Cricket Highlights, 06 Sept: Asia Cup 2022, Super 4- Match 03 (IND vs SL)

IND vs SL (Super 4 – Match 03) – Highlights

Despite participating in the Asia Cup as favorites, India’s departure from the Super Four has almost been confirmed. Their hopes of making the finals are virtually over with a 6-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka after being lost by Pakistan. On the other hand, Sri Lanka went one step further for the final by defeating the Men in Blues.

Two Sri Lankan openers were also seen on the rampage after Rohit Sharma was seen to raise a storm at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday (September 6). Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dasun Shanaka kept the storm going on that was raised by Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, and this ensured the Lankans’ victory. Chasing the challenging target of 174 runs given by India, the Lankans reached the port of victory after losing 4 wickets with 1 ball in hand.

Sri Lanka got off to a flying start coming down to chase runs. Where they scored 57 runs without losing any wicket in 6 overs of power play. Opener Nissanka picked up his 50 off 33 balls. However, the Indians got their first wicket in the 12th over of the innings. Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal gave the first breakthrough by dismissing Nissanka. He scored 52 runs in 37 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes.

The opening pair was broken scoring 97 runs in the first ball of the 12th over. Charith Aslanka, who came in the wicket in one down, returned off Chahal in the same over. Despite playing 3 balls, he could not score any runs. Danushka Gunathilaka could not stay on the wicket for long. He fell victim to Ravichandran Ashwin after playing 7 balls and returned to the dressing room after scoring only 1 run.

After that, Kusal, who picked up a fifty off 33 balls, was trapped on the leg before by Chahal for 57 runs and returned to the pavilion. His innings had 4 fours and 2 sixes. But the whirlwind magic of two spinners Chahal and Ashwin suddenly changed the picture of the match. From 97/0 Sri Lanka’s scoreboard became 110/4. Sri Lanka lost four wickets in 13 runs and went on the back foot in the match.

In this situation, Rajapaksa and captain Shanaka formed a brilliant pair. Sri Lanka took control of the match again with the devastating batting of these two batters. Sri Lanka needed 21 runs off the last 12 balls. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 19th over of the innings made the work of the Lankans quite easy. Shanaka and Rajapaksha took 14 runs from that over with two fours along with two wides. The equation to win for the Lankans became 7 runs from 6 balls.

However, Arshdeep Singh’s last over did not reduce the thrill. 2 runs were needed from 2 balls, and Shanaka couldn’t connect the ball on the bat but started running for runs. Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant threw, but he could not put it on the stumps, 2 bye runs were made instead of 1 run. As a result, Sri Lanka won the match by 6 wickets with 1 ball to spare.

Rajapaksa scored 25* in 17 balls with 2 sixes and Shanaka played an unbeaten 33-run innings with 4 fours and 1 six in 18 balls and left the field after winning the game. 64 runs came from 34 balls in their unbroken partnership. Yuzvendra Chahal took 3 wickets for India. Ravichandran Ashwin took a wicket.

Earlier, after losing the toss, India scored 173 runs for 8 wickets in the scheduled 20 overs, relying on the stormy batting of captain Rohit. KL Rahul (6) got out in the second over of the innings. In the next over, Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck by Dilshan Madushanka. Rohit took charge of the team in such a dangerous situation. Along with young Suryakumar Yadav, they formed a destructive partnership of 97 runs from 58 balls for the third wicket.

Rohit, who picked up his 28th career fifty, hit 5 fours and 4 sixes in his innings. He scored 72 runs off 41 balls. On the other hand, Suryakumar could not go score big despite raising hopes. He fell victim to Shanaka scoring 34 runs off 29 balls with 1 four and 1 six. After that, no other batsman on the Indian team could stand against the Lankan bowlers.

Hardik Pandya (17), Deepak Hooda (3), Rishabh Pant (17), and Bhuvneshwar (0) were out cheaply. In the end, if Ashwin did not play a cameo innings of unbeaten 15 runs off 7 balls, India’s score would not have gone that far. Dilshan Madushanka took the highest number of 3 wickets for the Lankans. Besides, Chamika Karunaratne and Dasun Shanaka took 2 wickets each and Maheesh Theekshana picked up 1 wicket for the winning side.

IND vs SL Scoreboard

India – 173/8 (20.0)

Sri Lanka – 174/4 (19.5)

Result – Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets

Player of the match – Dasun Shanaka

IND vs SL Playing XIs