INDIA BEAT SRI LANKA BY 62 RUNS
PLAYER OF THE MATCH - ISHAN KISHAN 89(56)
India cruised to its 10th consecutive T20I win with a resounding victory over Sri Lanka to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan set the stage for a huge total with a 111-run opening stand as the latter roared back to form with a 56-ball 89. Shreyas Iyer then carried the mantle and took apart a lacklustre Lankan bowling effort with a blitz of 57 off 28 balls. The last five overs produced 69 runs as India posted a daunting 199 for two.
Sri Lanka lost a wicket off the first ball of its innings and lost wickets at regular intervals to huff and puff to 137 for six. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with two for 9 from two overs while Venkatesh Iyer also scalped two but went for 36 in his three. Ravindra Jadeja marked his return from injury with one for 28 from four overs and Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed skipper Dasun Shanaka to surpass Jasprit Bumrah as the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is. Charith Asalanka was the only bright spot in the Lankan innings as the left-hander stuck on till the end for a 47-ball 53 and ensured the tourist played its quota of 20 overs.
SL 137/6 in 20 overs: Harshal to bowl the last over. Two singles to start with. Length outside off and Chameera thumps it down to long on for one. Asalanka is beaten outside off before he drives one down the ground for a single. Last ball coming up and SL needs 65 to win. Chameera goes inside out over covers for two runs and that's the game.
SL 131/6 in 19 overs: Bumrah returns. Full-toss outside off and dug out for one by Asalanka. Elegantly flicked away by Chameera for one more at deep mid wicket. Darts in a seething yorker just outside off stump to beat Asalanka. He turns the next one away to mid wicket for two and fifty runs up for Asalanka off 43 balls.
SL 125/6 in 18 overs: Chameera dinks this one outside off to short third for one. FOUR! Full on off stump and Asalanka drills it over extra cover for a boundary. Cut away through covers for one. SIX! Chameera punishes this slower one in the slot over deep mid wicket with a slog-sweep. FOUR! Loose full-toss on the pads and tucks it behind to fine leg for another boundary. FOUR! Another boundary for Chameera. Guides this wide and full one outside off to third man. 21 runs from the over.
SL 104/6 in 17 overs: Hooda continues. WIDE! Turned away down leg side. Asalanka sweeps to deep mid wicket for two. A heave on the leg side for just one this time. Chameera sweeps it behind square for a single to retain strike.
SL 98/6 in 16 overs: Venkatesh back with the ball. Half chance put down! Asalanka slapped it to short fine leg and it lands just short of Bumrah. SIX! Shot! Down the track, turned the length ball into a half-tracker and flicked it deftly over mid wicket. OUT! Karunaratne edges a full and wide one outside off to the keeper and Venkatesh has his revenge.
SL 90/5 in 15 overs: SIX! Floated up full on middle by Hooda and Karunaratne crunches this one over long on for six runs. Shuffles across next ball and whips it behind square leg for a single. FOUR! Asalanka steps out, makes room outside off and chips it over covers for a boundary. A bit of extra bounce and Asalanka swats it to long off for two. Another brace to end the over. 14 runs from it.
SL 76/5 in 14 overs: Jadeja bowls out. Pitched up on middle to Karunaratne and defended to cover. FOUR! Asalanka reverse-sweeps through point and fetches four runs. Two singles to end the over. Jadeja ends with figures of 1-28 from four overs.
SL 67/5 in 13 overs: Hooda to Asalanka from round the wicket. Cut away off the backfoot for one. Length on middle and leg and tucked away by Karunaratne for two. A punch off the backfoot to long on for a single. Three dots to end the over. Hooda extracts some sharp turn from the wicket.
SL 63/5 in 12 overs: Jadeja also into his third over. A couple of singles off the first three balls. More grip and turn as Asalanka gets a top edge on the sweep to short fine leg and they scamper for one. A direct-hit at the striker's end and umpire goes up to check the run out. This looks like touch and go. Third umpire reckons some part of the bat is over the line and Karunaratne survives. Just three runs from the over.
SL 60/5 in 11 overs: Chahal into his third. Asalanka thumps it down the ground for one. A booming sweep from Shanaka gets him two. OUT! Shanaka reverse-sweeps and hands it straight to point. Dasun Shanaka c Bhuvneshwar Kumar b Yuzvendra Chahal 3(6b 0x4 0x6).
