Ravi Bishnoi helps India seal series
Pallekele, July 28
India beat Sri Lanka in a rain-affected clash by seven wickets via the DLS method, securing their first series win under new head coach Gautam Gambhir and T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi did the bulk of the damage with the ball for India, running through the Sri Lankan middle-order to take three wickets for 26 runs.
Missing newly-appointed T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill due to a neck spasm, India won the toss and elected to bowl after rain delayed the start of the match, restricting the hosts to 161/9. Sri Lanka had lost just two wickets for 130 runs in the first 15 overs but suffered another middle-order collapse, which saw them lose seven batters for 31 in the last five overs.
With the chase reduced after rain interrupted play, India needed 78 runs to win in eight overs with two overs of powerplay. Sanju Samson, who replaced Gill, fell for a golden duck but fellow opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar stabilised the innings by scoring 30 and 26 runs, respectively. All-rounder Hardik Pandya finished things in style, blasting 22 runs off nine deliveries.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka: 161/9 in 20 overs (Perera 53; Bishnoi 3/26, Hardik 2/24, Arshdeep 2/24); India: 81/3 in 6.3 overs (Yashasvi 30)
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Brief scores: India: 165/6 (Mandhana 60; Dilhari 2/36); Sri Lanka: 167/2 in 18.4 overs (Athapaththu 61, Samarawickrama 69*; Sharma 1/30).
