Asia Cup 2023

'Aise kon bowling karta hai' - Fans react as Dunith Wellalage rips through Indian top-order with fifer in Super 4s of Asia Cup 2023

Dunith Wellalage rips through Indian top-order and went onto register his career best figure of 5/40 in Asia Cup 2023

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Rohit Kumar
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'Aise kon bowling karta hai' - Fans react as Dunith Wellalage rips through Indian top-order with fifer in Super 4s of Asia Cup 2023

In the fourth match of the Super 4s saw India taking on Sri Lanka and a win for any of the teams will mean that they will have a fixed spot in the finals of the Asia Cup 2023. After winning the toss, the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opted to bat first on a pitch that had a lot of assistance for spinners.

In this cricket encounter, Rohit Sharma started his innings impressively, showcasing his elegant batting style by skillfully dispatching boundaries. In contrast, Shubman Gill, the younger batsman, began cautiously, looking to build on the solid foundation laid by the team. Gill's innings progressed at a slow pace, taking 25 deliveries to score just 19 runs, resulting in a strike rate below 100. Unfortunately, his innings was cut short by a mesmerizing delivery from Sri Lankan spinner Wellalage in the 12th over.

Wellalage bowled a tantalizing flighted ball from around the wicket, tempting Gill into a defensive shot. However, Gill was left baffled by the spin as the ball gracefully grazed past the outside edge and hit the top of the off-stump. It was a spinner's dream delivery, capable of leaving even the most experienced batsmen in awe. Virat Kohli, riding high on his recent outstanding performance against Pakistan where he scored an unbeaten 122, entered the crease with high expectations.

Wellalage wrath demolishes Indian batting order

Wellalage, in his second over, maintained a disciplined line and length, forcing Kohli to face four consecutive dot balls. However, the fifth delivery changed the game. Wellalage opted for a shorter length, and the ball gripped the pitch, depriving Kohli of the expected pace for his flick shot. Instead, he could only chip it tamely to mid-wicket, where skipper Dasun Shanaka took the catch gleefully. Kohli was forced to leave the stage, contributing only three runs to the scoreboard.

The unorthodox spinner also continued in the 16th over when he dismissed the well-set Rohit Sharma. In contrast to his previous deliveries, Wellalage unleashed an arm-ball, pitching it slightly shorter. Rohit, perhaps caught off guard by the variation, opted to stay back to counter the delivery. However, the ball refused to bounce as expected, eluding the toe-end of his bat and crashing into the leg stump.

Rohit, who had battled valiantly, was left with no choice but to walk back to the pavilion after a commendable effort, scoring 53 runs from 58 deliveries. This passage illustrates Wellalage pivotal role in the match, where the spinner managed to dismiss both Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two of India's top batsmen, through skillful and deceptive bowling, changing the course of the game.

The 20-year-old left-arm orthodox then came into attack and took the wicket of well-set KL Rahul (39). Rahul was looking comfortable out in the middle and was also having a terrific partnership with Ishan Kishan. Then again on the last ball of his spell, Wellalage took the price wicket of Indian vice-captain Hardik Pandya (5) and went onto register a bowling figure of 5/40.

Let us look at how Twitter has reacted to this outstanding performance from Wellalage:Β 

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Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023