SL 57/4 in 10 overs: Jadeja continues. OUT! Jadeja saw Chandimal walked down and dragged his length back and turned it away; Ishan Kishan did the rest behind the stumps. Dinesh Chandimal st. Ishan Kishan b Ravindra Jadeja 10(9b 0x4 1x6). Almost gone next ball. Grips on a length and Shanaka almost scoops it back to Jadeja. FOUR! Asalanka makes use of the pace and opens face and steers it to third man for a boundary.
SL 50/3 in 9 overs: Chahal in for his second over. Tight line on the stumps and pins the batter's back with a back of a length ploy. Five singles from the over. 50 up for the Lankans in nine overs.
SL 45/3 in 8 overs: Jadeja to bowl. SIX! Chandimal slogs this one from outside off and clears the ropes at deep square leg. Beaten! Last one turns away outside off and beats Chandimal's prod.
SL 36/3 in 7 overs: Venkatesh comes from round the wicket to Asalanka. Single to third man. Liyanage cuts behind point for one more. Two more for Asalanka with a backfoot jab to cover. Single next ball in the deep on the off. Liyanage cuts off the backfoot for two. OUT! Liyanage gone. Length ball outside off and poor shot selection from Liyanage. He looked to thump it over mid wicket and got the outside edge to point.
SL 29/2 in 6 overs: Chahal into the attack. Dropped! Asalanka steps down the track and skies it to deep square leg and Shreyas drops it in the deep. Loud LBW appeal and given! Pitched on middle and turned in a bit to beat Asalanka's sweep. He reviews and survives. Asalanka got a bit of wood on that and he probably wouldn't have thought that himself. Down the track again and carved to point for just one. Liyanage dances down and swings and misses.
SL 26/2 in 5 overs: Harshal Patel comes in as first change. Slower one, back of a length outside off and Liyanage steps out to get to the pitch of it but misses. Harshal makes it hard for the batters to get going with his clever change of pace. Liyanage lofts this slot ball outside off over mid on but just a couple as the ball stops just short of the boundary.
SL 22/2 in 4 overs: Asalanka in at No. 4. A couple of singles to start Bumrah's second over. FOUR! Asalanka upper cuts a short one from Bumrah over the keeper to end the over.
SL 15/2 in 3 overs: Good start to the over by Bhuvi. Keeps it on a length and doesn't allow the batters to free their arms. Dropped! Mishara is dropped by Venkatesh at point with a loft that takes his outside edge. OUT! Mishara finds Rohit at mid wicket. He looked it drag this one from outside off over the inner circle but handed it to the skipper.
SL 12/1 in 2 overs: Bumrah from the other end. FOUR! Length ball drifting outside off and Mishara punches it past mid off and to the boundary. Pulled in the deep on the leg side for two more and six more from the second over.
SL 6/1 in 1 over: OUT! Bhuvneshwar Kumar strikes first ball. The straight one keeps low and Nissanka gets a bottom edge that rolls onto the stumps. Six runs off the first over, including a boundary to Mishara through point.
INDIA 199/2 IN 20 OVERS
IND 199/2 in 20 overs: Chameera to bowl the last over. SIX! A similar line at a similar pace and Shreyas whacks this slot ball outside off over long on again. Two more next ball and 50 up for Shreyas. FOUR! Moved across again slightly in front of the stumps and flicked through to the fine leg fence. Another slot ball outside off and punched to long off for a couple more for Shreyas. Clipped this full one to deep mid wicket for one. Jadeja to face the last ball of the innings. Full-toss and slapped to mid wicket for just a single.
IND 183/2 in 19 overs: SIX! Shreyas gets the high and handsome over long on. Slow and in the slot by Karunaratne on off stump. FOUR! Loose full-toss outside off stump and Shreyas swipes at it and collects four at third man. WIDE! This is well over the tramline on the off side. Shreyas thumps it slower one on off to long off for one. Dug in on leg and Jadeja pulls it to deep square leg for one more. FOUR! The loose ones continue as this one is wide and full outside off and Shreyas gets it to third man with open face. Slapped down the ground for one. 18 runs off the over.
IND 165/2 in 18 overs: Jadeja the man in. Chameera slots it full and outside off and Jadeja drivs through covers for one. Pace off on a length and a couple more added to the score with an overthrow. FOUR! Shreyas pulls this length ball through square leg and to the fence. Another couple of runs for Shreyas with a leading edge over mid on. It swirled in the air and fielder, running towards the boundary, floored it.
