The Indian team were down and out In the chase. It was the first time they were troubled by a Sri Lankan bowler on this tour. The inexperienced, Akila Dananjaya bamboozled the Indian batsmen with his googlies and claimed six key wickets to leave India reeling at 131/7. The ice-cool MS Dhoni was losing partners at the other end, when Bhuvneshwar Kumar walked in, and provided him with able support. Kumar took his time, played out plenty of dot balls. Once he was set, and his confidence grew, Bhuvi opened his shoulders and scored an unbelievable half-century, scripting a sensational victory along with MS Dhoni, for Team India.

Virat Kohli has made a habit of winning tosses on this tour. He won his fifth consecutive toss, and hasn’t lost a single one in Sri Lanka, this year. India chose to field and went in with the same playing XI they had picked for the first game. Sri Lanka on the other hand, made three changes to their side. Dushmantha, Dananjaya and Siriwardena made their way in, as they replaced Thisara Perera, Wanidu and Sandakan in the line-up.

The first two overs of the innings were calm and free of any major events or mishaps. Jasprit Bumrah took the new ball this time around, and started off with a maiden over. Dickwella chose to keep up his reputation of being an aggressive opener and took the attack to, both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bumrah in their respective second overs. Meanwhile, Gunathilaka waited out and looked to get his eye in at the other end. Dickwella smacked Bumrah for a couple of sixes and Sri Lanka’s run rate jumped over six In the Mandatory Powerplay.

Bumrah was forced to bring in his variations early on in his spell and couldn’t search for swing, which was mostly non-existent at the start. Watching Dickwella back away, Bumrah followed him with a very full delivery that landed just before his toes, in the eighth over. Dickwella was early into his flick, not realising that it was a slower one. Dhawan at mid-wicket had to leap, and did so in due time to pluck the ball with both hands. India had their first breakthrough and the dangerous Dickwella was disappointed as he walked back.

Spin was introduced right after the end of the Mandatory Powerplay. Yuzvendra Chahal settled in to a tight spell with Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis at the crease. Hardik Pandya bowled in tandem with Chahal, and the run-rate dropped with neither of the batsmen looking to take risks. It was Yuzvendra Chahal who sent Gunathilaka back at the start of the 15th over. Having faced 36 balls for his 19 runs, the southpaw wanted to increase the pace of his innings and got down the track to a floater. He missed the ball and Dhoni had ample time to whip the bails off, despite a slight fumble.

Upul Tharana walked in and struck a couple of boundaries in an attempt to throw the pressure back on the Indians. However, his stay at the crease was short-lived, as he tentatively prodded at a Hardik Pandya good length ball. It took the edge and Kohli pouched the ball safely at first slip. Sri Lanka lost their fourth wicket inside 100, when the in-form Kusal Mendis looked to sweep Chahal against the spin. He missed and was seemingly struck in front. Mendis opted for the review, but the Hawk Eye backed the umpire’s decision with all three reds.

Angelo Mathews was left with burdening the failures of the top order once again, as he had the task of rebuilding Sri Lanka’s innings with the middle order. Hardik Pandya returned for his second spell and as soon as he bowled the first delivery of the spell, he held his left knee after the follow-through. Hardik bowled one more delivery and couldn’t take the uneasiness on his left leg. He was forced to abandon the over and walked off the field to receive treatment. Kedar Jadhav, who was handy with the ball in the first ODI, completed the over.

In the 29th over, Axar Patel got the big fish, Angelo Mathews. Easily Sri Lanka’s best batsman in the current squad. Mathews, like Mendis got out trying to sweep a spinner. He missed the ball and was caught right in front of the stumps. His attempt to build the innings came to an end, as he departed on a 41-ball 20. With half the side back in the pavilion, Kohli wanted to go for the kill and handed the ball to Jasprit Bumrah. The speedster started his second spell with his second maiden in the innings. Chamara Kapugedara had little option, but to watch the bowler closely with all the variations being used against him.

Sri Lanka finally managed to build a partnership of some substance. Siriwardena and Kapugedara rotated the strike pretty well and once they settled in, they picked up the run-rate. The flow of runs became easier for the duo as they picked up an odd boundary, in almost every over. The big shots came out during the Batting Powerplay, mostly off Siriwardena’s bat. At the end of 40 overs, Sri Lanka were 179/5 and the duo looked set to take the score close to, or beyond 250.

The Indian duo of Patel and Chahal, along with Jadhav’s part-time expertise, managed to keep a check on the attempted onslaught by the Lankans in the first half of the death overs. Siriwardana got to his half-century in what was a very good rearguard innings.

Bumrah was called on for his usual death bowling duty, and he responded well in the 45th over by deceiving Siriwardana with a clever slower delivery. Siriwardana was early into his slow and miscued the ball towards the cover region. Rohit Sharma took an easy catch. In his next over, the 47th of the innings, Bumrah came up with a peach of a yorker that was too hot to handle for Kapugedara. He was late in getting his bat down and the ball found the stumps.

In the penultimate over of the innings, Bumrah picked up his fourth wicket with another slower delivery. This time around, the length was shorter and Dananjaya was early into his heave, handing an easy catch to Axar Patel. Sri Lanka couldn’t amass a lot of runs in the final five overs and their innings ended on 236/8. They added just 20 runs to their total from the first ODI.

