WATCH: Akila Dananjaya's 6-wicket-haul that almost sank entire Indian batting order

IANS

New Delhi: Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya secured his career-best figures of 6/54, albeit in a losing cause as Team India defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets in their second one-day international to go 2-0 up in the five-match series on Thursday.

The 23-year-old got the better of 6 Indian batsmen off the 7 who were dismissed yesterday before Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bhuvneswar Kumar displayed a resolute performance to complete a tricky chase under the Duckworth-Lewis method with 16 balls to spare.

After Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma put on over a hundred-run opening stand, Dhananjay was started his steamroller by trapped Sharma leg before for 54, while Dhawan (49) swept Milinda Siriwardene towards fine leg where Angelo Mathews lunged to take a stunning catch. (IND vs SL, 2nd ODI - Match Report | Full Coverage)

In came Kedar Jadhav, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul at first, second and third down, but none could last long after the maverick spinner clean bowled all three of in 5 balls.

Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel were the youngsters next victims, dismissed via a stumping and lbw respectively.

Here's the dismissal of Indian skipper Virat Kohli:

pic.twitter.com/AhGax5gUAT

— cricket (@84107010ghwj) August 24, 2017

Here's the video of all six of his dismissals:

After being introduced in the 12th over the off-spinner turned the game upside down, finishing with career-best figures of 6 for 54, though he couldn't help his side claim a victory despite such heroic performance.

Dananjaya first caught attention in Sri Lankan cricket when Mahela Jayawardene and Graham Ford picked him for Sri Lanka's World T20 campaign at home in 2012. He had hugely impressed the then Sri Lankan management as a net bowler and they wanted him fast tracked to the senior side despite the fact that he had not having played any first class cricket at all.