Sri Lanka lost by seven wickets in the second T20I match on February 26 as the Sri Lankan bowlers failed to control their pace despite a challenge to keep pace at close to 10 runs per over. With the win in Dharamshala, India won the match 2-0 with one match remaining.
Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja led the way as they chased down the 184-run target for victory. Iyer also won the man-of-the-match award for leading the innings with an unbeaten 74 off 44 balls with four sixes and six fours.
Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 45 off 18 balls with seven sixes and seven fours accelerated India’s victory. India won the toss and elected to field, saving 17 balls and 7 wickets.
Dushmantha Chameera chased down skipper Rohit Sharma in the first over in the chase. Dushmantha set the world record for the first and only bowler in the world to be bowled out five times by a single batsman in a T20I match, when the ball was recorded as a direct hit. Earlier, Rohit Sharma had been bowled four times by Chameera.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 56 in the first eight overs as India needed 128 runs in the last 12 overs to win the toss. Shreyas Iyer was bowled by Sanju Samson in the 13th over for Lahiru Kumara’s 23 to reduce the deficit to 56 off 42 balls. With the dismissal of Sanju Samson, Ravindra Jadeja’s quick 45 off 18 balls helped India win the toss and elected to bat.
At the end of the first 16 overs Sri Lanka were 111 for 4 with skipper Dasun Shanaka and Pathum Nissanka adding 72 runs in the final four overs.
Harshal Patel’s two sixes off the last two balls of the innings and three more sixes helped Sri Lanka reach 37 off 19 balls at the end of the allotted 20 overs. Shanaka’s 53 off 53 balls, including two fours, and Pathum Nissanka’s 75 off 11 fours gave Sri Lanka a 184-run lead.
Sri Lanka replaced Janith Liyanage with Danushka Goonetileke and Jeffrey Wandersi with Binura Fernando in the squad. Goonetileke scored 38 off 29 balls with two sixes and four fours to build a 67 – run partnership for the first wicket.
The third and final match between the two countries will be played on February 27 at Dharmasala.
