New Delhi: A low-scoring thriller ended in India’s favour as the home side sealed a five-wicket win in the third and final Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka, bringing an end to India’s home season at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday (December 24). Sri Lanka were first restricted to 135 for 7 after being asked to bat, before all of Shreyas Iyer (30), Manish Pandey (32) and Dinesh Karthik (18 not out) contributed in the home side’s easy victory that came with four balls to spare.
The Wankhede Stadium is usually one of the more batsmen-friendly T20 tracks in the country, but the pitch on the day offered plenty of bounce that got the better of batsmen all too often. The Sri Lankans lacked the patience to negotiate the dot-ball pressure built by a new-look Indian attack, including the debutant Washington Sundar, while India stayed calm and took charge of the big moments. It proved the difference on the day.
It wasn’t a straightforward chase for India, contrary to expectations. The bounce made things awkward, and the runs didn’t arrive as quickly as they would have liked. The early loss of KL Rahul – trapped in front by Dushmantha Chameera – didn’t help matters. Rohit picked boundaries off all of Akila Dananjaya, Thisara Perera, and Nuwan Pradeep, and India chugged along for a while, seemingly well on course. However, a cramped pull off Dasun Shanaka was miscued, and Rohit holed out to deep square leg for a 20-ball 27.
India vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20I Highlights: IND Win by Five Wickets
That allowed Sri Lanka a toe in the door. The run-rate climbed, with both Iyer and Pandey struggling to consistently find the fence. For nearly five overs after Rohit’s dismissal, there were no boundaries, the scoreboard ticking along only because of fervent running. However, the tide turned somewhat when Iyer pummelled a flat six over long-on off Shanaka in the 12th over.
It was Pandey who provided the thrust thereafter. Iyer (30) was unfortunate to be run-out after Dananjaya got a finger on Pandey’s straight drive that crashed into the non-strikers’ stumps, and Hardik Pandya (4) lasted just four deliveries. But all the while, Pandey pierced the leg side, finding the fence off Dananjaya, Shanaka and Pradeep to crucially reduce the asking rate. Chameera then got one to jag back in and clatter into his stumps, but by this stage, India needed just 28 off 23 balls.
In came Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He survived an outside edge that flew just wide of the diving ‘keeper and a Sri Lankan review for leg-before wicket, and crucially provided the calm, even as Karthik looked to pummel. The gaps were hard to find, with Sri Lanka looking to prevent the boundaries, but in the final ball of the penultimate over, with the game still in the balance, Pradeep sent down a full toss – Karthik launched into the stands. Dhoni then finished things off with a flick for four.
Earlier, Niroshan Dickwella, the Sri Lankan opener, became the first victim of the bounce on the day, his pick-up shot going awry against Jaydev Unadkat in just the second over. In the next over, Sundar got one to straighten and claimed the return catch off a leading edge from Kusal Perera. When Unadkat returned and had Upul Tharanga holing out, Sri Lanka were reduced to 18 for 3.
Asela Gunaratne and Sadeera Samarawickrama went about rebuilding the innings, with some gutsy boundaries amid much-needed doggedness. They put on 38 for the fourth wicket, but the good work was undone, once again the bounce playing its part in Samarawickrama’s (21 off 17) dismissal. The wicket set off another slide, with Danushka Gunathilaka (3) and Thisara Perera (11) following suit, and Sri Lanka were 85 for 6 after 13 overs.
Under the pump with the tail exposed, the boundaries dried up for Sri Lanka, and it was now a matter of survival. Gunaratne (36 off 37) rallied, putting on a sedate 26 with Shanaka for the seventh wicket. That stand was broken when, in an attempt to bolster the total, he looked to slog Pandya in the death, only for the bounce to claim its next victim. However, Dananjaya and Shanaka managed to connect with a few against Mohammed Siraj in the final over, picking up 18 massive runs. It eventually proved insufficient.