Picture : BCCI / X
Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Suryakumar Yadav displayed their wide array of strokes as India took an unassailable 2-0 lead, winning the rain-curtailed second T20I by seven wickets with nine balls to spare .
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and new captain Suryakumar couldn’t have asked for a better start to their new roles as the Indian team played like true T20 World Champions outplaying Sri Lanka in all departments.
Despite Shubman Gill’s absence due to neck spasm and another failure in the format for the ever-hyped Sanju Samson (0), Jaiswal (30 off 15 balls) and Suryakumar (26 off 12 balls) didn’t even break a sweat in their short but tricky chase of 78 in 8 overs after another fine effort by bowlers had restricted Sri Lanka to 161 for 9.
Just when Maheesh Theekshana looked dangerous getting Samson with a carrom ball and squaring up Surya with a doosra, the Mumbai duo decided to bring the sweep shot – both conventional and reverse – out of the closet.
The strategy was to not allow Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga’s deliveries to deviate off the surface and create confusion.
Instead, the India batters used their reach to good effect and smother the turn. They added 39 in 3.1 overs and by the time Surya and Jaiswal were dismissed, they had hit seven fours and three sixes between them.
It was left to Hardik Pandya (22 not out off 9 balls) and Rishabh Pant (2 not out) to complete the formalities in 6.3 overs and render the final match of the series July 30 a formality and only India whitewash the only interest left.
Indian bowling unit repeated its happy knack of effecting a collapse at the back-end as Sri Lanka ended with a below-par 161 for 9.
This was after Pathum Nissanka (32 off 24 balls) and veteran southpaw Kusal Perera (54 off 34 balls) had added 54 runs for the second wicket in six overs to set the platform only to find batters coming later blow away the opportunity.
From 130 for 2 in 15 overs, Sri Lanka suddenly had a middle-order collapse, twice in two days where they lost four wickets in a space of 10 deliveries, which also included a run-out.
Suryakumar Yadav’s bowling plans aided by Gautam Gambhir’s back-room brainstorming was evident as Bishnoi, who seemed to struggle against Sri Lankan top-order with more right-handers attacking his wrong ‘un, was kept out of the attack.
He started with the young Riyan Parag (0/30 in 4 overs), who had 10 dot balls and five boundaries but was asked to just attack the stumps with occasional turn while Axar Patel (2/30 in 4 overs) continued with his wicket-to-wicket dart-like accuracy
