INDIA: Half-centuries from Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka guided Sri Lanka to a 16-run win over India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The Indian bowlers lacked discipline, giving away 12 extras, seven of which were no-balls.
Fighting fifties from Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel proved insufficient after the Indian top order failed to give their team a flying start in chasing a 207-run target.
Sri Lanka Innings
Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka dominated the Indian bowlers during the Sri Lankan innings. Things became easier for the batters thanks to lacklustre bowling by the Indians.
Sri Lanka ended their quota of 20 overs at a score of 206/6. Sri Lanka was 138/6 when Shanaka came in to bat. He upped his game after he got a reprieve in the 19th over. Shanaka received a lifeline off the bowling of Arshdeep Singh in the 19th over after he holed out to long-on off a no-ball.
Pathum Nissanka chipped in with 33 runs in the 80-run partnership for the first wicket. Umran Malik claimed four wickets for India but gave away 48 runs in his four overs. Axar Patel was the most economical bowler for India, with tidy figures of 24/2.
Arshdeep Singhs’ comeback was a nightmare, as he bowled five no-balls in his final two overs. Dasun Shanaka went all out after the bowling as Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, and Shivam Mavi gave away 59 runs in the last three overs of the Sri Lankan Innings.
Shanaka, the Sri Lankan skipper, smashed six hits over the fence and two boundaries in his unbeaten innings.
India Innings
In reply, Indians were off to a rocky start. Four of the top five batters were back in the hut within the first five overs. India somehow managed to score 39 runs in the power play.
Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel joined forces and went after the Sri Lankan bowling after taking time to get their eye in. The duo hit four sixes in the fourteenth over, bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga, milking 26 runs from the over.
Axar Patel bought up his half-century in the next over with a six over long-on. Yadav followed suit and smashed Dilshan Madushanka in the sixteenth over for a six over the deep backward square, notching up his half-century.
He perished three deliveries later, ending the 91-run partnership for the sixth wicket. The new man in, Shivam Mavi, hit some delightful shots for two boundaries and a couple of sixes.
The match was as good as over for India after Axar Patel departed in the final over bowled by Dasun Shanaka. Shanaka also managed to scalp the wicket of Mavi in the final delivery of the match.
Dasun Shanaka received the Player of The Match award for his swashbuckling innings, followed by his two-wicket haul in the match.
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