IND 155/2 in 17 overs: Skipper Shanaka into the attack. Full and outside off and Shreyas bunts it to third man for one. WIDE! Short and drifting too wide outside off.Kishan pulls to mid wicket for one and moves to 89. FOUR! Huge shuffle across to off stump and tucked away by Shreyas to the fine leg boundary. Pace off again and full on off stump and Shreyas thumps it for one at long on. OUT! Kishan holes out. A tired pull on a slow and short one and the man takes in at deep mid wicket.
IND 147/1 in 16 overs: Kumara is back with the bowl. He follows Shreyas outside leg stump and just one to square leg. SIX! Slow, in the slot and Kishan picks it up and pummels it over long on. FOUR! Shuffled across this time to off stump and Kishan steers a full one outside off to the third man boundary. FOUR! Kishan on fire here! Shuffled across again and slog-sweeps this full-toss to the mid wicket fence. Wide yorker this time and jammed to point for just one. Slower one again and Sheyas pulls it to mid wicket for a single.
IND 130/1 in 15 overs: Vandersay bowls out. Googly that turns away outside off and beats Kishan. Full-toss on the pads but Kishan whips it for just one. Shreyas gets just one at long off. Kishan is beaten again outside off and drags his foot back in time to aver the stumping attempt. WIDE! Down leg and batters run one on that. A single and a dot to conclude.
IND 125/1 in 14 overs : Karunaratne back for his third. A couple and a single through the leg for Shreyas to start with. Kishan makes room on off and smashed it well but straight to the mid off fielder; dot ball. Slower one on a length on off stump and Kishan is too early into the pull and can't it get it away. Another shorter one is swatted back to the bowler. Pace off doing the trick here as Kishan has to dig this one out to long on from outside off for just one.
IND 124/1 in 13 overs: Vandersay to Shreyas. Punched off the back foot through midwicket for two. Single to deep midwicket. Kishan drives through the leg for a couple at long on. FOUR! Bottom edge off Kishan's willow and it goes through the keeper's legs and to the boundary. Switch hit next ball and Vandersay darts it in full on off stump to beat him.
IND 112/1 in 12 overs: Kumara to bowl his third. Full and wide outside off and Kishan drives through covers for a couple. Wide outside off again and pierced through the off side for just a single this time. Rohit carves this slower one outside off to third man for one. Another slower one on off and Kishan dugs it out to mid off for one more. OUT! Slower one on off stump and Rohit is beaten for the lack of pace and bounce and it goes through his defences. Rohit Sharma b Lahiru Kumara 44(32b 2x4 1x6). Shreyas is off the blocks with a single off his first ball.
IND 106/0 in 11 overs: Jayawickrama comes back. Kishan sweeps behind square for a couple to bring up 100 for India. A brief pause in play as Kishan seems to be struggling with cramps. Seven runs off the over as Rohit and Kishan are happy to nudge the spinner around for ones and twos.
IND 98/0 in 10 overs: Rohit starts off with a single as Karunaratne starts his third over. Kishan punches this short one outside off to deep cover for two and that's his 50, off just 30 balls. A good knock coming on the back of a lacklustre series against West Indies. FOUR! Full and middle on off and Kishan whips it through mid wicket for four more. India in total control here.
IND 87/0 in 9 overs: Rohit comes down the track to Vandersay and reaches outside off for an uppish drive on the off that fetches him three runs. Kishan returns strike with one. SIX! Floated up on middle, bit of turn and swept square leg for another maximum. WIDE! Pushed too wide outside off. Driven on the full by Rohit for a single at deep cover.
IND 76/0 in 8 overs: Slow on off stump by Karunaratne and Rohit drives it with sweet timing through covers and a good dive in the deep keep it to two runs. Rohit flicks it through the on side for one. Pace off again and Kishan can only manage a slice straight to point for a dot ball. Kishan continues to pull but gets just one this time. FOUR! Shot! Drifting down leg and Rohit gets on knee and sweeps it to the fine leg rope. Cut away behind to third man for a single and Rohit will retain strike.
IND 67/0 in 7 overs: Leg spinner Vandersay from the other end. A legbreak and then a googly to start with and just one single off the first two balls. FOUR! Googly again pushed on off and Kishan spanks it through covers for four more. Dropped! Tossed up on middle and off and Kishan steps out and lofts it over mid on and the fielder runs in from the deep and it pops out of his hands. Two singles to end the over.
IND 58/0 in 6 overs: Chameera returns. Slower one on off stump and Rohit skies it over mid on for a couple. A single next ball to third man. Wide yorker to Kishan and he is beaten trying to carve it on the off. SIX! Short and on leg side again and swivelled and pulled behind square by Kishan. Slower one to follow on middle stump and defended back to the bowler. Pace off and full on off and Kishan pushes through mid off for a couple more.
