a keen eye for the intricacies of cricket and football. He can be reached at [email protected]