IND vs SL: Dravid's words of wisdom for Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanka during rain break
India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI: IND were 147 for 3 in 23 overs when heavy rains halted play on Friday. It was during that time, Dravid was seen talking to Shanaka.
India head coach Rahul Dravid is an ocean of knowledge and the Indian players are not the only ones benefiting from it. The former India captain was seen spending a considerable amount of time with Sri Lanka’s new limited-overs Dasun Shanaka during the rain break in India vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
India were 147 for 3 in 23 overs when heavy rains halted play on Friday. After the downpour stopped, the ground staff needed some time to clear the water from the covers.
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It was during that time, Dravid was seen talking to Shanaka. It is not known what the two were talking about but the chances of it being about cricketing strategies are the highest.
It must have been a coincidence that Sri Lanka had their best period of play in the series when the action resumed. The match was reduced to a 47 overs-a-side affair.
The pitch suddenly had a bit of freshness and the ball would both grip and skid, making life easier for the spinners, who rocked the Indian middle-order.
The latest trend of young batters not being able to cope up with slow bowlers was on show as the middle-order looked clueless against left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama (3/59 in 10 overs) and off-spinner Akila Dananjaya (3/44 in 10 overs), who, in his second spell, blew away the lower middle order with turn and bounce.
India were bowled out for 225. Sri Lanka won the match as they chased down the target with 48 balls to spare (DLS method).
However, Prithvi Shaw (49 off 49 balls) dazzled with his breathtaking array of strokes, while Sanju Samson again made batting look easy in his run-a-ball 46.
If Shaw slog-swept Jayawickrama in front and behind square, Samson would play the inside out cover drive with effortless ease.
They added 74 runs in 13.2 overs and one can't fault anyone who was dreaming of something big as the duo injected life in a dead rubber.
However, after skipper Dasun Shanaka got one to skid and trapped Shaw, Manish Pandey's (11 off 19 balls) inclusion brought about a break in momentum.
Samson was in no mood to relent but an uppish inside-out check drive was plucked by Avishka Fernando at extra-cover, like a fruit from the tree.
Post the break, when India resumed at 147 for three, the spinners suddenly started getting more turn and the rain had spiced up the pitch.
Pandey, who, perhaps, will not get any more chance on the tour or even in near future, blew it away when Jayawickrama deceived him with a beautifully flighted delivery. It was a typical orthodox left-arm spinner's dismissal as the ball spun enough to beat Pandey, who went for an expansive drive.
Hardik Pandya (17) smashed three boundaries but Jayawickrama, already pumped up with twin scalps, got another one that turned enough to square up the colourful Baroda man.
Kumar Dharmasena's poor day just became worse as the third umpire overruled him for the umpteenth time during the match.
Suryakumar Yadav (40 off 37 balls) again batted like a dream and hit seven boundaries but just like in the last match, the ball that sharply turned in became his undoing. The propensity to keep the bat behind the pads didn't work as Dananjaya's off-break found him leg before.
Debutants Krishnappa Gowtham and IPL specialist Nitish Rana both looked out of place under lights. Gowtham played a nothing shot to a full-toss from Dananjaya while Rana was beaten for the turn.
(With PTI inputs)