Riding on the trio’s stellar show, India opened the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka with a two-run win at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday night.
Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel’s final flurry gave India a respectable, if not fighting, total. A largely inexperienced pace attack- led by debutant Shivam Mavi- also slightly managed to defend it and help India start the New Year on a winning note.
Riding on the triad’s astral show, India opened the three- match T20I series against Sri Lanka with a two- run palm at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday night.
Despite both the top- orders failing to fire, the each- rounders shone bright and assured a thrilling end to the game. Axar was entrusted with the responsibility of defending 12 runs in the last over. Chamika Karunaratne did clear the mid-wicket hedge but a couple of fleck balls outside the off- refuse and a change of angle off the last ball meant India gave the suckers a reason to rejoice.
Ishan Kishan started the night by tonking 17 runs off Kasun Rajitha’s first over. But unorthodox incentive Maheesh Theekshana and left- arm leader Dilshan Madushanka justified their captain Dasun Shanaka’s decision to address.
In fact, with the Lankans picking lattices regularly, when India captain Hardik Pandya nicked Madushanka behind off the first ball of the 15th over, India at 94 for five was in peril of being confined to a below- par aggregate.
Hooda and Axar also swung the pendulum in India’s favour with an unbroken association of 68 runs off just 35 balls. While Hooda started the rush with consecutive sixes off Theekshana in the 16th, Axar joined the party by dispatching Madushanka into the daises in the penultimate over.
The brace ended the innings on a high, adding 28 runs in the last two overs to help India cross the 160- run mark.
On a ground that’s knitter- made for chasing, India had to strike beforehand. Mavi, earning a debut with Arshdeep Singh unapproachable for selection, did exactly that. In his first over, the leader swung one reverse in to skulk through the defence of Pathum Nissanka. In his coming over, Dhananjaya de Silva top- edged Mavi to Sanju Samson atmid-on, who had before dropped one off captain Hardik in the first over.
Umran Malik’s preface meant Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka were fused to the backfoot, with the scrambler’s pace too hot to handle. In his alternate over, Asalanka top- edged a pull and Ishan ran all the way to deep OK – leg and dived to his right to take an excellent catch.
Harshal Patel struck doubly in the middle to help India be in control. But captain Shanaka’s gem kept Sri Lanka in the quest. Wanindu Hasaranga’s back- to- back slog reaches to clear the hedge off Yuzvendra Chahal gave the Lankans a hint of stopgap.
But Mavi’s reintroduction saw him regard for Hasaranga. When Shanaka set up Chahal at covers off Umran in the 17th over, the jotting was on the wall. Karunaratne however brought Sri Lanka into the game yet again. But it was n’t enough. Know More News…
