Skipper Dasun Shanaka was leading from the front with a super-quick knock of 56 in 22 balls (the fastest T20 fifty by a Sri Lankan), he also, bowled the final over and took 2 for 4 as Sri Lanka produced a superb 16-run win over India in their second T20 game played at Pune, India yesterday. Dasun Shanaka was named the Man of the Match. The series is levelled 1-1.
The superb batting display by skipper Dasun Shanaka, opener Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka paved the way to build up a challenging total of 206 for 6 wickets while the Indians managed to get 190 for 8 wickets in 20 overs.
The last over was bowled by Dasun Shanaka while Axar Patel made a long-handed battle and Shivam Mavi had to get 21 runs to win. with a well-controlled over Shanaka dismissed both Patel and Mavi and gave away only 4 runs. Patel was the top scorer adding 65 runs in 31 balls with 3 fours and 6 sixes but that was not enough to reach the target.
India chasing a target of 207 were struggling at 57 for 5 wickets in 9.1 overs while Sri Lanka bowlers built the pressure with two pacemen Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka making an early breakthrough.
The opener Ishan Kishan the in-form batter was clean bowled by Kasun Rajitha in his first ball which was a good in-swinger. Kishan scored 2 runs in 5 balls while Shubman Gill made only 5 with a boundary and Rajitha took his second wicket in his first over within the space of five balls.
The debutant Rahul Tripathi started with a four but Madushanka was struck to grab his first wicket in the third over of the innings. Skipper Hardik Pandya came in as the number five batsman but he couldn’t stay long as he scored a 12-ball 12 runs as Chamika Karunaratne got his wicket and wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis took a superb diving catch to dismiss Pandya in the 5th over.
India were in deep trouble while they scored 39 runs and gave away 4 wickets during the first power play (first six overs).
Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel tried to repair the innings from 57 for five wickets to 148 for 6 wickets adding a 91-run stand but it was in vain.
Wanindu Hasaranga conceded 26 runs giving away 4 sixes while Axar Patel made an aggressive fifty in just 20 balls and Suryakumar Yadav reached his fifty in 33 balls. Dilshan Madushanka the young left-arm paceman made a vital breakthrough in the 16th over to get a dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav who scored 51 in 36 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes which was the turning point of the game.
Earlier, Sri Lanka were put into the bat first and made laid the foundation while the opening pair Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka pun on a mammoth partnership of 80-run opening stand.
Mendis the right-hander used his good experience playing in a more aggressive mood to collect his 11th T20’ fifty in just 31 balls striking 3 fours and 4 sixes while Nissanka made a good supporting role to get 33 in 35 balls with four fours and Indian seamers couldn’t control the game at this stage.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa who was promoted to number three batsman once again did not succeed when he was clean-bowled by Umran Malik with his 147kmh speedball. Charith Asalanka made a valuable knock of 37 in just 19 balls with 4 sixes but Malik dismissed Wanindu Hasaranga for a first-ball duck.
However, the seventh wicket partnership of 68 runs in just 29 balls shared between skipper Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne paved the way to build up a challenging total of 206 for six wickets in 20 overs.
The in-form batsman Shanaka who hit the fastest T-20 fifty just in 22 balls played a remarkable unbeaten knock and finished with a mighty six over Shivam Mavi who conceded 20 runs in the last over which guided him to pass the 200 mark for Sri Lanka.
The third and final T-20 will be played tomorrow (7) in Rajkot.
Chief scores:
Sri Lanka: 206 for 6 wickets in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 33, Kusal Mendis 52, Charith Asalanka 37, Dasun Shanaka 56*, Chamika Karunaratne 11*, Umran Malik 3/48, Axar Patel 2/24, Yuzvendra Chahal 1/30).
India: 190 for 8 wickets in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 51, Hardik Pandya 12, Axar Patel 65, Shivam Mavi 26, Dilshan Madushanka 2/45, Kasun Rajitha 2/22, Chamika Karunaratne 1/41, Wanindu Hasaranga 1/41, Dasun Shanaka 2/4).
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