Picture : BCCI/ X
India Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh did the star turn with the ball as gritty India held their nerve and edged Sri Lanka via the Super Over in a low-scoring thriller to register a 3-0 whitewash in the T20 International series in Pallekele.
Chasing a target of 138 on a rank turner, Sri Lanka were cruising along at 110/1 in 15.1 over before they suffered another stunning collapse. The hosts lost seven wickets for 22 runs in the space of 26 balls to nearly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Sri Lanka looked on course for an easy win with 30 runs needed from as many balls with nine wickets in hand before they suffered their third successive collapse in the series.
Having got back the momentum, World champions India showed no mercy in the Super Over where Washington Sundar got both wickets giving away only two runs and then the captain fittingly completed the proceedings with a first ball sweep shot.
Spinner Washington Sundar bowled an incredible Super Over, conceding only two runs while taking two wickets before Suryakumar Yadav swept spinner Maheesh Theekshana’s first ball for a boundary to take his team to victory.
Infact, captain Suryakumar left everyone stunned when came into bowl in the 20th over with six runs to defend and got two wickets in his first two balls.
This was after Rinku, another part-timer, rolled his arm over for the first time in a T20I to bag a couple of wickets, including that of Kusal Perera (46) when all Lanka needed was 9 runs in 12 balls.
The 19th over cost India only three runs and suddenly the match that looked all but over after Khaleel Ahmed’s profligate 18th over with six wides came into life.
But when Kusal Mendis (43), Pathum Nissanka (26) and Perera (46) were in cruise control mode with stands of 58 and 52 for the first and second wicket stands, the story looked different.
Earlier, Shubman Gill (39 off 37 balls) and Riyan Parag (26 off 18 balls) added 54 runs for the sixth wicket after India were left tottering at 48 for 5 at one stage, but most of them would put hand on their hearts while admitting that the shot-selection left a lot to be desired.
Sanju Samson scored his second duck in successive matches and the manner of his dismissal would certainly bother him.
With Rishabh Pant rested, Samson got yet another opportunity but a desperate slog off debutant seamer Chamindu Wickramasinghe (1/17 in 4 overs) saw him being holed out in the deep cover.
Rinku Singh (1) after a dream first season is going through a rough patch and a moment of indiscretion brought about his downfall as the left-hander didn’t reach to the pitch of the length bowl while going for a big hit.
Suryakumar’s staple shot behind the square found a fielder and Shivam Dube (13) mostly couldn’t read the deliveries that turned away from him. Maheesh Theekshana (3/28) was the standout bowler for Lanka.