The clouds over Pallekele opened up during the innings break, delaying the start of the chase. Rain kept the chase from being started for over an hour, and the innings was cut short by three overs. India’s target was revised to 231, and they had to get it in 47 overs. The Indian openers got off to a sound start. In no time, Rohit Sharma took the attack to Sri Lanka’s senior-most bowler, Lasith Malinga. He picked up a full delivery and flicked it nonchalantly off his pads, dispatching the ball over the square leg fence. Rohit, who was run out unfortunately in the first ODI, when his bat got stuck as he looked to slide it in, was in no mood to waste time in this innings.

Dhawan got to terms with the pace of the pitch and picked up a few boundaries himself, while he enjoyed Rohit’s lazy elegance from the other end. Rohit was severe on anything short or with room outside the off stump. In the ninth over, Sharma pelted a short delivery, with a magnificent, front-foot pull for a maximum off Chameera. Off the very next delivery, he capitalised on a short delivery which had room written all over it. The ball soared over the third man fence. Rohit sped into the 40s in no time with those two hits.

Dhawan picked up pace, as Rohit approached his half-century. Even though the Mandatory Powerplay was over, he picked up a boundary in each of the 11th, 12th and the 13th overs. Both batsmen were in their 40s, but it was Rohit who got to his half-century first. However, he couldn’t make the most of the good start and was out on 54, when he tried to sweep Akila Dananjaya. Rohit opted for the review, but replays showed that it was a good decision by the umpire.

India wouldn’t have dreamed of what ensued after Rohit’s wicket. Milnda Siriwardana accounted for Dhawan’s wicket. He chased a delivery well down the leg side and top edged the ball towards short fine leg. Mathews sprinted forward and took a splendid catch, inches off the turf to send Dhawan to the pavilion on 49, one short of his half-century.

Akila Dananjaya set the cat among the pigeons in his next over, the 18th of the chase. On the very first delivery, he bowled the promoted Kedar Jadhav with an astounding googly. Dananjaya, who is an off-spinner, surprised Jadhav with a delivery that is usually dished out by leg-spinners. Kohli walked in at number 5, a position which he hasn’t batted in for as far as anyone can remember. He dispatched his first delivery, a poor one by all means, to the fence. However, that was the only ball he would lay his bat on, in this innings. On the next ball, Dananjaya served another googly, which Kohli tried to smother and play his trademark cover drive. The ball landed, and turned in to beat his bat, and found the stumps. Dhoni walked in and got off strike with a single off his first delivery. Rahul had the task of facing the fifth ball of what was a devastating over for India. He couldn’t survive thought! Another googly, another ball beat the bat, and found the stumps, to leave India reeling at 119/5, after the century opening stand.

Hardik Pandya joined MS Dhoni, and the duo had more than just rebuilding to do for Team India. In Dananjaya’s next over, Hardik tried to take the attack to the spinner and charged down the track to a flighted ball. The ball sneaked through the gap between bat and pad, and Hardik was stumped. India were staring down the barrel at this moment, as Axar Patel joined the former Indian skipper.

Dananjaya wasn’t happy with the five-fer that he claimed at the fall of Pandya’s wicket. He got his sixth, a left-handed batsman this time, in Axar Patel. Dananjaya got the ball to beat the bat and find the pad on this occasion. The umpire raised his finger and India lost their seventh wicket. Dananjaya’s figures at the end of the 22nd over read; 6-0-30-6.

Dhoni was waging a lone battle, as he looked to put the bad balls away whenever he was presented with an opportunity. Bhuvneshwar Kumar hung in there with MS Dhoni, as the duo stalled the collapse for a while. India crossed 150 without losing any more wickets. The partnership crossed 50 and hopes rose again among Indian fans. Sri Lanka were aware of the fact that till MS Dhoni was out in the middle, India couldn’t be ruled out of the game.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar opened his shoulders in the 38th over, when he played an authoritative slog sweep off Siriwardana’s bowling to ease the pressure off MS Dhoni. Beaming with confidence, Bhuvneshwar decided to take on the pick of the Lankan bowlers, Dananjaya, in the 40th over. Two horizontal shots off successive balls gave him a couple of boundaries – the first one a cut, and the second, a pull. India were sailing once again, as they needed 30 runs off 42 balls, with one of the world’s greatest finishers still in the middle.

Bhuvneshwar went on to overtake Dhoni’s score and sped into the 40s with a couple of deft boundaries off Chameera in the 42nd over. Soon enough, he got to his maiden fifty in ODIs, a knock that he will cherish and value for years to come. Dhoni finished with an unbeaten 45! Just when it looked like he would finish in his usual manner, with a six, Fernando bowled a wide that gave India the sole run they needed to complete this sensational victory.

Sri Lanka will be disheartened after they let their tight grip wear off in the latter half of the chase. They performed marginally better with the bat, but with the ball, they looked like a force to reckon. However, it was Dhoni’s brilliance and Kumar’s resilience that got the better of them in the end. With this victory, India lead the series 2-0, and all the three games become must-win games for the hosts. The next ODI is on Sunday, 27th August, at the same venue. Sri Lanka will gain some confidence out of the second ODI, and look to give India another fight.