India survives Dananjaya onslaught, takes 2-0 lead

Spinner Akila Dananjaya reduced India to 131 for 7 in its chase of 231, before M. S. Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar conjured a rescue act to see India home.

Published : Aug 25, 2017 00:32 IST , Pallekele

Akila Dananjaya took a career-best 6 for 54 but his spell wasn’t enough to garner Sri Lanka victory.
Akila Dananjaya took a career-best 6 for 54 but his spell wasn’t enough to garner Sri Lanka victory.
lightbox-info

Akila Dananjaya took a career-best 6 for 54 but his spell wasn’t enough to garner Sri Lanka victory.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar anchored India's chase after a stunning batting collapse as the visitor edged past Sri Lanka by three wickets in the second One-Day International on Thursday. Leg-spinner Akila Dananjaya returned career-best figures of 6 for 54 to make India stutter at 131 for 7 while chasing a Duckworth-Lewis revised target of 231 in 47 overs in Pallekele.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Dhoni, who scored 45, then put on an unbeaten 100-run stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who made 53, to steer the team home in 44.2 overs and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. India lost seven wickets for 22 runs after a 109-run opening partnership between Rohit Sharma, who hit 54, and Shikhar Dhawan, who missed out on his half-century.

Dananjaya turned on the heat with his googly as he picked three crucial wickets, including skipper Virat Kohli for four in an over, to take some steam off the Indian chase. But ice-cool Dhoni kept the chase on track with a gutsy partner at the other end in Kumar, who had gone wicketless during his spell as the team's pace spearhead.

While Dhoni kept picking the singles and twos, Kumar was happy playing second fiddle before unleashing his power and register his maiden ODI fifty.

Four-for for Bumrah

Earlier, Milinda Siriwardana hit a gritty 58 to lift Sri Lanka to 236 for 8 in 50 overs after being put into bat. Siriwardana put on a crucial 91-run sixth-wicket stand with Chamara Kapugedara, who made 40, after the host was in trouble at 121 for 5 against a disciplined Indian attack.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal got two. The third match is scheduled for Sunday at the same venue.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment