Team India on Sunday registered a record-equaling 12th consecutive T20I victory after outclassing Sri Lanka in Dharamsala. Chasing a 147-run target, Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja returned unbeaten once again after guiding India to an emphatic 6-wicket win. The victory allowed India to affect a 3-0 whitewash over the island nation. At the same time, the men in blue also edged past New Zealand in terms of most wins on home-soil – 40 from 61 games.
As India enjoy a rolling series win on home soil, making Rohit Sharma one of the successful T20I skippers in home conditions, let’s have a look at the talking points of the third T20I:
Captain’s knock from Dasun Shanaka: The Lanka captain once again rose to the occasion, shouldering the responsibility of posting a respectable total after the top-order collapsed. India had reduced the visitors to 29 for 4 when Dasun Shanaka walked out to bat. It seemed difficult for Sri Lanka to even cross the 100-run mark at one stage, but the captain had different plans. With the help of 9 boundaries and two sixes, he scored 74 not out in 38 deliveries, stitching an unbeaten 86-run stand for the sixth wicket with partner Chamika Karunaratne. Riding on Shanka’s valuable innings, the tourists set a 147-run target for Rohit Sharma’s Team India.
Avesh Khan’s great spell: After a poor start to his international career against West Indies, Avesh Khan made a strong comeback against Sri Lanka in Dharamsala. With senior pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar being rested, Avesh bowled a brilliant opening spell and scalped two wickets in two overs. He leaked some runs towards the end, yet he managed to end with the figures of 2 for 23 in four overs.
Player of the Series, Shreyas Iyer: What a series it has been for Iyer. With Virat Kohli and Suryakumar being unavailable, he grabbed the opportunity of batting at no. 3 with both hands. Three half-centuries in as many games and remained unbeaten throughout the series; Shreyas maintained a great form throughout to cement his place in the squad. He scored an unbeaten 73 off 45 balls to seal India’s win on Sunday. Moreover, he ended the 3-match series on high, being the highest scorer with 204 runs to his credit. He rightly deserved the Player of the Series award.
Ravindra Jadeja, the finisher: Need a finisher? Just keep calm and call Ravindra Jadeja. A day after smashing a 19-ball 47, the ace all-rounder chipped in with Iyer on Sunday and stitched a 45-run stand for the fifth wicket, taking the game home. During his stint at the crease, Jadeja smashed three boundaries and batted at a strike rate of 146.67. Just like Shreyas, Ravindra Jadeja also remained unbeaten throughout the innings. Interestingly, both of them returned together after ending India’s innings in all three games.
Lahiru Kumara – Lanka’s pick of bowlers: The right-arm quick was the pick of Sri Lankan bowlers, picking up two crucial wickets – Deepak Hood and Venkatesh Iyer. He registered the figures of 2 for 39 in his spell, conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.20 rpo.
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