By Dhammika Ratnaweera reporting from Dambulla
Lasith Malinga, who had completed 35 years of age exactly on 46 days before on Saturday Oct 13, becomes the fourth oldest fast bowler in ODI history to take a 5-wicket haul and oldest since Wasim Akram in 2003.
Happy Lasith Malinga in a post-match interview said that it was a good feeling to find his form in Dambulla grounds in his third match after being recalled to the side. “I couldn’t get a chance to enter the national side nearly one and half years. I had to prove my fitness to enter the team.” said Malinga that he felt a bit rejuvenated and did not think that he was too old to play for his country.
Lasith Malinga who claimed the wicket of Morgan was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, taking 5/44 also completed 500 ODI wickets for Sri Lanka, the fourth Sri Lankan to do so. Only Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Rangana Herath had surpassed thd 500 mark.
“Actually I didn’t know about my 500 wickets milestone but happy that I was able to do that as well” said Malinga.
Malinga finished his opening four-over spell with taking Jason Roy’s wicket for a duck in the fourth ball of the innings. However his second spell was more effective to struggle Englishmen. In the 42nd over, Malinga struck in the 4th delivery to removed England skipper Eaon Morgan with his typical yoker to effect a return catch to complete the job himself. Malinga once again struck with a yorker to bowl Moin Ali to take back to back wickets to be on a hat-trick. However the hat-trick ball was called a no-ball while Malinga finished with 5 for 44 to complete his fifth five wicket haul in ODIs.
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