A brilliant effort from the Sri Lankan bowling attack led to a 32-run win over India. This victory in the second ODI gives Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the series following a tie in the first game. Chasing 241, the Indian side was bundled out for 208 in 42.2 overs. Jeffrey Vandersay was the hero of the day, taking 6 wickets in a dominant display that earned him the Player of the Match award.
Sri Lankan bowlers did a fantastic job to make a tremendous comeback and beat India by 32 runs. Despite managing to tie the first ODI, Sri Lanka has now taken a 1-0 lead by clinching the second ODI. Chasing a target of 241 runs, Men in Blue hardly managed to score 208 runs and were bowled out in 42.2 overs. The hosts’ wonder-man Jeffrey Vandersay did some real magic with his bowling and scalped 6 wickets to hand his side an important win. The right-arm leg-spinner received the Player of the Match award for his astonishing spell.
The match began dramatically with Mohammed Siraj dismissing Pathum Nissanka on the first ball for zero. Sri Lanka recovered quickly, however, as Avishka Fernando (40) and Kusal Mendis (30) put on 74 runs for the second wicket. Additional contributions came from Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama, who added 25 and 14 runs respectively.
India's spin attack performed well, consistently breaking partnerships throughout the innings. Despite the loss of wickets, Sri Lanka's tail-enders kept the momentum going with a healthy scoring rate. Kamindu Mendis and Dunith Wellalage provided crucial late runs, scoring 40 and 39 respectively to reach 240/9 in their 50 overs. On the Indian side, Washington Sundar took three wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav claimed two.
India's chase started strongly with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill putting on 97 runs for the opening stand. Rohit looked in control, scoring 64 before his dismissal. However, the game shifted in the 18th over when Vandersay took two quick wickets, putting India on the defensive. While Axar Patel fought back with 44 runs from 44 balls, the rest of the batting lineup failed to cross 15 runs, leading to India's defeat.