Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer continued his terrific form with the bat, scoring his third successive half-century to help his team secure another easy victory in the third and final T20I versus Sri Lanka on Sunday (February 27).
Iyer added another score of fifty or more to his kitty, producing a measured 73 not out off 45 deliveries to steer India home in a run-chase of 148 runs with six wickets intact and more than three overs remaining in the innings.
The innings earned him a well deserved ‘Player of the Match’ award and also the ‘Player of the Series’ honour because of his earlier scores of 57* off 28 and 74* off 44 in Lucknow and Dharamshala, respectively. In a series extremely crucial to the backup middle-order batter’s career, Iyer only strengthened his case in the build-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia.
On the day, Iyer kept his calm despite wickets falling around him, before Ravindra Jadeja joined him for a 15-ball 22 and they remained unbeaten till the end. Right from the beginning of the chase, India looked to assert their dominance over a hapless Sri Lankan side on a flat pitch. In the process, Sanju Samson (18 off 12) and Deepak Hooda (21 off 16) lost their wickets. But whilst there, they showcased a selfless willingness to play according to the team’s plan.
The foot on the accelerator meant that India secured victory in the third match nearly as quickly as the second game also played in Dharamshala on Saturday. Then too, Iyer and Jadeja had blasted the opposition attack in the middle-overs and made it a no-contest by the time the final five overs began.
And just like the other day, Sri Lanka had no real answers to the Indian onslaught. Missing two key bowlers in Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, they failed to exercise any sort of control on the proceedings. Dushmantha Chameera (1/19) was the only bowler to escape the punishment from the imposing presence of Iyer & company.
India set up the game in the first half where, once again, they were in command for the first 15 overs before Sri Lanka fought back in the death overs. The hosts reduced Sri Lanka to a measly 60 for 5 in 12.1 overs, which became 78/5 at the 15-over mark. But then, just as he did the other day, Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka went after India’s death-bowling and smashed around Harshal Patel in particular.
Patel, who had been taken for plenty on Saturday, looked short of answers to Shanaka’s magnificent hitting. The Sri Lankan captain blasted his way to a 38-ball 74 not out and almost singlehandedly allowed his team to post a score of above the 140-mark when it could’ve easily finished well below that.
Patel, however, still finished with relatively good figures of one for 29 off his four overs and so did spin twins Kuldeep Yadav (0/22) and Ravi Bishnoi (1/32), who got their opportunity as India opted to rest Yuzvendra Chahal.
On the pace front, the break given to senior pros Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah allowed both Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan to get overs under their belt and they started brilliantly with the new ball. Siraj (1/22) and Avesh (2/23) reduced Sri Lanka to 18/3 at the end of the powerplay.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka 146/5 in 20 overs (Dasun Shanaka 74*; Avesh Khan 2/23, Mohammed Siraj 1/22) lost to India 148/4 in 16.5 overs (Shreyas Iyer 73*, Ravindra Jadeja 22*; Lahiru Kumara 2/39) by 6 wickets
