Suryakumar’s blazing ton helps India beat SL by 91 runs; clinch series 2-1

Rajkot (Gujarat) [India], January 7 (ANI): Suryakumar Yadav’s blistering knock of 112 combined with a clinical performance of bowlers helped India register a thumping 91-run win over Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I to clinch the three-match series 2-1 here at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a massive target of 229, Sri Lanka got off to a decent start Pathum Nissanka and wicket-keeper batter Kusal Mendis scoring runs at a brisk pace. The 44-run stand for the opening wicket was broken by Axar Patel as he dismissed Kusal Mendis for 23 off 15 balls. In the next over Nissanka was sent packing for 15 by left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.

Sri Lanka notched up 50-run mark in six overs of powerplay but in the very next over lost another wicket in the form of Avishka Fernando as captain Hardik Pandya dismissed him for 1 to leave visitors tottering at 51 for 3.

Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva then struck a partnership to bring the visitors back in the game. The Islanders were dealt with another blow when Asalanka was dismissed for 19 by Yuzvendra Chahal.

Leg-spinner gave Sri Lanka another blow by dismissing Dhananjaya de Silva for 22 as the visitors lost half of their side for 96.

Sri Lanka went past the triple-figure mark in 11.5 overs. Umran Malik too struck dismissing Wanindu Hasaranga for 9 caught by Deepak Hooda to leave Sri Lanka in a spot of bother at 107 for six.

From there on the Islanders never looked like making a comeback as Pandya struck for the second time dismissing Chamika Karunaratne leg before wicket for a duck.
In the next over Umran Malik too got his second scalp as he shattered the stumps of Maheesh Theekshana for 2 to reduce Sri Lanka to 127 for 8.

In the 17th over Arshdeep dismissed Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka followed by Dilshan Madushanka to bowl the visitors out for a paltry 137in 16.4 overs as Hardik Pandya led India registered a thumping 91-run win to clinch the three-match T20I series 2-1.

Earlier in the day opting to bat first, India got off to a poor start losing wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan in the very first over for 1 as he was caught on the bowling of Dilshan Madhushanka with the team’s score at 3.

Rahul Tripathi joined opener Shubman Gill and the duo batted aggressively to take India’s total beyond 50-run mark in just 5.4 overs.

The 49-run partnership was finally broken by Chamika Karunaratne dismissing dangerous Tripathi for 35 of 16 balls. Tripathi hit five boundaries and two sixes.
The Fall of Tripathi’s wicket did not stop India from going at a brisk pace as in-form batter Suryakumar Yadav walked in to bat with Gill and the two kept the scoreboard moving with lusty blows.

Yadav-Gill pair took India’s total beyond triple-figure mark in just 10.4 overs and the duo struck a 50-run partnership for third wicket in just 29 balls.

Suryakumar Yadav kept on hitting his trademark attacking shots towards the fine leg region as he reached his half-century in just 26 balls with four boundaries and three sixes. India reached 150-run mark in just 13.5 overs. The Yadav-Gill duo notched up 100-run partnership in just 49 balls.

The 111-run partnership was finally broken with Wanindu Hasaranga dismissing Shubman Gill for 46 of 36 balls as India lost its third wicket for 163.

Captain Hardik Pandya walked in to bat with Surya but he was dismissed only on 4 by Kasun Rajitha and the hosts lost their fourth wicket for 174. In the next over, India lost their fifth wicket in the form of Deepak Hooda who was also dismissed on 4 by Madhushanka.

The fall of wickets at the other end did not disturb Suryakumar as he kept on hitting shots in all parts of the ground and notched up his third T20I ton of just 45 balls and in process also took India’s total beyond 200-run mark in just 18 overs.

Axar Patel walked in to bat and the southpaw continued to lead from where he had left in the previous match, scoring an unbeaten 21 of 9 balls while Surya remained unbeaten on 112 of 51 balls.

Brief scores: India 228/5 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 112*, Shubman Gill 46; Dilshan Madhushanka 2/55) vs Sri Lanka 137/10 in 16.4 overs (Kusal Mendis 23, Wanindu Hasaranga 23; Arshdeep Singh 3/20).