49.4 overs: Sri Lanka 238 (Thirimanne 67, Mathews 55, Tharanga 48, Bhuvneshwar 5-42) v India
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with career-best figures of 5 for 42 © AFP
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs led an impressive bowling effort from India to bowl Sri Lanka out for 238 in the fifth ODI at the Premadasa Stadium. Sri Lanka failed to build on their first century stand of the series, 122 for the fourth wicket between Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews, and lost their last seven wickets for 53 runs.
Having left out Hardik Pandya for the first time in 18 ODIs, India chose an extra specialist bowler in his stead. All of them enjoyed a productive afternoon on a slow, used surface barring Shardul Thakur, who went for 38 in a four-over new ball spell and only bowled two more overs. India do not have too much of a target between them and a 5-0 whitewash, but they will have to chase it down without a genuine allrounder at No. 7, and in less-than-perfect batting conditions.
India scored 375 on the same pitch on Thursday, but it had morphed into a drier, grippier creature by the time Upul Tharanga, returning from his two-match over-rate suspension, won the toss, which was delayed by 40 minutes thanks to rain. Tharanga then proceeded to belie the slowness of the pitch, using his gifts of eye and timing to clatter nine fours in a 34-ball 48. Thakur, only playing his second ODI, bore the brunt of his punishment, pitching too full in the search for swing and occasionally dropping short as well.
In that time, however, Niroshan Dickwella and Dilshan Munaweera fell cheaply at the other end, both batsmen driving too early at Bhuvneshwar’s knuckle ball. Bhuvneshwar’s control and changes of pace kept Sri Lanka from running away against the new ball, and India were right on top when Jasprit Bumrah got one to nip away from Tharanga off the seam to have him caught behind in the 10th over.
Sri Lanka, however, were going at over a run a ball at that point, thanks to Tharanga’s innings, and that early momentum allowed Thirimanne and Mathews the time to play themselves in as they began the rebuilding process.
More to follow…
Karthik Krishnaswamy is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo