Sri Lanka vs India, third ODI as it happened: Avishka Fernando guides hosts to 3-wicket win

Suryakumar Yadav is declared the player of the series for his 124 runs across the three games.

Avishka Fernando is declared the player of the match.

Sri Lanka win by 3 wickets!

Avishka Fernando’s 76 helps Sri Lanka snap their 10-match losing streak to India at home. India, however, bag the series 2-1.

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SL 220/7 after 38.4 overs: WICKET! Well, India have another one with Sri Lanka needing 7 runs for victory. Rahul Chahar has bowled a fine spell and is rewarded with his third wicket. A sharp stumping by Sanju Samson and Chamika Karunaratne has to walk back.

SL 214/6 after 36.2 overs: WICKET! Wonderful leg-spin bowling from Rahul Chahar and the well-set Avishka Fernando walks back. This time Prithvi Shaw holds on to the catch in the slips. Chahar gets his second as Fernando departs for a well-compiled 76 off 98.

SL 213/5 after 36 overs: Fernando and Mendis are taking their team towards victory with singles. Smart cricket. Fernando is unbeaten on 76 off 97, he’s been brilliant tonight. Sri Lanka need 14 off 66.

SL 195/5 after 32.5 overs: Dropped! It could have been two in two for Chahar! Ramesh Mendis pokes at it but Prithvi Shaw dropped the catch at gully. That should have been taken!

SL 195/5 after 32.4 overs: WICKET! First ODI wicket for Rahul Chahar! Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka is gone for a first ball duck and the Indians are pumped!

SL 194/4 after 32 overs: WICKET! Hardik Pandya gets hit for a four, then concedes five wides, but traps Charith Asalanka in front finally. Sri Lanka lose their fourth but remain well on top.

SL 182/3 after 31 overs: Dropped! Oh dear, this is the last thing India need. Fernando flicks it to mid-wicket and Pandey doesn’t hold on. Asalanka then cuts one for four.

SL 175/3 after 30 overs: Hardik returns to the attack and bowls a quiet over. It’s now or never for India, they need quick wickets again.

SL 164/3 after 28 overs: The runs have dried up a bit for Sri Lanka but they’re still very much in control. Avishka Fernando and Charith Asalanka are at the crease now. They need 63 runs to win off 114 balls.

SL 151/3 after 25 overs: WICKET! Another one for Chetan Sakariya! The left-arm pacer bowls one from the back of the hand and it climbs sharply on Dhananjaya de Silva. Easy caught-and-bowled. Sri Lanka need 76 to win. Can India mount another fightback?

SL 144/2 after 23 overs: WICKET! Rajapaksa (65 off 56) was dropped off the previous ball by Rana but Gowtham doesn’t make any mistake. Sakariya gets his first wicket in international cricket as Sri Lanka’s 109-run stand for the second wicket ends.

SL 138/1 after 22 overs: Hundred-run partnership comes up for Avishka Fernando and Bhanuka Rajapaksa! India continue to rotate their bowlers but there’s no stopping this duo at the moment.

SL 127/1 after 20 overs: FIFTY for Bhanuka Rajapaksa! The left-hander gets his first ODI half-century with a reverse-sweep for four. Sri Lanka’s second-wicket partnership is powering them towards victory.

SL 104/1 after 17 overs: FIFTY for Avishka Fernando! The right-hander gets his fifth half-century in ODI cricket off 53 balls.

SL 101/1 after 16 overs: Hundred up for Sri Lanka! They’re cruising in the chase. Rahul Chahar returns to the attack but struggles to get his line right and concedes four byes.

SL 91/1 after 14 overs: The runs continue to flow for Sri Lanka as Fernando and Rajapaksa find the gaps for boundaries. The game is slipping away quickly for India.

SL 71/1 after 12 overs: Tight over from Gowtham, just three runs from it. Dhawan has rotated his bowlers constantly so far in search of wickets.

SL 68/1 after 11 overs: Hardik Pandya joins the attack, bangs it in, and Rajapaksa pulls it in front of square for four. Hardik bangs it again and Sri Lanka pick up another boundary, this time over the keeper.

SL 50/1 after 9 overs: Rajapaksha picks up four down the ground but Saini comes back well with a quick delivery that cuts the left-hander in half. India need to keep picking wickets. For Sri Lanka, Avishka Fernando is a key batsman.

SL 35/1 after 5.3 overs: WICKET! K Gowtham, playing his debut ODI, strikes in his first over. Minod Bhanuka has to walk back as Chetan Sakariya takes a sharp catch at square-leg.

SL 24/0 after 4 overs: Four! Now Bhanuka decides to attack and thumps one from Sakariya straight back over for a boundary. India need quick wickets soon.

SL 20/0 after 3 overs: SIX! Stunning shot from Fernando! Saini bangs it in and the right-hander pulls it stylishly for a maximum. Sri Lanka are off to a brisk start in the chase.

