India whitewash Sri Lanka after an awful batting display

Sri Lanka (Commonwealth) _ India completed a 3-0 rout at Pallekele by defeating Sri Lanka in the Super Over, in one of the most strange T20I endings ever.

Sri Lanka outperformed India in all three categories for the most portion of the game, but they suffered a significant collapse in the latter stages. They had six wickets remaining and just nine runs to score from the final two overs. Having never bowled in a Twenty20 International before, Rinku Singh sent down the 19th over while taking two wickets and giving up only three runs.

Sri Lanka now needed to score six runs from six balls. With the ball spinning a mile, Suryakumar Yadav made the decision to come on, giving Mohammed Siraj one over remaining. It was his debut time bowling in Twenty20 Internationals. Furthermore, India could only field four players outside the 30-yard line due to their over-rate. However, Suryakumar took two wickets and gave up just five runs to level the game.

Washington Sundar hit a wide to begin the Super Over. However, one delivery later, he had Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera caught at the boundary off consecutive deliveries. Suryakumar stroked Maheesh Theekshana’s first delivery towards short fine leg, where Asitha Fernando let the ball to get through his legs for four, with India needing just three runs from their Super Over.

Rain caused the match to start one hour later than scheduled earlier. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka elected to bat first and held India to 137 for 9, using a new surface that benefited both seamers and spinners. It was an even more remarkable feat considering that Matheesha Pathirana did not bowl an over during the innings. After suffering a right shoulder injury in the seventh over while fielding a ball, the fast bowler left the game. He came back towards the end of the inning, but he didn’t take a wicket.

Sri Lanka then got off to a 58-run start in 8.5 overs thanks to Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. Similar to the first two Twenty20 Internationals, Kusal Perera’s 46 off just 34 balls pulled them closer, but their middle order imploded, with no one scoring even five, giving India the victory.

India changed their starting eleven four times to ensure that every member of the team played in at least one game. Starting cautiously against Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Shubman Gill—who had missed the previous game due to neck spasms—was up against the rookie. Yashasvi Jaiswal attempted to take on Theekshana by hitting the spinners for two fours in three balls, but he was unsuccessful. However, Theekshana misplayed a sweep and trapped him leg before base on the very next ball.

For his second duck in as many games, Sanju Samson misplayed Wickramasinghe to sweeper cover in the following over. Promoted to No. 4, Rinku survived just two balls before falling victim to Theekshana’s second blow. His attempt to go inside out over covers was unsuccessful because to the wicket’s spin and slowness;

From mid-on, Pathirana made a nice catch sprinting to his right. In the final over of the powerplay, Suryakumar hit a sweep from well outside off right down the neck of fine leg, dealing Asitha Fernando another blow.

After six overs, with India at 30 for 4, Gill and Shivam Dube attempted to steady the innings. However, Ramesh Mendis had Dube caught behind, and Kusal Mendis made the catch on the second try, so the pair could only add a run-a-ball eighteen.

In the ninth over, Gill and Riyan Parag helped India pass fifty. After two overs, Ramesh Mendis gave Parag a four, ending a 33-ball boundary drought.  Shortly after, the spinner erred on the fuller side and he sent Wanindu Hasaranga over deep midwicket for two sixes in three deliveries.

Before Hasaranga removed both of them in the same over, Parag and Gill put up 54 off 40 balls. It was Gill who left first. As he hit the ground, the turn beat him and left him stumped. After three balls, Parag mishit a half-tracker into the deep midwicket’s grasp. India were on the verge of being bowled out at 105 for 7 in the sixteenth over.

Washington demonstrated his value at bat by starting at No. 8 in his first game of the series. In his 18-ball 25 he shot two fours and a six.