New Delhi: New coach Gautam Gambhir’s tenure began on a positive note as India defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets via D/L method in a rain-curtained second T20I in Pallekele on Sunday that ensured their series win with a game to spare.
The match was reduced to 8 overs as Sri Lanka had posted 161/9 on being asked to bat first by India. But heavy downpour forced reduction of overs.
India were set a target of 78 runs in eight overs which they reached in 6.3 overs with Hardik Pandya finishing off the proceedings wit a nine-ball unbeaten 22.
His task made made simpler by skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s 12-ball 26, in which he hit four boundaries and a six. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal also chipped in with a 15-ball 30 that had three fours and two sixes in it.
Once the target was reset, it became easy for India to just throw their bats at everything Sri Lankan bowlers threw towards them.
Sri Lanka were left to rue their inability to cash in on a bright start while batting. The home team couldn’t finish their batting the way they started after being sent into bat.
Kusal Perera scored an aggressive half century but their innings were undone by leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi’s timely strikes.
It enbaled India to restrict India to 161/9 befroe rain intervened when India were at 6 for no loss in 0.3 overs.
Perera’s 53 off 34 balls was studded with six boundaries and two sixes. He got support from Pathum Nissanka, whose 32 came in 24 balls and had five fours.
But once Bishnoi (3/26) claimed those three wickets, including two in two balls, it snapped Sri Lanka’s momentum and allowed India to establish prominence.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka: 161/9 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 53, Pathum Nissanka 32; Ravi Bishnoi 3/26, Hardik Pandya 2/24, Arshdeep Singh 2/24) lost to India: 81/3 in 6.3 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 26, Yashasvi Jaiswal 30).
India defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets in a rain-affected second T20I to win the three-match series with a game to spare. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
