India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I, Highlights - Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin Star as India Thrash Sri Lanka By Nine Wickets, Clinch Series 2-1
Shikhar Dhawan and Ravichandran Ashwin were the stars as India thrashed Sri Lanka by nine wickets to seal the series 2-1. Relive all the highlights here.
Ravichandran Ashwin's 4/8 was the key in India bowling Sri Lanka out for a paltry 82. The hosts faced no pressure as Shikhar Dhawan helped them to a nine-wicket win. India have clinched the series 2-1 and they have also held on to their No.1 ranking. Check out all the highlights here. (SCORECARD | NEWS | PHOTOS)
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22:01 hrs IST: Here are the post match quotes from the two skippers.
Chandimal: Didn't perform well throughout the series as batsmen.
Ravichandran Ashwin is the Man of the Match and Man of the Series
Ashwin: I hope this lasts forever. The ball is coming out pretty well. I've been working pretty hard, I want to contribute and attribute to the team rather than being a deficiency
Dhoni: Consistency will give us the confidence. Eight seasons of IPL has given us the experience.
21:53 hrs IST: With a six and a four, Dhawan seals a nine-wicket win for India as they clinch the three-match series 2-1. With this win, they have held on to their No. 1 ranking in Twenty20 Internationals.
21:45 hrs IST: In the air but safe! Rahane miscues a slow off-cutter from Asela Gunaratne and the lofted shot lands safely at long off.
21:39 hrs IST: There is no spin on offer for the Sri Lankan bowlers. Senanayake bowls out, ends with figures of 4-0-22-0. Decent but hardly threatening.
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21:33 hrs IST: Dhawan brings up the team fifty with a reverse sweep in just 8.3 overs. India are coasting towards a series win.
21:27 hrs IST: Rahane and Dhawan are making steady progress after the fall of Rohit. India need not do anything silly here.
21:20 hrs IST: WICKET! Superb stuff from Chameera. Full ball that skids on, Rohit looks to flick but misses, umpire Anil Chaudhury has no hesitation in raising the finger, that would have hit middle and leg. Rohit Sharma LBW Chameera 13 (13).
21:16 hrs IST: WHAM! Rohit Sharma tees off by launching Senanayake for a 96-meter six.
21:13 hrs IST: Dhawan has gotten going with three fours off both Senanayake and Fernando. India have gotten off to a great start.
21:09 hrs IST: Over in Cape Town, AB de Villiers' century has helped South Africa stage a remarkable comeback to seal a 3-2 series win over England. Awesome stuff.
21:05 hrs IST: Dilhara Fernando opens the bowling. He is coming back after three years to the side. Begins with a lovely outswinger. Some memories getting revived
21:02 hrs IST: Close call for an LBW for Dhawan. Senanayake gets this delivery to drift in outside off, Dhawan pads it away and the bowler appeals but the impact was outside off. The left-hander responds with a slog sweep to fine leg for a boundary to get off the mark.
20:58 hrs IST: Out come the Indian openers. Sachithra Senenayake will open the bowling. There is absolutely no pressure on India at the moment.
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20:47 hrs IST: It has been a sorry performance from the Sri Lankan batsmen. They did not apply themselves and they allowed Ashwin to wreck havoc. India are in the driver's seat to seal the series.
20:40 hrs IST: Bumrah nails his yorker and cleans up Dilhara Fernando for 1. Sri Lanka are bowled out for 82, their lowest total in Twenty20 Internationals.
20:37 hrs IST: Sri Lanka are staring at their lowest total in Twenty20s. Can they get past 87, which was their score against Australia in Barbados in the 2010 World Cup?
20:32 hrs IST: WICKETS! Suresh Raina takes two wickets. Full ball outside off, Senenayake (8) goes for the drive but misses. Dhoni appeals but Raina does not, umpire Nandan gives it out. Senenayake is stunned. There was no edge. Thisara Perera (12) then attempts a slog but gets a leading edge and Jadeja at deep cover takes the catch.
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20:25 hrs IST: Ravichandran Ashwin finishes his spell. Figures of 4-1-8-4. Brilliant although he would have been disappointed that he did not get a five-wicket haul. Best haul by a Indian bowler.
20:21 hrs IST: Over in Cape Town, AB de Villiers' fifty is helping South Africa closer to a win and a remarkable series victory.
20:18 hrs IST: Perera clubs Pandya to deep extra cover for a boundary. He is the key now if Sri Lanka are to avoid a humiliation.
20:14 hrs IST: WICKET! Ravindra Jadeja joins in the fun. Straight ball outside off, Shanaka looks to run it down to third man but ends up dragging it back on to the stumps. Shanaka b Jadeja 19 (24). Sri Lanka 54/7 (10.3 ov)
20:10 hrs IST: Thisara Perera will be the key in this match as Sri Lanka look to go past 100.
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20:03 hrs IST: WICKET! Brilliant stuff from Ravindra Jadeja. Prasanna sets off for a risky single by pushing to mid off, Jadeja runs in and back flicks it at the bowlers end, Prasanna is short despite the dive. Prasanna run out Jadeja 9 (7). Sri Lanka 48/6 after 7.5 overs.
20:01 hrs IST: Shanaka is reviving Sri Lanka with some big blows. He launches Yuvraj Singh into the stands at deep mid wicket but the bowler oversteps. In the free-hit, Shanaka deposits him straight down the ground for another six.
20:00 hrs IST: Dropped! That was a wonderful delivery from Jadeja. It grips and spins away as Dasun Shanaka pokes at it, the edge flies past Raina at slip who can't collect it.
