Sri Lanka's Jeffrey Vandersay achieved career-best figures of 6/33, leading to a dramatic collapse in India's batting and securing a 32-run victory for his team in the second one-day international on Sunday.
The 34-year-old Vandersay, who replaced injured spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, took the first six wickets in India's chase of 241 at Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium.
Skipper Charith Asalanka took three wickets, bowling out India for 208 and giving Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after the opener ended in a tie.
India captain Rohit Sharma scored 64, starting strong with Shubman Gill, who made 35, in a 97-run opening stand before Vandersay's leg-spin disrupted the innings.
"Lot of pressure coming into this game. I am coming after a long lay-off and I had to do something," Vandersay said after being named player of the match. "Credit to our batters. They put a competitive total on a tough wicket. That helped me to attack, keep bowling on good areas and the wickets kept coming."
Vandersay acknowledged his opportunity came due to Wanindu Hasaranga being ruled out of the series after a hamstring injury in the opener. "Wanindu Hasaranga is our number one spinner," said Vandersay. "I have understood that the selectors have a tough call to make. Whenever the opportunity comes I need to take it."
Rohit scored his second successive half-century but was dismissed attempting a reverse sweep. Kamindu Mendis took a catch at slip to dismiss Gill off Vandersay.
Vandersay continued taking wickets, including trapping Virat Kohli lbw for 14 and bowling KL Rahul for a duck, reducing India to 147-6. Axar Patel tried to revive the chase with 44 runs and a 38-run partnership with Washington Sundar, who made 15, but Asalanka broke through.
Asalanka got Patel caught and bowled, continuing the charge to bowl out India in 42.2 overs with a final run out.
"If you want to win games, we understand we have to play consistent cricket and we failed to do that today," said Rohit. "Disappointing, but these things happen."
Dunith Wellalage, who scored 39, and Kamindu, who hit 40, set up the win with a 72-run seventh-wicket stand after Sri Lanka slipped to 136-6. Kuldeep Yadav broke through, dismissing Wellalage, but Kamindu added crucial runs with Akila Dananjaya, who scored 15.
Kamindu was run out on the penultimate ball of the innings by Shreyas Iyer, while Kohli ran out Dananjaya. Asalanka won the toss and elected to bat, but the Indian bowlers took regular wickets, with Mohammed Siraj dismissing Nissanka on the first ball of the match.
Avishka Fernando made 40 and shared a 74-run second-wicket partnership with Kusal Mendis, who scored 30. Sundar dismissed Fernando and Kusal, and took Asalanka's wicket for 25, returning figures of 3-30.
The final match is on Wednesday at the same venue.
(With inputs from AFP)
John Denham