SL 10/0 after 2 overs: Shot! Avishka Fernando has been impressive in the series and he gets going tonight with a crisp Blackfoot drive for four. Navdeep Saini and Chetan Sakariya have taken the new balls for India.

Sri Lanka’s chase is underway! The hosts need 227 runs to win. Can India fight back with the ball and complete a clean sweep of the series?

India all-out for 225 runs (43.1 overs)

Dushmantha Chameera gets the last wicket of Navdeep Saini with a sharp bouncer. Sri Lanka were superb after the rain delay with Praveen Jayawickrama and Akila Dananjaya leading the way.

IND 224/9 after 42.4 overs: WICKET! Rahul Chahar and Navdeep Saini’s valuable partnership ends for 29 runs as the former is dismissed by Chamika Karunaratne. Chetan Sakariya, also on debut, is the last batsman.

IND 221/8 after 41 overs: Impressive batting so far from Rahul Chahar and Navdeep Saini. They came to the crease under pressure but have applied themselves wonderfully to add 26 runs so far.

IND 209/8 after 38 overs: Relentless pressure being built by Dananjaya and and Jayawickrama but Saini and Chahar are doing well to hang in there. The duo has added 14 valuable runs so far.

IND 199/8 after 35 overs: Another top over from Akila Dananjaya. India have Rahul Chahar and Navdeep Saini at the crease now. They’ll want to get to 230 at least somehow.

India in the first 59 balls after the restart:
Runs scored: 48
Wickets lost: 5

IND 195/8 after 32.5 overs: WICKET! What is happening?! Akila Dananjaya has two wickets in three balls and Nitish Rana is on his way back. The left-hander tried to drive it on the off side but got the edge. India are in all sorts of trouble.

IND 194/7 after 32.3 overs: WICKET! It’s all Sri Lanka at the moment! India lose their fourth wicket since the restart as Gowtham misses a full-toss to get trapped in front. Dananjaya gets his second. Rahul Chahar, also on debut, is the new batsman.

IND 190/6 after 31 overs: WICKET! Huge blow to India as Suryakumar Yadav (40 off 37) is gone! Sri Lanka have been brilliant since the restart. Akila Dananjaya got the ball to turn back in and Surya was struck in front. The umpire said not out but DRS showed three reds. Nitish Rana and K Gowtham, both on debut, are at the crease for India now.

IND 187/5 after 30 overs: Nitish Rana, on debut, is the new batsman for India. The visitors need to gain some momentum by building a partnership.

IND 179/5 after 28.3 overs: WICKET! Hardik Pandya is out LBW and India have lost half their side. Praveen Jayawickrama is in the middle of a superb spell at the moment. The ball turned sharply and hit the back pad, the umpire said not out but Sri Lanka reviewed successfully.

IND 176/4 after 27 overs: Another four for Hardik! This time he clips one to the fine-leg fence. The right-hander has come to the crease full of confidence.

IND 168/4 after 26 overs: Two fours for Hardik! He was out for a duck in the last game but has gotten off to a solid start here. India need a partnership.

IND 157/4 after 24.5 overs: WICKET! Manish Pandey is out in the second over after the restart. Praveen Jayawickrama has bowled well so far, the left-arm spinner induces the edge with a ball that dipped nicely. Pandey walks back for 11. Hardik Pandya is the new batsman.

IND 155/3 after 24 overs: Two flicks off the pad and two fours for Suryakumar! The right-hander has wasted no time to get going after the restart. Eight runs come from that Chameera over.

6.30 pm: Right, the players are out on the field and we’re ready for play! India’s innings to resume at 147/3 (23 overs) with Manish Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav at the crease.

5.59 pm: We have an update on the restart. Play will resume at 6.30 pm IST and there will be 47 overs per side.

5.25 pm: Great news! It has stopped raining and the covers are off. Play should resume soon.

4.50 pm: Oh dear, it’s raining in Colombo and the players have to go off. India have Manish Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav at the crease and are 147/3 after 23 overs.

IND 147/3 after 23 overs: Four! This time Suryakumar connects the sweep and finds the gap. Fearless batting again from the in-form 30-year-old.

IND 142/3 after 22.1 overs: Suryakumar survives! Plenty of drama there. The right-hander attempted a sweep but was struck on the front pad. The umpire raised his finger before DRS took a long time to show up. The replay showed that he was struck outside off. That was close!

IND 142/3 after 22 overs: Stunning strokeplay again from Suryakumar Yadav. He first drives one from from Shanaka past mid-on for four, before playing the perfect ramp shot to pick another boundary. Talk about being a 360-degree player!

IND 132/3 after 21 overs: Jayawickrama has found his rhythm now and is getting good dip on his deliveries. India can afford to take some time to build another big partnership. The run-rate is good thanks to Shaw and Samson.

