COLOMBO: Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka took two successive wickets to force a tie in the opening one-day international after India´s total ended level with the hosts on Friday.
Asalanka, an off-spinner, bowled the 48th over with India, chasing 231 for victory and needing five from 18 balls at Colombo´s R. Premadasa Stadium. Asalanka trapped a fighting Shivam Dube lbw for 25 as the ninth wicket and then dismissed Arshdeep Singh to bowl out India for 230 in response to the hosts´ 230-8.
With no Super Over on offer, the match ended in a tie -- the second such result between the two teams in 50-over format -- and the teams go into the second of the three matches 0-0. Dunith Wellalage stood out with his unbeaten 67 in Sri Lanka´s innings and then took two wickets including skipper Rohit Sharma for 58 with his left-arm spin.
Wanindu Hasranga, a leg-spinner, and Asalanka took three wickets each to rattle the Indian batting with regular strikes. KL Rahul, who made 31, and Axar Patel, who scored 33, attempted to put the chase on track in their sixth-wicket partnership of 57 but after they departed India slipped.
Dube, a left-hand batsman, attempted to hit back with his two sixes in his 24-ball knock but failed to take the team over the line. Rohit and Virat Kohli, who made 24, joined the ODI team after the the tourists swept a T20 series 3-0 under Suryakumar Yadav. Rohit and Kohli retired from T20 internationals after India´s World Cup triumph in Barbados in June. They are both part of the ODI and Test set-up with Rohit as leader.