Bhuvaneswar Kumar’s maiden half-ton leads India victory after Dananjaya’s dream spell

Akila Dananjaya’s career-best 6-54 was in vain as India beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in their second one-day international to go 2-0 up in the five-match series on Thursday.

Dananjaya ran through India’s top and middle order but Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bhuvneswar Kumar batted sensibly to complete a tricky chase under the Duckworth-Lewis method with 16 balls to spare.

Chasing 231 from 47 overs after a rain intervention, India were cruising at 109 for no loss but the 23-year-old Dananjaya claimed three wickets in one over to turn the match on its head.

The Indian batsmen repeatedly failed to read Dananjaya’s googly and lost their wickets.

There had been no inkling of the impending collapse when Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan led India’s brisk reply with a century stand.

Dananjaya trapped Sharma leg before for 54 and Dhawan (49) swept Milinda Siriwardene towards fine leg where Angelo Mathews lunged to take a stunning catch.

A maverick spinner who can bowl off-spin, leg-spin, googly and even “doosra”, the ball that turns the other way, Dananjaya injected drama into the contest when he clean bowled Kedar Jadhav, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul within five balls.

He dealt two more blows to leave India reeling on 131-7 when Dhoni reprised his finisher’s role and Kumar proved a perfect foil as they bailed out India with a century partnership.

Dhoni’s risk-free 45 not out included only one boundary while Kumar hit a six and four fours in his unbeaten 53.

Earlier, paceman Jasprit Bumrah claimed 4-43 to help restrict Sri Lanka to 236-8 after India captain Kohli opted to field.

Niroshan Dickwella hitting Bumrah for a couple of sixes before being dismissed by the paceman for 31.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal struck twice to reduce Sri Lanka to 121-5 when Milinda Siriwardana and Chamara Kapugedera offered some resistance with a 91-run partnership.

Bumrah returned to torment the Sri Lankans with his unorthodox action and his mastery over yorkers and slow deliveries.

The 23-year-old ended Siriwardana's run-a-ball 58, yorked Kapugedera (40) and sent back Dananjaya as Sri Lanka settled for a below-par total before it started raining.

The teams return to the venue for the third match on Sunday.

Sri Lanka Innings     

Niroshan Dickwella          c S. Dhawan b Bumrah        31 

Danushka Gunathilaka        st Dhoni b Chahal           19 

Kusal Mendis                lbw b Chahal                19 

Upul Tharanga               c Kohli b H. Pandya         9  

Angelo Mathews              lbw b A. Patel              20 

Milinda Siriwardana         c Ro. Sharma b Bumrah       58 

Chamara Kapugedera          b Bumrah                    40 

Akila Dananjaya             c A. Patel b Bumrah         9  

Dushmantha Chameera         not out                     6  

Vishwa Fernando             not out                     3  

Extras                      (b-1 lb-10 w-11)            22 

Total                       (for 8 wickets, 50 overs)   236

Fall of wickets: 1-41 N. Dickwella,2-70 D. Gunathilaka,3-81 U. Tharanga,4-99 K. Mendis,5-121 A. Mathews,6-212 M. Siriwardana,7-221 C. Kapugedera,8-230 A. Dananjaya

Did not bat: L. Malinga

Bowling               

B. Kumar                    10 - 0 - 53 - 0(w-3)           

J. Bumrah                   10 - 2 - 43 - 4                

Y. Chahal                   10 - 1 - 43 - 2                

H. Pandya                   5.2 - 0 - 24 - 1(w-2)          

A. Patel                    10 - 0 - 30 - 1(w-2)            

K. Jadhav                   4.4 - 0 - 32 - 0(w-2)          

India Innings         

Ro. Sharma                  lbw b Dananjaya             54 

S. Dhawan                   c Mathews b Siriwardana     49 

L. Rahul                    b Dananjaya                 4  

K. Jadhav                   b Dananjaya                 1  

V. Kohli                    b Dananjaya                 4  

M. Dhoni                    not out                     45 

H. Pandya                   st Dickwella b Dananjaya    0  

A. Patel                    lbw b Dananjaya             6  

B. Kumar                    not out                     53 

Extras                      (lb-1 w-14)                 15 

Total                       (for 7 wickets, 44.2 overs) 231

Fall of wickets: 1-109 Ro. Sharma,2-113 S. Dhawan,3-114 K. Jadhav,4-118 V. Kohli,5-119 L. Rahul,6-121 H. Pandya,7-131 A. Patel

