PALLEKELE (Sri Lanka): India’s all-round performance in the 2nd T20I helped the visitors to take a 2-0 lead against Sri Lanka in the three-match series on Sunday.
Men in Blue won the match by seven wickets which was played at the Pallekele International Criket Stadium. Due to rain, the match was shortened to 7 overs in which the Men in Blue needed 78 runs to win the match.
The visitors did not have the start which they wanted as Sanju Samson was sent back to the pavilion on the first ball of the second over. Samson went back without opening his account. He was dismissed by spinner Maheesh Theekshana.
Following Samson’s wicket, team skipper Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat along with the other opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Team India completed 50-run mark on the first ball of the fifth over as Suryakumar slammed a maximum on the bowling of right-arm seamer Matheesha Pathirana.
The second wicket to fell was of Suryakumar when the team score was 51. The right-hand batter was sent back to the dressing room after scoring 26 runs off 12 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. He was dismissed on the bowling of Pathirana.
After Suryakumar’s dismissal, all-rounder Hardik Pandya came out to bat in the middle. Pandya along with Jaiswal was able to add just 14 runs before the latter was dismissed by leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in the sixth over of the match. The southpaw scored 30 runs in 15 balls which was laced by three fours and two sixes in his innings.
India chased down the target with nine balls left and seven wickets in hand. For Sri Lanka, one wicket each was taken by Theekshana, Pathirana, and Hasaranfga in their respective spells.
Earlier in the day, Suryakumar Yadav-led side won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 161/9 in their 20 overs with the knocks from Kushal Perara (53 runs off 34 balls, 6 fours and 2 sixes), Pathum Nissanka (32 runs from 24 balls, 5 fours), and Kamindu Mendis (26 runs in 23 ballls, 4 fours).
For India, the highest wicket-taker was leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi who snapped three wickets in his spell of four overs where he conceded 26 runs. Two wickets each were bagged by Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya in their respective spells.
Brief Score: India 81/3 in 6.3 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 30, Suryakumar Yadav 26, Matheesha Pathirana 1/18) vs. Sri Lanka 161/9 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 53, Pathum Nissanka 32, Ravi Bishnoi 3/26). (ANI)