India beat Sri Lanka in Super Over to win
India won the series 3-0 by defeating Sri Lanka in the Super Over in the third and final T20 match played in Pallekele on Tuesday. Kusal Perera (46, 34 balls) and Kusal Mendis (43, 41 balls) helped Sri Lanka chase the target of 138 runs, but in the end their innings fell apart in its usual style. Sri Lanka scored 137/8 in 20 overs, taking the match to the Super Over. Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Rinku Singh and captain Suryakumar Yadav took two wickets each for India. India needed just three runs to win in the Super Over.
Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav celebrating
India cricket match won the series 3-0 by defeating Sri Lanka in the Super Over in the third and final T20 match played in Pallekele on Tuesday. Kusal Perera (46, 34b) and Kusal Mendis (43, 41b) helped India chase down the target of 138 runs, but in the end their innings fell apart in their usual fashion. India scored 137/8 in 20 overs, taking the match to the Super Over. Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Rinku Singh and captain Suryakumar Yadav took two wickets each for India. India needed just three runs to win in the Super Over.
India won the Super Over
Spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Mahesh Theekshana led the hosts’ bowling attack and took five wickets together, while only Shubman Gill, along with Riyan Parag (26), scored 39 runs.
The Super Over was a first-class affair, with Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis coming in to bat first. Washington Sundar was handed the responsibility of the Super Over and he took two wickets in three balls, while the hosts could only score 2 runs.
India scored 137 runs in the regular 40 overs on a slow pitch, with Shubman Gill being the top scorer with 39 runs. Riyan Parag and Washington Sundar played useful knocks of 26 and 25 runs to take India to a fighting score. The hosts got off to a good start with Pathum Nissanka scoring 26 runs. Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera took charge of the Lions by scoring 43 and 46 runs respectively. Two wickets each from Wickramasinghe helped the team reach 137 runs.
Teekshana and fast bowlers derail India
India made four changes to their playing XI, ensuring that all the players in the team get a chance to play at least one match. Shubman Gill, who could not play the previous match due to neck spasms, started cautiously against debutant Chamindu Wickramasinghe. From the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to counter Teekshana and hit two fours in three balls to the spinners.
But Theekshana had him LBW off the very next ball as the batsman missed the sweep. In the next over, Sanju Samson swept a delivery from Wickramasinghe to sweeper cover and scored his second duck in two matches. Rinku, promoted to number four, lasted just two balls and became Theekshana’s second victim.
He tried to inside-sweep over cover but the turn and slow pace of the wicket eluded him; Pathirana took a good catch running to his right from mid-on. Asitha Fernando gave India their second jolt in the last over of the powerplay when Suryakumar played a sweep shot from outside off stump and played the ball straight to fine leg.
Gill, Parag make a comeback
With India at 30 for 4 in six overs, Gill and Shivam Dube tried to revive the innings. But the duo managed only 18 runs as Ramesh Mendis had Dube caught behind while Kusal Mendis took the catch in the second attempt.
Gill and Riyan Parag took India past 50 in the ninth over. Two overs later, Parag ended a boundary drought of 33 balls with a four off Ramesh Mendis. Soon after, he smashed two sixes over deep midwicket off Wanindu Hasaranga as the spinner made a mistake in bowling on the fuller side.
Parag and Gill added 54 runs off 40 balls but Hasaranga dismissed both of them in the same over. Gill was the first to get out. He came down the field but missed the turn and was stumped. Three balls later, Parag mishit a half-tracker to deep midwicket. India were in danger of being all out at 105 for 7 in the 16th over.
Washington’s brilliant performance in the last over
Washington, playing his first match of the series, proved his utility batting at number 8. He hit two fours and a six in his innings of 25 runs off 18 balls and along with Ravi Bishnoi added 32 runs off 24 balls for the eighth wicket. Thanks to their partnership, India scored 35 runs in the last five overs and posted a respectable score of 137 for 9. In the absence of Pathirana, the spinners bowled 14 overs and took 6 wickets for 107 runs overall.
Conclusion
Sri Lanka dismantled themselves in the third and final match of the T20 series against India and went from 110/1 to 132/8, helping the visiting team to make a comeback in the match. The Men in Blue performed so well that the match went to a Super Over as at one point it seemed like everyone was bowling.
While Rinku Singh took two wickets in one over, skipper Suryakumar Yadav took two wickets in the final over. However, India were not going to let it go in the Super Over and won it comfortably.
