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Sri Lanka have been dealt another massive blow with spin-bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series against India. He has suffered a left hamstring injury. Another leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay has been named Hasaranga's replacement for the final two ODIs.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed the news by mentioning that Hasaranga experienced pain while bowling the final ball of his spell in the first ODI.
SLC's Media release on August 3 read:
"He experienced pain in his left hamstring while delivering the last ball of his 10th over during the first ODI. An MRI performed on the player, following this, confirmed the injury."
Hasaranga played a crucial role in helping Sri Lanka achieve a tie against the formidable Indian side in the series opener on August 2.
The 27-year-old scored a defiant 35-ball 24 to help the Lankans recover from 142/6 to a competitive 230/8 in 50 overs. Hasaranga then chipped in with the game-changing wickets of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul with the ball before dismissing Kuldeep Yadav with a peach.
He finished with outstanding figures of 3/58 in 10 overs to ensure the series stayed at 0-0. They will now head into the second ODI of the three-match series at the same venue (Colombo) on August 4.
Hasaranga also played the entire preceding three-match T20I series that Sri Lanka lost by a 0-3 margin.
How has Hasaranga's replacement, Jeffrey Vandersay fared in ODIs?
Coming to Wanindu Hasaranga's replacement, Jefferey Vandersay, the leggie has previously played 22 ODIs for Sri Lanka. The 34-year-old has been reasonably impressive with 27 wickets at an average of 31.54 and an economy of 5.54 in those outings.
However, his lone game against India was a forgettable display in early 2023. In the final ODI of the three-match series, Vandersay was carted around the park for 59 runs off his seven overs with no wickets.
Yet, he boasts a stellar ODI record in Sri Lankan conditions, with 16 wickets at an average of 19.37 and an economy of 4.83 in nine matches. Vandersay debuted for Sri Lanka in 2015 and his latest international appearance came in the ODI series against Zimbabwe earlier this year. The leggie has also played 14 T20Is and a Test match for the Island nation.
