KANDY: India beat Sri Lanka in a rain-affected Twenty20 clash by seven wickets via the DLS method in Pallekele on Sunday, securing their first series win under new head coach Gautam Gambhir and T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi did the bulk of the damage with the ball for India, running through the Sri Lankan middle-order to take three wickets for 26 runs.

Missing newly-appointed T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill due to a neck spasm, India won the toss and elected to bowl after rain delayed the start of the match, restricting the hosts to 161-9.

Kusal Perera was Sri Lanka’s highest run-getter of the day, scoring 53 runs off 34 deliveries after their opening pair of Kusal Mendis (10) and Pathum Nissanka (32) were removed cheaply.

Sri Lanka had lost just two wickets for 130 runs in the first 15 overs but suffered another middle-order collapse, which saw them lose seven batters for 31 in the last five overs.

With the chase reduced after rain interrupted play, India needed 78 runs to win in eight overs with two overs of powerplay.

The visitors got off to a shaky start as Sanju Samson, who replaced Gill, fell for a golden duck. But fellow opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar stabilised the Indian innings by scoring 30 and 26 runs, respectively.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya finished things in style, blasting 22 runs off nine deliveries as India chased the target with nine balls to spare.

The series marks the start of a new era for Indian cricket, with batting stalwart Virat Kohli, test and One-Day International skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja quitting T20 internationals after India’s T20 World Cup triumph last month.

“We spoke about this before this tournament what brand of cricket we want to play, even if it’s a shorter target or whatever target we are chasing, I think this is a template which we would like to go ahead with,” Suryakumar said.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:
P. Nissanka lbw b Bishnoi 32
K.G. Mendis c Bishnoi b A. Singh 10
K. Perera c R. Singh b Pandya 53
K.D. Mendis c R. Singh b Pandya 26
C. Asalanka c Samson b A. Singh 14
D. Shanaka b Bishnoi 0
W. Hasaranga b Bishnoi 0
R. Mendis st Pant b Patel 12
M. Theekshana b Patel 2
M. Pathirana not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-10) 11
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 161
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-26 (K.G. Mendis), 2-80 Silva, 3-130 (K.D. Mendis), 4-139 (Perera), 5-140 (Shanaka), 6-140 (de Silva), 7-151 (Asalanka), 8-154 (Theekshana), 9-161 (R. Mendis)
DID NOT BAT: A. Fernando
BOWLING: Siraj 3-0-27-0 (1w), A. Singh 3-0-24-2 (1w), Axar 4-0-30-2 (1w), Bishnoi 4-0-26-3, Parag 4-0-30-0, Pandya 2-0-23-2 (6w)

INDIA:
Y. Jaiswal c Shanaka b Hasaranga 30
S. Samson b Theekshana 0
S. Yadav c Shanaka b Pathirana 26
H. Pandya not out 22
R. Pant not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-1) 1
TOTAL (for three wkts, 6.3 overs) 81
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-12 (Samson), 2-51 (Yadav), 3-65 (Jaiswal)
DID NOT BAT: R. Parag, R. Singh, A. Patel, A. Singh, R. Bishnoi, M. Siraj
BOWLING: Shanaka 1-0-12-0, Theekshana 2-0-16-1, Hasaranga 2-0-34-1, Pathirana 1.3-0-18-1
RESULT: India won by seven wickets (DLS Method).

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024