Top 5 six-wicket hauls in ODIs that ended in defeat

#4 Akila Dananjaya (SL), 6/54 vs India at Kandy - 2017

Akila Dananjaya put life in the match

India were set to chase a modest total of only 237 runs by Sri Lanka in the 2nd ODI of the series. And in the first 15 overs of India’s innings, the opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan made enough mockery of the Sri Lankan bowling attack. India, at one stage, were 109 without any loss of a wicket.

This was when Dananjaya dismissed Rohit Sharma for 54. In his next over, he sent Kedar Jadhav, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul back to the pavilion. He completely bamboozled Indian middle order with his sharp turns and disciplined line and length. India were soon reduced to 131/7 with Dananjaya bagging 6 of those wickets.

However, a century partnership between MS Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped India to achieve the target without any further discomfort. Sri Lanka lost the match by 3 wickets but Dananjaya was awarded Man of the match for his memorable performance.