Defending Asia Cup champions India stand on the verge of Super 4 stage exit from the 2022 edition of the tournament in UAE after successive defeats to Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma & company suffered a loss to the Lankan Lions in Dubai on September 6 in a close-fought thriller after another unconvincing performance with bat and ball.
Similar to the Pakistan game, the Indians conceded a position of strength in their batting act and went on to pay for it with a painstaking defeat that leaves them needing a set of other results to go in their favour for a spot in the final.
From batting 110/2 at one stage, Sharma’s men finished with only another 63 runs by the close of the 20th over, losing significant ground with the bat and missing out on another wonderful opportunity to take the game away from the opposition in the first half.
Their batting effort involved a stand-out performance by Rohit, who played one of his better innings in his new role as the top-order aggressor and smashed 72 off 41 balls. The elegant opener struck a counterattacking knock after India lost two early wickets and were reduced to 13 for 2.
Rohit’s knock included 5 fours and 4 sixes as he stitched a critical partnership with Suryakumar Yadav (34) that led the Indian fightback. But just when he was looking set for an even more substantial score, the right-hander was out caught in the deep. His wicket followed that of Yadav soon, as he failed to make his decent start count.
That wicket is where the downward spiral truly began for the Indian innings, with none of their dangerous powerhitters Rishabh Pant (17) and Hardik Pandya (17) living upto their tag and Deepak Hooda (3) once again finding life extremely difficult to adjust to the No.7 role. It needed India a cameo from comeback man R Ashwin (15*) to make it past the 170-mark.
The Sri Lankan innings, in contrast, had just as good an end as it did the beginning. They began the run-chase with an excellent opening stand between half-centurions Pathum Nissanka (52) and Kusal Mendis (57), who took the Indian attack to the cleaners in the first 10 overs and gave Sri Lanka a position of dominance at 97 for 0.
India did have a bit of a revival with ball in hand, as they reduced Sri Lanka to 110/4 in the space of next four overs. But then a counterattacking partnership between captain Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa took the tournament hosts home. While Shanaka took the Indian pacers on for 33 not out off 18, Rajapaksa was severe on the spinners through his unbeaten 25 off 17 balls.
The only phase where India looked in control is the early part of the spells from spin duo Ashwin (1/32) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3/34). Either side of that, the Indians were hammered to all parts of the ground in conditions that made it tougher for them with the dew falling on a slowish deck that sped up in the second half.
The Sri Lankans had the better of the conditions to deal with. Left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka was highly impressive with the new ball, finishing with figures of 3 for 24. He was ably supported at the task by allrounder Chamika Karunaratne (1/29). Shanaka, who played a critical innings with the bat, had earlier delivered a spell of 2 for 26 at the death.
Brief scores
India 173/8 in 20 overs (Sharma 72; Madushanka 3/24, Karunaratne 2/27) lost to Sri Lanka 174/4 in 19.5 overs (Mendis 57, Nissanka 52; Chahal 3/34) by 6 wickets
