![Gossip Lanka News [English]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYm2aFFq-bIW1nWX-RrqnPFoIsVos6_VCVz8BpLt0QJi55GNXHXC2fugeRvL0qUStEuCfs7Sfu6ZiSlhrkldxfGuE_wzy5gitY6rMZ2KSi8VBbGvkgXLks37RwZV-4-HKbWiNLRxB8C_r1e4z3mpxFTMPDJPEADoG8E-bZteWFipeD5KNGbjvCfqEfKw=s300 "Gossip Lanka News [English]")
The Sri Lankan team managed to record a 19-run victory in the first One-Day International (ODI) cricket match against the England team, where Dunith Wellalage, who won the Man of the Match award, made a very emotional statement dedicating the award to his late father.
Dunith stated to the media after the match that he experienced severe mental pressure after his father's sudden demise during the Asia Cup tournament, and that he believes his father is watching over him from somewhere.
Dunith Wellalage, who came into action in the final over of Sri Lanka's innings after winning the toss and batting first, fulfilled his responsibility perfectly to boost the team's score, even while Kusal Mendis, who was on 92 runs and nearing a century, was at the other end.
Dunith's unbeaten innings of 25 runs off 12 balls included one six and three fours, and this quick innings enabled the Sri Lankan team to set a challenging total of 271 runs for 6 wickets at the end of their allotted 50 overs.
He excelled with both bat and ball, taking 2 wickets for 41 runs and managing to turn the control of the match in Sri Lanka's favor. These all-round performances enabled Sri Lanka to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
It was special that he returned to the team and performed exceptionally well after being dropped from the squad named for the Pakistan ODI series. Dunith gratefully recalled that the past few months had been a very difficult period for him, and that spin bowling coach Sachith Pathirana had been a great source of strength during that time.
He particularly appreciated the support given by coaches Dhammika Sudarshana and Thamara Abeyratne from the Kettarama High-Performance Centre for the improvement of his batting, and stated that those training sessions greatly influenced his success.
Jeffrey Vandersay, who was recalled to the team, also contributed his best by taking 2 wickets for 39 runs. The rise of players like Dunith Wellalage will be a good sign for the Sri Lankan team, targeting the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup.
