Ranchi: India rode on a strong performance in all departments to beat Sri Lanka by 69 runs in the second Twenty20 International (T20I) at the Jharkhand International Stadium in Ranchi. The victory has now helped India level the three-match series 1-1.
Being put in to bat first after Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal won the toss, a strong batting performance by India propelled the hosts to a mammoth 196/6 at the end of 20 overs, setting Sri Lanka a victory target of 197 runs.
The Indian batting looked crisp right from the word go, with Shikhar Dhawan posting an impressive 52 runs off 25 balls and Rohit Sharma too contributing 43 off 36 balls.
Dhawan was awarded man of the match for his innings. It was also Shikhar Dhawan's first T20 half century and his highest T20 score, which included seven boundaries and two sixes.
“There was something for eyeryone (in the pitch). It was a bit challenging. Overall, it was very good for us,” Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
“Our top order has done everything that was expected of them,” he added.
Middle order batsmen too pitched in with Suresh Raina and Hardik Pandya scoring 30 and 27 runs respectively. Hardik Pandya, who was sent in ahead of Dhoni and Yuvraj, did well to help India surge ahead with a 12-ball 27. Raina played his part with a 19-ball 30.
For the visitors, Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera (3/33) was the pick of the bowlers claiming a hat-trick. He is the fourth bowler after Tim Southee, Jacob Oram and Bret Lee to have taken a hat-trick in T-20 internationals.
In terms of batting, Lankans wobbled early on by losing four wickets quickly. As the run rate kept rising, the visitors were soon rendered out of the game. Chasing a target of 197 runs, Chamara Kapugedra and Dinesh Chandimal scored 32 and 31 runs respectively and tried to take the Lankans on the winning side but failed to do so.
Indian bowlers impressed with their performance, with Ravichandran Ashwin picking up 3 wickets giving away 14 runs in 4 overs. Old guard Ashish Nehra too impressed picking up two wickets for 26 in his three-over spell.
Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bhumra also picked up two wickets each at regular intervals, leaving the visitors little scope to make a turnaround.
India's wicket-keeper captain M S Dhoni inflicted two deadly blows on Sri Lanka picking up two brilliant stumpings.
Having whitewashed Australia 3-0 in their own backyard, the Indians were expected to do well at home against the Lankans as they prepare to host the World T20 in March-April. But the youthful Sri Lankan team handed them a rude wake-up call.
The victory in the first game had given Sri Lanka an early lead in the three-match series. Now, the action moves to Visakhapatnam for the final game of the series. With the series levelled at the moment, the final game has all the makings of an entertainer.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya.
Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dinesh Chandimal(captain), Chamara Kapugedera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dasun Shanaka, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera.
