Sri Lanka vs India 2017: 2nd ODI, 5 talking points

It was all routine stuff until Akila Dananjaya rewound the clock to 2008 where Ajantha Mendis had bamboozled India in an Asia Cup match. The new mystery spinner spun a web around the Indian middle-order with his googlies and took a five-wicket haul at the speed of light as India, cruising at one stage at 109/0, found themselves 121/6 and then 131/7.

MS Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar hung around as Upul Tharanga adamantly refused to give Akila Dananjaya his last two overs until India had closed in on victory. Bhuvneshwar finished with a fine half-century while Dhoni remained unbeaten on 45 as India romped home by three wickets.

Earlier, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah helped India reduce Sri Lanka to 236 despite the hosts getting off to a good start. Although Milinda Siriwardana and Chamara Kapugedara resurrected the innings in bits, it never proved to be enough.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 236/8 (Siriwardana 58, Bumrah 4/43) lost to India 237/7 (Rohit 54, Bhuvneshwar 53, Dananjaya 6/54)

Take a glance at the talking points from this rare exciting encounter at Pallekele.

#5 Bhuvneshwar-Dhoni compile match turning stand

Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar overcame a sizzling Dananjaya spell to take India home

The unexpected came to an end all too soon as MS Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, donning the finisher role, took India home with a century partnership with all odds stacked against them. Dananjaya had struck six times for Sri Lanka to reduce India to 131/7 and it looked like there was no way back from it.

The Dhoni of old was due a big one and it looked like he was taking India to another photo finish when Bhuvneshwar Kumar took over, slammed a half-century of the highest quality and took India home with the kind of ease and composure Indians are used to seeing only from Dhoni.

#4 Bumrah's slower balls do the talking

Bumrah dished out some smart slower balls to trump Lanka

Jasprit Bumrah once again underlined his importance to the Indian limited-overs team with an eye-catching performance, marred only by some adventurous shots by Niroshan Dickwella at the start of the innings. Bumrah, who started off with the new ball in place of Hardik Pandya, created zip off the pitch but Dickwella nailed some flicks over square leg to collect a couple of sixes off him.

Not one to be outsmarted, Bumrah set the trap for the Lankan opener and sent him back with a well disguised slower delivery. He returned in the death to get rid of Milinda Siriwardana, who was proving to Lanka's saviour, and then knocked over Chamara Kapugedara with a brilliant yorker. He then sent back Akila Dananjaya to finish with figures of 4/43.

#3 Milinda Siriwardana does the unthinkable for Lanka

Siriwardana grabbed his opportunity with both hands

Milinda Siriwardana's inclusion with both Lakshan Sandakan and Wanidu Hasaranga excluded raised quite a few eyebrows, but most of them curled back to normality as the southpaw nudged, tucked and cut his way to a run a ball half-century.

With Sri Lanka losing half their men at 121, Siriwardana and Kapugedara, figuring in his 100th ODI, resurrected the innings with a promising 91-run stand. Siriwardana, who prefers to wait on his back-foot was tested by India's spinners but looked determined to grab the opportunity that came his way. More than a flamboyant half-century, it was a street-smart one which Lanka badly needed.

#2 Rohit Sharma returns to form with half-century

Sharma found some of his missing golden touch

The moment Rohit Sharma launched Lasith Malinga in the third over beyond the mid-wicket ropes, you knew that the Mumbaikar was back with a bang. He went on to nonchalantly pull Vishwa Fernando for a four before lifting his Mumbai Indians teammate, Malinga over mid-off for another boundary.

When Chameera bowled four dots on the trot to Sharma in the ninth over, you knew something was coming up. The fifth was scooped over fine-leg for six and the last ball was cut over third man for another maximum. He soon completed his second fifty in Sri Lanka in 23 attempts before falling to the tricky Dananjaya for 54.

#1 Akila Dananjaya bowls spell of the year

Yet another mystery spinner in Sri Lanka's ranks

23 minutes. 13 balls. 6 runs. 5 wickets.

Just when it looked like India would chase down any target in their sleep, Tornado Dananjaya struck Pallekele at high velocity. 23 minutes was all it took as India's middle-order trudged in and walked back in no time. As many as three fell in an over, all to the googly as Dananjaya evoked memories of a certain Ajantha Mendis.

Jadhav, Kohli and Rahul departed in the same over, all falling to Dananjaya's googly while Hardik Pandya, attempting to get to the pitch of the ball, was duped by another wrong 'un to be stumped. Axar was trapped in front with a slider as Dananjaya struck yet another time as gloom looked in the Indian dressing room.