In a rain-hit game in Pallakele, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel shone with the ball, helping India secure a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka via the DLS method. With Jaiswal scoring 30 and Suryakumar adding 26, India chased down Sri Lanka’s total of 161 for 9 with ease.
Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama had steered Sri Lanka to victory in the Women’s Asia Cup, but in the men’s T20I, it was India’s spinners who dominated. Bishnoi, Patel, and Parag combined to take five wickets, triggering a collapse in the Sri Lankan batting line-up.
Sri Lanka’s struggle against spin was evident as they lost 16 wickets for 68 runs in the last six overs across the first two T20Is. Despite some resistance from Kusal Perera and Nissanka, Sri Lanka could only manage a modest total of 161 for 9.
Although rain disrupted play and reduced India’s chase to 78 in eight overs, Suryakumar and Hardik Pandya ensured a comfortable victory for India. Pandya’s cameo at the end sealed the series win for India in style.
Nissanka and Perera had provided a strong start for Sri Lanka with their aggressive batting, but the middle-order collapse meant they could only reach 161 for 9. Bishnoi’s impressive bowling performance, including a three-wicket haul, helped India restrict Sri Lanka’s total.
With the ball coming on nicely after the rain, Suryakumar’s innovative stroke-play and Hardik’s aggressive batting saw India home with ease. Sri Lanka’s spinners struggled to contain the Indian batsmen, as the new era of Indian Cricket began with a victory in the T20I series.
Overall, it was a dominant performance by India’s spinners that set up the victory, showcasing their strength in the T20 format. Sri Lanka will have to regroup and come up with a better plan to counter the Indian spinners in the final T20I.
