India’s run-chase in the first ODI against Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday ended 13 balls early when they needed just one run to win the game with two wickets in hands.
Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka (3 for 30) took matters in his hands and struck twice off successive deliveries to end the game in a stange and dramatic tie with the wickets of Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh, who tried to hit a boundary when all he was required to do was to tap it around to find the single run needed for victory.Sri Lanka scored a competitive 230 for 8 after opting to bat first, led by half-centuries from opener Pathum Nissanka (56) and Dunith Wellalage (67) lower down the order against a disciplined Indian bowling attack that shared the spoils and was led by left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s 2 for 33.
Arshdeep, who took 2 for 47 earlier, ended the game on the wrong note when he tried a big heave on the leg-side down on one knee, but missed connection and was hit on the back leg to be adjudged out lbw. He went for the review, but all the parameters were in bowler’s favour on replays.
The left-arm Indian pacer’s effort with the bat led to fans trolling him for trying to go for glory, when he was expected to keep a cool head and find a single.
Watch the dramatic end

India’s run-chase was set up by skipper Rohit Sharma’s 47-ball 58 and his 75-run opening partnership with Shubman Gill (18), but Wellalage (2 for 39) removed both the Indian openers with his left-arm spin in quick succession to bring the hosts back in the game.
Wanindu Hasaranga then kept India on the backfoot with his spell of 3 for 58, which included the important wickets of Virat Kohli (24) just when he looked to have got his eye in and KL Rahul, who was also well set at 31.
Axar (33) and Dube (25) then kept India in the chase, but it didn’t prove enough. Dube was the penultimate wicket to fall, after which the last-wicket pair of Arshdeep and Mohammed Siraj needed to score just one run. However, Arshdeep tried to hit Asalaka for a boundary and faltered in the process.
He was heavily trolled on social media by the fans after the match.

However, there were also fans who came out to support Arshdeep, who was India’s highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year in June.