In the third and final ODI between India and Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, all-rounder Riyan Parag made a memorable debut. Despite his impressive performance, Sri Lanka managed to set a competitive total of 248 for 7.
Avishka Fernando anchored the Sri Lankan innings with a well-paced knock of 96 off 102 balls. His innings provided stability and guided the home side during the most assured batting phase in the series.
Kusal Mendis played a stubborn innings, contributing 59 runs off 82 balls. His partnership with Fernando added crucial runs for Sri Lanka.
Riyan Parag’s spell
Riyan Parag, making his one-day debut, showcased his talent with the ball. His off-breaks troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen, and he finished with impressive figures of 3 wickets for 54 runs in his nine overs.
💬 💬 "You have the ability to be a match-winner for India."
Virat Kohli to Riyan Parag 🤝#TeamIndia | #SLvIND | @imVkohli | @ParagRiyan pic.twitter.com/JduLjSRCPr
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 7, 2024
Parag engineered a familiar mid-innings collapse for Sri Lanka. He dismissed skipper Charith Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage, denying them late-order momentum.
Avishka Fernando fell just short of his fourth ODI century when he was trapped lbw by Parag. His dismissal at 96 halted Sri Lanka’s push towards a higher total.
India now faces the challenge of chasing down the target to square the three-match series 1-1.
