Asalanka helps SL tie first ODI against India

COLOMBO:

Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka took two successive wickets to force a tie in the opening one-day international after India's total ended level with the hosts on Friday.

Asalanka, an off-spinner, bowled the 48th over with India, chasing 231 for victory and needing five from 18 balls at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium.

Asalanka trapped a fighting Shivam Dube lbw for 25 as the ninth wicket and then dismissed Arshdeep Singh to bowl out India for 230 in response to the hosts' 230-8.

With no Super Over on offer, the match ended in a tie -- the second such result between the two teams in 50-over format -- and the teams go into the second of the three matches 0-0.

Dunith Wellalage stood out with his unbeaten 67 in Sri Lanka's innings and then took two wickets including skipper Rohit Sharma for 58 with his left-arm spin.

Wanindu Hasranga, a leg-spinner, and Asalanka took three wickets each to rattle the Indian batting with regular strikes.

KL Rahul, who made 31, and Axar Patel, who scored 33, attempted to put the chase on track in their sixth-wicket partnership of 57 but after they departed India slipped.

Dube, a left-hand batsman, attempted to hit back with his two sixes in his 24-ball knock but failed to take the team over the line.

Rohit and Virat Kohli, who made 24, joined the ODI team after the the tourists swept a T20 series 3-0 under Suryakumar Yadav.

Rohit and Kohli retired from T20 internationals after India's World Cup triumph in Barbados in June. They are both part of the ODI and Test set-up with Rohit as leader.

Batting collapses made Sri Lanka suffer in the T20 matches and another scare was on the cards when the home team lost half their side in the 27th over after in-form opener Pathum Nissanka departed for 56.

Wellalage put on key partnerships including a 46-run eighth-wicket stand with Akila Dananjaya, who made 17, to take the attack to the opposition.

Wellalage batted with grit as he picked the gaps and was excellent in running between the wickets to put India's fielders under pressure.

Janith Liyanage and Hasaranga made useful contributions with 20 and 24 runs.

Left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh and left-arm spinner Axar Patel took two wickets each.

Sri Lankan handed an international debut to pace bowler Mohamed Shiraz after quicks Matheesha Pathirana (shoulder) and Dilshan Madushanka (hamstring) were ruled out of the series with injuries.

Shiraz went wicketless in an otherwise inspred bowling by the hosts.

The second match is on Sunday at the same venue.

India captain Rohit Sharma has shared his thoughts after the first ODI against Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium ended in a draw.

Sharma believed that the 231-run target set by Sri Lanka was "gettable," given the conditions. Despite India’s solid start with Rohit Sharma's 58 off 47 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, the chase became a rollercoaster.

The Indian innings saw a dramatic turn after Sharma's dismissal, with India stumbling to 132-5 in 24.2 overs. The partnership between Axar Patel (33) and KL Rahul (31) revived the chase, bringing India back into contention. Shivam Dube also made a significant impact, pushing India close to the target.

However, with just one run needed from more than two overs, Sri Lanka's captain Charith Asalanka dismissed Dube, sealing the game in a draw without a Super Over.

In the post-match presentation, Sharma acknowledged the complexity of the chase.

"The score was gettable. You have to bat well to get there. We batted well in patches. No consistent momentum. We had the upper hand. We lost a couple of wickets," Rohit said.

The opening batter also praised the Sri Lankan team's performance and conceded that the result was fair.

"With the KL-Axar partnership, we came back. Little disappointing at the end. These things happened. Sri Lanka played well. In the end, it was a fair result. It (pitch) remained the same. It's not where you can come and play your shots. You have to dig in. The game shifted towards both teams at different times. We should have got that one run," he concluded.