IND 47/0 in 5 overs: Left-arm spinner Jayawickrama into the attack. Three singles to start the over. Darts in a seething yorker next ball to Kishan and he just about negotiates it. FOUR! Back out on leg to make room and smashes it straight past mid off for a boundary.
IND 40/0 in 4 overs : Kumara continues. Two singles off the first three deliveries. WIDE! Slower one this and drifts down leg side to Rohit. Pace off again and Rohit clips it to square leg for one more. SIX! Dragged back on leg stump and Kishan picks up the length early and pulls it over square leg for a maximum. FOUR! Full on leg and this is whipped away through mid wicket for a boundary.
IND 26/0 in 3 overs: WIDE! Karunaratne starts with a wide down leg side. FOUR! Full-toss and wide outside off and Kishan reaches out for it and pierces the gap between point and cover to find the rope. FOUR! Short and room outside off again and thumped by Kishan through the extra cover region. FOUR! Three in a row but this one was a bit lucky. Room again outside off and takes the edge off the shoulder of the bat and runs to the third man boundary. Two singles to end the over.
IND 11/0 in 2 overs: Lahiru Kumara from the other end. FOUR! Drifted down leg and tucked away by Rohit with ease behind square leg for the first boundary of the game. On a length this time around middle and off, slows low, inducing an awkward pull to mid wicket for a single. Beaten! Kumara takes it away from Kishan coming across and beats his outside edge. Shorter and swatted to mid on for another dot; no timing on it. Kishan collects one with a pull to square leg. Dot to end the over as Rohit cuts straight to backward point.
IND 5/0 in 1 over: Chameera to Rohit first ball. Over the wicket. Full on the stumps and a slight hint of movement away, driven to mid off for a dot. Another dot next ball. Fuller again and Rohit drives again to mid off and takes one after slight hesitation. Yorker length to Kishan on the stumps and he gets a thick inside edge to mid on for a single. Full on off stump and Rohit plays across the line and over the inner circle on the off for three runs. Dot ball to end the over; defended to mid on.
19:01 IST: The Sri Lankans are in a huddle. Rohit and Ishan Kishan make their way to the middle to open the batting. Sunil Gavaskar rings the bell to get the proceedings underway.
18:55 IST: The two teams and match officials make their way onto the ground to assemble for the national anthems. Sri Lanka is up first. Done with the anthems.
18: 51 IST: India will be eyeing a 10th consecutive T20I victory today in Lucknow. The winning streak began with the win against Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup 2021. In another key milestones coming up, Rohit Sharma needs 37 runs to surpass Martin Guptill as the leading run-scorer n T20Is while Yuzvendra Chahal is one wicket away from becoming the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is, going one clear of Jasprit Bumrah.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Sri Lanka Playing XI : Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara.
18:35 IST: Ruturaj Gaikwad complained of pain in his right wrist, which is affecting his batting. He was unavailable for selection for the first T20I. The BCCI Medical Team is examining him.
18:30 IST: The two captains are in the middle for the toss. Dasun Shanaka calls tails and tails it is and Sri Lanka will bowl first.
PITCH REPORT: The game will be played on black soil wicket today. The dimensions are 76m and 69m square of the wicket with long straight boundaries of 81m. Average first innings score here in T20s is 166.
18:15 IST: Deepak Hooda is all set to make his T20I debut today. All eyes will also be on all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who makes a comeback after an injury layoff of more than two months.
And the Men in Blue have arrived
The stage is set for a cracker of a contest in Lucknow
MATCH PREVIEW
In a format best suited for the underdogs, Sri Lanka has a reasonable chance of going one up against an Indian line-up that looks less formidable.
When the action in the three-match T20 series begins at the Ekana Stadium on Thursday, the visiting team will be looking to exploit India’s weakened batting potential in the absence of Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant.
With Kohli and Pant rested, the non-availability of Yadav and Deepak Chahar due to injuries clearly places more responsibility on the batters.
For the Lankans, Wanindu Hasaranga failing the Covid test a second time this month is a big blow. Placed third in the ICC rankings for T20 bowlers, the leg-spinner tested positive on Wednesday, like on February 15, in Melbourne where he is in isolation. FULL PREVIEW
- Rakesh Rao
WHERE AND WHEN TO WATCH INDIA VS SRI LANKA, 1ST T20I?
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