SL v. IND: The umpire rules Janith Liyanage not out, but replay confirms the same

In the first One-Day International, Sri Lanka chose to bat first after winning the toss, but their batting lineup collapsed and they were unable to take advantage of the choice. Despite Pathum Nissanka’s strong 56 off 75 knock, the lower order was unable to make a meaningful impact. After a 41-run partnership between Janith Liyanage and Dunith Wellalage, Liyanage gave up his wicket even though the umpire declared him not out.

The right-handed batsman scurried down the track, hoping for a huge hit, on Axar Patel’s second ball of the 35th over. Though it appeared to sneak past his outside edge, the ball actually bounced off wicketkeeper KL Rahul’s pads. Indian players called an appeal, but the first slip fielder got the catch. The batsman chose to leave, thinking he was out, but the umpire made the correct call and declared Liyanage the winner.

Here’s Janith Liyanage’s mishap in the game:

Ohh!! Shocker!! Janith Liyanage quits even before umpire rules out, so umpire has to raise the finger! Pathetic!!! #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/86sl6MEfJI

— Dulith Kasun (@DulithK) August 2, 2024

I made an attempt to turn the strike and sweep the ball: Dunith Wellalage

Against the run of play, Wellalage scored an undefeated 67 off 65 balls, demonstrating his resilience against the potent Indian bowling attack. With two maximums and seven boundaries hit, he amassed a decent 230 in 50 overs. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel both took two wickets to sparkle for India. Although Wellalage acknowledged that India had a strong batting lineup, he was optimistic that 231 would be a manageable goal.

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“A little bit turning—wicket. I attempted to play my typical game since I knew it was turning. I attempted to rotate the strike and sweep the ball because the wicket was slow. Although 231 is a good total, they (India) have a strong batting lineup. We have good quick bowlers and Wanindu Hasaranga, who is our best bowler. We can put up a solid fight. Hard to bat on. It’s tough to bat here with solid bowling partnerships and dot balls,” Wellalage remarked following the match.