Gambhir and Suryakumar have started their careers as full-time head coach and captain with two consecutive victories.
The match was stuck under dark clouds as persistent rain delayed the start by 45 minutes. Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat first. India backed on an initial swing by Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj. However, Pathum Nissanka continued his touch and batted out the powerplay. Kusal Mendis also struck two fours before getting holed out at mid-on when a slower delivery by Arshdeep outdid the Lankan opener.
The Pallekele surface offered quite a lot of turn to spinners, with even Riyan Parag bowling some off-spin delight, beating lefties outside off-stump. Ravi Bishnoi bowled a bit speedily; he was quite lethal. Meanwhile, the partnership of Nissanka and Kusal Perera laid a solid foundation. Perera continued his good form, bringing up his 15th T20I half-century. The introduction of Kamindu Mendis saw another 50-run stand, and Sri Lanka looked set for a big total at 130/2 after 15 overs.
However, a catastrophic batting implosion ensued. Hardik Pandya triggered the collapse, dismissing both Perera and Kamindu Mendis in the same over. The lower order failed to capitalize on the good work done by the top four, losing seven wickets for just 31 runs in the final five overs.
India’s spin trio of Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, and Riyan Parag were instrumental in the collapse, with Bishnoi and Axar picking up five wickets between them. Parag’s economical spell and ability to extract turn from the pitch proved crucial in restricting Sri Lanka. Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy was also impressive, as he rotated his bowlers effectively and made full use of the spin-friendly conditions.
Given that they scored 213 in the last match, India were confident about chasing down 163. However, it was to be seen how the Men in Blue tackled the spinners. If a part-timer like Riyan Parag can turn the ball square, one can expect wonders from Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Ramesh Mendis.
None of that concern panned out as rain arrived three balls into the second inning. The match was reduced to 8 overs, and the DLS target was set at 74. That made things easier for Team India. With the pitch and ground getting wet, the spinners didn’t get much help, and from the potential of them bowling 12 overs, they were cut down to 4-6.
Sanju Samson departed for a golden duck, missing out on a rare opportunity, but Yashasvi Jaiswal was in full flow. He set the platform, scoring 30(15), and got assistance from his in-form captain, Suryakumar Yadav. Although Surya departed earlier than Jaiswal, he finished the game by scoring 26(12).
Hardik Pandya was promoted up the order and soon Rishabh Pant joined him as well. Pant faced just two balls as Hardik seemed in a hurry to finish things off, scoring 16 runs in his last three balls to end the match.
Editors pick
