The recent SL vs Ind ODI contest saw the two teams having a tied result between themselves at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo during the first of the three-match series, as the Blue Brigade are looking for their 100th victory of the format against the respective opponent. The overall head-to-head between them still stands at a 99-57 margin in 169 encounters.
The middle overs (11-40) are the phase where the Sri Lanka side in the first game saw their dominance with the spin web. They kept it quite tight in the field placement besides hitting the right line and length quite continuously, which resulted in pressure and a wicket later on.
The Sri Lankan team, since the beginning of the year 2023, going into the second SL vs Ind game, has been quite clinical in this phase of the game. Wanindu Hasaranga is the leading wicket-taker of the middle overs, with 44 wickets in 21 innings, at an average of under 18 and a strike rate of 21.05, at an economy rate of 5.13.
The spinner has taken four five-wicket hauls and a couple of four-wicket hauls during the middle overs, with a best bowling figure of 6/17. He has been smashed for 63 boundaries and 23 sixes in this period, besides bowling 482 dots.
Maheesh Theekshana is the seventh-highest wicket-taker of the period, with 28 wickets in 23 innings, at an average of under 27, and an economy rate of 4.63, with a best-of-4/11. Both of them have held their ends quite beautifully to put constant pressure on the opponent side, which has resulted in wickets.
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This is why the Sri Lankan team, going into the SL vs Ind second ODI game, has picked up 183 wickets in 38 innings during the middle overs, at a very good economy rate too.
The Indian team has done a fantastic job during this session. The likes of Mohammad Shami and Siraj have been quite impressive with the ball in hand during this period. Kuldeep Yadav is the second-highest wicket-taker of the period, collecting 43 wickets in 29 innings at an average of 21.37 and a strike rate of under 30, with an economy rate of 4.41.
He has grabbed a five-wicket haul and a four-wicket haul each with the best of 5/25, as he also bowled 711 dot balls in 208.1 middle overs. Rabindra Jadeja has been rested during the series, but he too was quite good with 27 wickets in 23 innings in 11-40 overs, with an average of under 30 and an economy rate of 4.57.
SL vs Ind Head-to-Head in ODIs
| Sri Lanka | Info | India |
| 169 | Matches Played | 169 |
| 57 | Won | 99 |
| 99 | Lost | 57 |
| 11 | No Result | 11 |
| 411/8 | Highest Score | 414/7 |
| 50 | Lowest Score | 78 |
SL vs IND Head-to-Head in Colombo
In the last ten ODI games of the SL vs Ind at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the Indian team has registered eight victories, with Sri Lanka winning just one in 2021 and the tied result in the first of the ongoing three-match series.
SL vs IND Last Five Encounters
In the last five ODI games between these two sides, India has been unbeaten with a 4-0 margin, including the tied contest.
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SL vs IND Standout Performers
Most runs for Sri Lanka:Â Sanath Jayasuriya (2899 runs)
Most runs for India:Â Sachin Tendulkar (3113 runs)
Most wickets for Sri Lanka:Â Muttiah Muralitharan (74 wickets)
Most wickets for India:Â Zaheer Khan (66 wickets)
Key Match-ups between India and Sri Lanka players
- Rohit Sharma has managed 22 unbeaten ODI runs in 27 balls against Wanindu Hasaranga.
- Kusal Mendis has scored only 11 ODI runs in 36 balls against Mohammad Siraj, besides getting out four times.
- KL Rahul has notched up 33 runs in 55 balls against Hasaranga at a strike rate of 60, besides getting dismissed once.
