
SLvIND 3rd T20I: And 3-0! SKY - THE BOWLER - lifts India to a Super-Over win
Suryakumar Yadav’s last-over heroics with the ball led India to a thrilling win in the Super Over in the third T20I at Pallekele on Tuesday (July 30). With the win, India completed a 3-0 clean sweep.
Batting first on a slow and difficult pitch, Shubman Gill (39 off 37) top-scored for India and along with Riyan Parag (26 off 18) took us to a fighting total of 137/9.
Sri Lanka, in return, also got to 137/8 on the back of knocks from Kusal Perera (46) and Kusal Mendis (43) pushing the match into Super Over.
Let us have a glance at how the third T20I turned out.
Slippery start
India had a slippery start as they slid to 14/3. Coming in at five, SKY calmed the nerves with an assuring boundary. But unfortunately, Aapla Dada Surya got out, caught at fine leg, trying to up the ante.
Gill and Parag consolidate
Shubman Gill and Riyan Parag provided some relief navigating the danger sensibly. Parag was up for the fight, clubbing two sixes of Wanindu Hasaranga to bring up the fifty partnership.
Washington Sundar (25) and Ravi Bishnoi added 32 invaluable runs for the eighth wicket to help us set a competitive target of 138.
Bishnoi draws first blood
Bishnoi strikes! No better time to get a wicket as the Lankans were cruising at 58/0. Ravi Bishnoi dismisses Pathum Nissanka and it’s match on!
Spinners give hope
Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar ensured that India was not going home without a fight. First, Bishnoi broke the 52-run partnership between Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis, trapping the latter right in front.
Then Washington Sundar pumped further life into the match with two wickets in two balls in his last over. Drama! It was all happening at Pallekele as SL slipped from 110/1 to 117/4.
SKY pulls out trump card
With nine needed off 12, SKY pulled out a trick out of his hat as he introduced Rinku Singh in the penultimate over. It worked wonders as Rinku struck twice, including the wicket of top-scorer Kusal Perera.
SKY - The Hero with the ball
Aapla Dada Surya brought himself to bowl the final over with Sri Lanka needing six. SKY, with his magic arm, picked up two crucial wickets giving away just five runs and taking the match to a super over.
19.2 overs - SKY to Kamindu Mendis, caught in the deep.
19.3 overs - SKY to Maheesh Theekshana, caught by the keeper.
Super Over
Washington Sundar was brilliant in the Super over getting both wickets for just two runs. SKY needed just one ball as he swept India to a thrilling win.
As the T20I series draws to a close, we have our eyes planted on the ODI series starting on Friday, August 2 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo at 2 30 PM IST.
Brief scores: India 137/9 (Shubman Gill 39, Riyan Parag 26, Maheesh Theekshana 3/28, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/29) vs Sri Lanka 137/8 (Kusal Perera 46, Kusal Mendis 43, Rinku Singh 2/3, Suryakumar Yadav 2/5).
Super Over: India 4/0 in 0.1 overs BEAT Sri Lanka 2/2 in 0.4 overs