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Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage starred with the ball during the Super Four encounter of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 against India at the R.Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.
Wellalage dented India's chances of posting a mammoth total, running through the top-order with his inspired spell. The crafty spinner struck on his very first ball, getting Shubman Gill out bowled with a peach of a delivery.
The left-arm spinner provided his side with two more crucial breakthroughs soon after, removing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in quick succession. Dunith Wellalage later claimed the wickets of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya to finish with figures of 5 for 40. He became the youngest Sri Lankan cricketer to bag a five-wicket haul in ODIs.
Several fans took to social media to laud the 20-year-old for his bowling exploits. Here are some of the best reactions:
Team India batters struggle to get going against Sri Lankan spinners
Team India delivered a phenomenal batting performance in their previous Super Four fixture against Pakistan at the R.Premadasa Stadium, scoring 356/2 after 50 overs.
However, they failed to replicate it against Sri Lanka at the same venue. The Sri Lankan spinners dominated the proceedings, claiming nine wickets before rain stopped play.
Along with Dunith Wellalage, part-time spinner Charith Asalanka also made a significant impact, picking up four wickets. The Men in Blue are reeling at 197/9 at the rain-enforced break.
India were off to a fantastic start, with openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill orchestrating an 80-run stand at the top. Sharma notched up a fantastic half-century, mustering 53 runs off 48 balls.
KL Rahul also came up with a fighting 39-run knock under pressure. The side kept losing wickets at regular intervals, not allowing them to up the ante.
Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj will look to add some crucial runs once the play resumes to help India register a competitive score.
