Calm Pandey takes India across the line

Manish Pandey made an unbeaten 42 to guide India to a 6-wicket win over hosts Sri Lanka in the 4th Nidahas Trophy T20I that was played at the R Premadasa International Stadium.

[rev_slider LOLC]

The right hander’s knock came off 31 deliveries and included 3 fours and 1 six at a time when India was in a spot of bother at 62/3 and the game was swinging towards Sri Lanka with the dismissal of Suresh Raina.

Pandey combined with Dinesh Karthik to add 68 for the 5th wicket and ensured that the Indians got home with plenty of wickets and overs to spare. The pair took hardly any risks during the time were together at the crease, choosing instead to maneuver the ball around the field, picking up the ones and twos with the field spread.

Dinesh Chandimal to miss next two T20Is

Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal is set to miss the hosts’ Nidahas Trophy T20I..

Earlier in the innings, defending just 152, Akila Dananjaya managed to remove the dangerman, Rohit Sharma for 11 and then dismissed Shikhar Dhawan in the next over to give the Sri Lankans some life. The hosts could have had Suresh Raina in the same over, both run-out and caught in the deep, however, the opportunities evaded the Lankan fielders.

Dushmantha Chameera’s short bowling got the treatment it deserved in the next over, as he went for 3 boundaries and all the pressure build by a resurgent Dananjaya in the 4th over was put to waste. India went ahead of the required rate at that point and never looked back, despite losing Raina and KL Rahul later on in the innings.

In Sri Lanka’s innings, Kusal Mendis stroked his 4th T20I half century but Sri Lanka’s middle order collapse meant that the hosts had to settle for a below par total of 152.

Having been sent into bat after a long rain delay, Sri Lanka got off to a flier with the 1st ball of the innings going for 4 overthrows, off a ricochet from Mendis’ bat, and the right hander carting the next ball off Jaydev Unadkad over the extra cover boundary as the hosts took 15 off the 1st over.

Danushka Gunathilake looked good at the other end, smashing Washington Sundar’s 1st ball of the game straight over the bowler’s head for six. He absolutely creamed one off Shardur Thakur in the next over but unfortunately found the hands of Suresh Raina, who took a fantastic diving catch. Kusal Perera was unable to make much of an impact this time around, falling to Sundar for 3.

Photo Album: Sri Lanka v India – Nidahas Trophy 2018 Match #4

While Mendis was on song on one end, the batsmen who came and went at the other, looked promising in sporadic periods. Upul Tharanga looked out of place in the middle, playing and missing on several occasions. Thisara Perera slammed the first delivery he faced for 6 over square leg and followed it up with a straight maximum. However, he went for one shot too many, skied one and was dismissed for 15 off 6 deliveries.

Jeewan Mendis came and went and after an innings that featured 3 fours and 3 sixes, Mendis offered a simple catch to short extra-cover off the bowling of Yuzvendra Chahal and fell for 55 off 38 deliveries.

Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals and at 120/6, Dasun Shanaka and Akila Dananjaya were forced to rebuild. The pair put on 26 runs but could not continue at the same pace as they had when Mendis was at the crease. A few wickets at the death meant that Sri Lanka managed just 23 off the last three overs.

In the end the total turned out to be insufficient as the visitors got home with over 2 overs and 6 wickets to spare.

Sri Lanka were forced to make one change to the side that played Bangladesh over the weekend as they lost skipper Dinesh Chandimal for their next two games due to a “serious over rate offense”.

The hosts opted to replace Chandimal with the extra bowler in Suranga Lakmal.

The game was reduced to 19 overs per side as a result of an hour and 20 minute delay as light showers were experienced in Colombo. With the reduction of overs, 4 bowlers from each team will be allowed to bowl 4 overs a piece while one bowler will be given a maximum of three overs.