My wicket-taking balls are leg-breaks & googlies: Akila Dananjaya

PALLEKELE: Recalled to the Sri Lankan side after five years, Akila Dananjaya almost single-handedly all but turned the tables on India in the second ODI here on Thursday. It required a heroic effort from Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat to put India 2-0 in the series.
The 23-year-old rushed to join the side late on Wednesday night after tying the knot with Nethali Tekshini at Ramadia Ran Mal Holiday Resort, Moratuwa, south of Colombo."The wedding was in the afternoon. The rituals got over around 4pm and I got back to the team hotel around 11.30pm," Dananjaya disclosed.
On Thursday afternoon he led the Lankan attack from the front, picking up a career-best six for 54 in ODIs. By dismissing Kedar Jadhav, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the space of five deliveries, Dananjaya spread panic in the rival camp. However, in spite of being adjudged the Man of the Match, Dananjaya was heart-broken as his side ended up losing the match by three wickets. "I would have returned a happy man had we won," a disappointed Dananjaya said after the match.
"I realised my off-breaks were not working on this pitch. So I decided to get back to my variations," he said. "As the target was too small to defend, we had to take wickets. So I tried a lot of variations and it went really well," he added.
Asked how he would describe himself, Dananjaya said: "I am an off-spinner, but my wicket-taking balls are the leg-breaks and googlies."
Tharanga banned, Kapugedara to lead
There was bad news for Sri Lanka as their skipper Upul Tharanga was handed a two-match ban because of his team's slow over-rate during the second ODI on Thursday. Sri Lanka were found guilty of bowling three overs short within the stipulated time.
This is the second time Tharanga has been suspended for the same offence. He was slapped with a two-match suspension.