IND 127/3 after 20 overs: Suryakumar gets going with a superb drive on-the-rise through cover for four. The right-hander is in fine form at the moment. India need a big partnership.

IND 118/3 after 18.4 overs: WICKET! Another Indian batsman misses out on a half-century. This time Sanju Samson, on debut, departs for 46. Left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama tossed it up and the right-hander hit it to cover after stepping out and not reaching the pitch of the ball. India with two new batsmen at the crease all of a sudden as Suryakumar Yadav joins Manish Pandey.

IND 114/2 after 18 overs: Another tight over from Shanaka, just four singles from it. This is a big opportunity for Manish Pandey. The right-hander looked good in the previous game before suffering an unfortunate run-out at the non-striker’s end. He’ll be keen to make it count today.

IND 110/2 after 17 overs: Class batting! Sanju Samson welcomes off-spinner Ramesh Mendis to the attack with two glorious drives on the off side for four.

IND 102/2 after 15.5 overs: WICKET! Heartbreak for Prithvi Shaw as he is out LBW for 49. He tried to work the ball to the leg side but was struck plumb in front. Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka gets a big breakthrough for his team in his first over.

IND 101/1 after 15 overs: Three fours for Shaw! This is high class batting from the young right-hander. Jayawickrama tried to adjust his length but Shaw kept finding the gaps on the leg side.

IND 87/1 after 14 overs: Good over from Dananjaya, he attacked the stumps nicely. Just four runs from it.

IND 83/1 after 13 overs: Shot of the day so far! Left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama joins the attack and tosses one up, Samson steps down and goes inside-out over cover for four.

IND 76/1 after 12 overs: Quiet over from Dananjaya, just five runs from it. This is building into a solid partnership for India.

IND 71/1 after 11 overs: Shot! Samson is playing a lot more freely now that he’s got his eye in. Karunaratne decides to go short and the right-hander pulls it stylishly for four.

IND 66/1 after 10 overs: SIX! Samson decides to cut loose and steps out to hit Dananjaya straight back. There was a fielder in the deep but the right-hander struck it well. That’s the end of the first powerplay.

IND 59/1 after 9 overs: First four in ODI cricket for Samson! Karunaratne bangs it in and the right-hander cuts it over the backward point region for a boundary. Poor effort from the fielder at third man.

IND 54/1 after 8 overs: Akila Dananjaya returns to the attack and bowls a tight over. Plenty of variations there from the spin bowler and Shaw keeps a close eye.

IND 52/1 after 7 overs: Stunning strokeplay from Shaw! The right-hander picks up two fours off Chameera – first off the front foot past mid-off and then off the back foot past extra cover.

IND 44/1 after 6 overs: Sri Lanka are doing well to slow down the run-scoring, four runs come from that Karunaratne over. Samson content to take his time settling in.

IND 40/1 after 5 overs: Decent over from Chameera, five runs from it. The ball is coming off slowly at times from the pitch.

IND 35/1 after 4 overs: Shot! Chamika Karunaratne joins the attack and pitches one slightly wide, Shaw stays still and finds the narrow gap between point and extra cover for four.

IND 28/1 after 2.3 overs: WICKET! Shikhar Dhawan hit a hat-trick of fours in the previous over but edges one from Dushmantha Chameera this time. Big breakthrough for Sri Lanka. Debutant Sanju Samson is the new batsman.

IND 23/0 after 2 overs: Hat-trick of boundaries! Akila Dananjaya takes the new ball from the other end and Dhawan hits three glorious cover-drives for four first up. The off-spinner comes back well in the last two balls with LBW shouts.

IND 11/0 after 1 over: Chameera errs in line down leg and India get four byes. Shaw then dabs the ball through the keeper and slip fielder for four. Good start for India.

3.00 pm: India are batting first today after chasing in the first two games. Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan are out in the middle. Here we go!

Playing XIs

India: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan (c), Sanju Samson (w), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Nitish Rana, Hardik Pandya, Krishnappa Gowtham, Rahul Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Chetan Sakariya.

Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, Minod Bhanuka (w), Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama.

2.30 pm: TOSS – Shikhar Dhawan has won the toss and India will bat first!

“We have six changes and five debuts today. Navdeep Saini is in. We’re all excited for the game and want to finish the series on a high.”

2.27 pm: Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, K Gowtham, Rahul Chahar and Chetan Sakariya are set to make their ODI debuts today!

2.20 pm: Hello and welcome to live coverage of the third One-Day International between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo.

India coach Rahul Dravid will have to choose between experimenting and continuing the winning combination in his bid to ensure a clean sweep against Sri Lanka in the third and final one-dayer in Colombo on Friday.

While Shikhar Dhawan-led India won the first game by seven wickets, Deepak Chahar pulled a heist in the second one with his match-winning unbeaten 69 as the visitors won by three wickets.