19:57 hrs IST: Back to back boundaries and that will give Sri Lanka something to smile about. Prasanna caresses the drive through cover while he gets another boundary to fine leg thanks to an inside edge
19:54 hrs IST: WICKET! Another one falls. Nehra gets this delivery to stay low on off stump, Siriwardana aims to pull it but he misses and the ball knocks the off stump back. Siriwardana b Nehra 4 (2). Sri Lanka 21/5 (5.1 ov).
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19:47 hrs IST: WICKET! Ashwin is on a roll. Tossed up delivery on leg stump, Asela Gunaratne looks to glance it to fine leg, the ball takes the pad and Raina takes the catch at leg slip. However, there was no bat involved. Asela Gunaratne c Raina b Ashwin 4 (12). Wicket-maiden for Ashwin.
19:42 hrs IST: Catch dropped? Looks like it came off the pad. Asela Gunaratne looked to glance it to fine leg but the ball brushes the thigh pad, Suresh Raina at leg slip cannot latch to it. Jasprit Bumrah is into the attack.
19:40 hrs IST: WICKET! Ashwin strikes again. Poor shot from Chandimal. Flighted delivery on off stump, the Sri Lankan skipper slogs and miscues it totally, Hardik Pandya takes the catch at mid off. Chandimal c Pandya b Ashwin 8 (9). Sri Lanka 12/1 in 2.3 overs
19:38 hrs: Ashish Nehra finds some swing straightaway and he almost breaches Dinesh Chandimal's defence. However, the Sri Lankan skipper responds with a cracking boundary over cover and long on.
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19:33 hrs IST: WICKETS! What a start for Ravichandran Ashwin and he strikes twice in his opening over. He floats a flighted delivery which spins away, Dickwella charges down the track and misses it completely, MS Dhoni effects an easy stumping and Dickwella goes for 1.
Last ball of the over, Dilshan plays down the wrong line to a delivery that spins back in and gets trapped in front. Sri Lanka 3/2 in the first over.
19:28 hrs IST: The Indian fielders are out in the middle. Niroshan Dickwella and Tillakaratne Dilshan are out in the middle. Dhoni will open the bowling with Ravichandran Ashwin. One slip in place.
19:23 hrs IST: Alex Hales' century has helped England to 236 in Cape Town but AB de Villiers' fifty has put South Africa on course.
19:12 hrs IST: The Indian senior team would be hoping to give some smiles to the fans by winning this series after the Under-19 team lost a tense final to the West Indies.
19:01 hrs IST: Mahendra Singh Dhoni chooses to bowl and his side is unchanged. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have made three changes. Dilhara Fernando returns after three years. Here are the playing XIs:
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni(w/c), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra
Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal(w/c), Asela Gunaratne, Seekkuge Prasanna, Milinda Siriwardana, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Sachithra Senanayake, Dilhara Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera
18:54 hrs IST: Sunil Gavaskar says the pitch is evenly rolled with no grass covering. There will be some turn but there will be plenty of runs on offer. Team that wins the toss should bat first as there could be dew later on.
18:52 hrs IST: First glimpses of the pitch suggest that it will be a dry one. It will be interesting to see what the captains do when they win the toss.
18:44 hrs IST: The YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium has hosted one previous Twenty20 match which was against New Zealand in 2012. However, that match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
18:41 hrs IST: Earlier in the day, Indian fans faced disappointment in the Under-19 World Cup final as Rahul Dravids boys lost to West Indies by five wickets. The Caribbean boys have secured their maiden title and the celebrations were a sight to behold.
18:38 hrs IST: A warm welcome to the third and final Twenty20 international between India and Sri Lanka from Vizag. The series is tied 1-1 and India will be determined to seal the series. On the other hand, Sri Lanka will be aiming for a Pune-like surprise.
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Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave India plenty to smile for during their win in the second Twenty20 International in Ranchi. The top order put up a fabulous display, Hardik Pandya did well on his promotion while the bowlers put in a clinical performance. The performance in Ranchi eliminated most of the doubts the Indian fans had following their loss in Pune.
Dhoni would have been pleased that everything clicked in the second game. However, the question heading into Vizag is: Will the skipper experiment with his side?
Early indications suggest that he may not try too many things. "If you see, Yuvi bats for us at number five. Now it is a bit difficult to promote him above five because in top four, two openers are there and Yuvi can't bat there. At No. 3, Virat Kohli is batting and Suresh Raina is there at number four. These four have extraordinary record in T20 in India or outside. So it is slightly difficult," Dhoni remarked in the post-match press conference
With Dhoni not tinkering too much with the batting and with Pandya having a good day, the chances of Pawan Negi featuring in Vizag look slim. India might go in with the same side and carry with them the momentum which they have gained from this win.
Sri Lanka Have a Lot to Learn
On a green Pune track, Sri Lanka's pace bowlers were on the mark. On a slow Ranchi wicket, barring Dushmantha Chameera, all the bowlers took some stick. Following their loss, skipper Dinesh Chandimal said the bowlers had a lot to learn when bowling on these surfaces.
The inexperience of the team showed in Ranchi. The bowlers lost control once Shikhar Dhawan went after them. Although they pulled things back slightly, they fell apart at the end despite Thisara Perera's hat-trick.
The batting is heavily reliant on Chandimal and Chamara Kapugedera. With Tillakaratne Dilshan flopping in Ranchi, the pressure will be on him to contribute in the final Twenty20.
The Vizag pitch could be similar to the one in Ranchi. With Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in fine form, the task for Sri Lanka will be hard. It is advantage India in Vizag.