The name of Jeffrey Vandersay will remain memorable for a long, long time. Of an outcast who returned from the cold of more than two years in the sidelines of the unwanted to reap havoc with the ball snatching 6 wickets for 33 runs in wrecking a much boasted of Indian batting machine for 208 runs to bowling Sri Lanka to an emphatic win by 32 runs in the second ODI at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium that was to put the hosts on course to that historic 2-nil series triumph over mighty India after 27 long years.
Vandersay was simply unplayable in exploiting a turning track to the maximum in an express display of wrist spin that stopped India’s big guns in their tracks when they were going strong on 97 for no loss in pursuit of Sri Lanka’s 240 for 9.
When Vandersay popped in the fifth change bowler, everything looked to be going India’s way with the explosive Indian skipper Rohit Sharma in full cry having blazed to the 60s off 42 balls and Subman Gill into his 30s. But Vandersay was to silence that thunder in the space of 22 balls as he saw the back of danger man Sharma off his third delivery for 64 and followed it up sending out Gill for 35 as India slipped to 117 for 2 into the first delivery of the 18th over. From then onwards it was all Vandersay as he dismissed Shivam Dube for a fourth ball duck and 11 balls later had the big wicket of Virat Kohli lunging tentatively leg before wicket for 14 as India dipped to 123 for 4 into 19.4 overs. The rest was a formality as Sri Lanka swept to victory with 46 balls to spare.
For Vandersay, as in the case of young Wellalage, it was an altogether surprise comeback from the wilderness having last played for Sri Lanka a good two years ago and what’s more a hasty call up as an injury replacement for Wanindu Hasaranga.
Thrown from the dark to the fray before the No. 1 ODI team in the world it looked like another formality for the Indians. But Vandersay was to put that dark chapter of isolation behind him to coming back like a dare devil all incarcerated as he spun a web around India’s to piercing giant wall.