After the nail-bitter second ODI between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the two teams lock horns with each other in the third game. The series decider between the teams took place at the same venue in Colombo.
Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bat first. But they didn’t get the kind of start they wanted. Their decision to bat first, backfired as Sri Lanka bowlers were all over them upfront. Joylord Gumboe along with Takudzwanashe Kaitano negotiated the tricky phase well at the start.
While Joylord Gumboe scored 29 runs off 34 balls, Takudzwanashe added 17 runs off 24 balls. The duo added 43 runs for the opening partnership but the introduction of spin turned the fortunes for Zimbabwe as they looked clueless.
Wanindu Hasaranga drew the first blood for his team as he sent Takudzwanashe packing and then in his next over struck twice to remove Joylord Gumboe and Craig Evans for a duck. The rain then played the spoilsport and halted the game for a while.
The rain then forced umpires to curtail the game and the match was reduced to 27 overs per side. The play after the rain break then didn’t go in favor of Zimbabwe as Sri Lanka spinners were all over them and made them look clueless.
Wanindu Hasaranga picked up seven wickets on his comeback game and ran through the opposition’s batting lineup. His sensational bowling performance helped Sri Lanka bundle out Zimbabwe for just 96 runs. Apart from him, Dilshan Madushanka, Maheesh Theekshana, and Janith Liyanage picked one wicket each.
For Zimbabwe, no batter couldn’t go past the 20-run mark apart from Gumbie. It was a torrid display of batting from them as they were bundled out inside 23 overs. They had no answers to the questions put up by the Sri Lanka bowlers and would be livid with the way they batted in the game.
SL vs ZIM Scorecard, 2nd ODI Highlights: Sri Lanka crush Zimbabwe by 8 wickets to win the series
Despite the target being very low, Zimbabwe came out with a positive intent. Richard Ngarva removed Avishka Fernando for a four-ball duck. But after that captain Kusal Medis played a sensational innings and took the game away from the opposition.
Wellington Masakadza removed Shevon Daniel for 12 runs to 28 balls but at that time game was far away from them. Skipper Mendis scored a blistering half-century and ended with the knock of unbeaten 66 runs off 51 balls. Sadeera Samarawickrama (14*) played a vital hand as Sri Lanka completed a comfortable 8-wicket win.
With the win, Sri Lanka won the series as well. The first match between the teams was washed out due to rain. The second game was a nail-biter but the hosts clinched the match with 2 wickets in hand. The series went on the island nation by a margin of 2-0. The focus now shifts towards the three-match T20I series, which will begin from 14th January.
Brief scores
Zimbabwe: 96/10 (Joylord Gumboe 29; Wanindu Hasaranga 7/19)
Sri Lanka: 97/2 (Kusal Mendis 66*; Wellington Masakadza 1/15)