Did not bat: J. Bumrah, Y. Chahal

Bowling               

Lasith Malinga              8 - 0 - 49 - 0(w-6)            

Vishwa Fernando             6.2 - 0 - 32 - 0(w-6)          

Angelo Mathews              3 - 0 - 11 - 0(w-1)            

Dushmantha Chameera         7 - 0 - 45 - 0                 

Akila Dananjaya             10 - 0 - 54 - 6                

Milinda Siriwardana         10 - 0 - 39 - 1(w-1)           

Referees              

Umpire: Ranmore Martinesz                                  

Umpire: Paul Reiffel                                       

TV umpire: Joel Wilson                                      

Match referee: Andy Pycroft                                

Result: India won by 3 wickets (D/L Method)

Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss for the fifth time in-a-row and put Sri Lanka into bat first in their 800th ODI match. The tourist makes no changes to their playing XI, retaining the same team of players who beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets in Dambulla. Sri Lanka made three changes to their playing XI bringing in Akila Dananjaya, Milinda Siriwaradana, and Dushmantha Chameera in place of Lakshan Sandakan, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Thisara Perera.

This is also the 100th ODI match of middle-order bat Chamara Kapugedara.

Kohli: The wicket played slowish in the afternoon, hopefully the pitch plays slower when it is hot. Not much grass on it. We're playing with the same team, experiments about different roles, guys bowling at different times.

Tharanga: "We would have bowled first too. The ball comes nicely onto the bat in the evening. We had a good start, we didn't capitalise. Have to be patient.

While India holds all the aces against Sri Lankan when the second of the five-match ODI series gets underway on Thursday in Pallekele, depleted Sri Lanka will hope for an improved batting performance to check the high-ridding Indians who have been barely tested so far in the series.

After their 3-0 drubbing in the Test series, India annihilated hapless hosts in the first ODI, winning it by nine wickets as Sri Lanka did not offer any challenge in Dambulla. The defeat put hosts under tremendous pressure ahead of the remaining five matches as they must win two matches in the series if they are to pip West Indies and claim the eighth direct spot for the World Cup by the September 30 deadline.

Upul Tharanga who is manning the team only for the second time since being appointed as regular limited over skipper hopes his charges will find a way out to win the second ODI.

“I believe we can do a lot more than what we did especially in the batting front. As captain, I have faith in the players.  In Dambulla were in a very good position at one stage but unfortunately, we collapsed. I believe they will play with responsibility and commitment to win the tomorrow’s game,” skipper Tharanga said.

After being put into bat first, Sri Lanka started off well and was in a dominant position of 139 for the loss of one wicket at the half way mark of their innings, but despicable batting effort thereafter saw them being restricted to 216.

Skipper also admitted a direct World Cup spot is in danger. “As a team, we go to each match to win. We are not thinking too far. Thursday’s contest is vital for us because we lost the first. To qualify for the 2019 World Cup, we have to win two matches and all the players are aware of it.”

Tharanga hinted at some changes to the playing XI but refused to elaborate.

“We have not taken a final decision, but there will be changes.”

Meanwhile, India will look to make an inaccessible lead 3-0 lead before heading into the final two matches in Colombo. The third match will also be played at Pallekele on Saturday. India has been highly dominant right through the series, hardly offering any chance for Sri Lanka who has been struggling to find their feet during the last few months.

SQUADS

Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga (captain), Niroshan Dickwella (wicketkeeper), Dhanushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Chamara Kapugedera, Milinda Siriwardana, Malinda Pushpakumara, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lasith Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando.

India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (vice captain), Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur.

ODI Fixtures

2nd ODI – 24th August – Pallakelle – 2.30 pm (D/N) 
3rd ODI – 27th August – Pallekelle – 2.30 pm (D/N) 
4th ODI – 31st August – R. Premadasa – 2.30 pm (D/N) 
5th ODI – 3rd September – R. Premadasa – 2.30 pm (D/N)