Twitter Reactions: India seal series as Sri Lankan batting collapses again

Yashasvi Jaiswal. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

India pocketed their second consecutive series after their T20 World Cup 2024 triumph as they defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets (via DLS method) in the second T20I in Pallekele on Sunday, July 28. By virtue of this win, India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and invited Sri Lanka to bat first on a used surface. Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka got their team off to a sedate start as they scored 26 runs inside the first four overs before the former was dismissed. Nissanka continued from where he left off in the first T20I as he struck some gorgeous boundaries en route to a 24-ball 32.

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Nissanka stitched a 54-run partnership for the second wicket with Kusal Perera and it came off just 36 balls. After the right-handed batter was dismissed, Kamindu Mendis and Perera added another 50 runs off 34 balls and gave the hosts a great platform at 130/2 after 15 overs.

However, Hardik Pandya bowled an excellent 16th over and accounted for the wickets of the two set batters. Perera’s (53 off 34 balls) wicket was very crucial for India at that juncture as he was looking dangerous. Sri Lanka lost their last nine wickets for 30 runs in the first T20I and the nightmare came back to haunt them once again in the death overs on Sunday. They scored just 31 runs in the last five overs for the loss of seven wickets to finish on 161/9 in their 20 overs. Ravi Bishnoi was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with excellent figures of 3/26 from four overs. Meanwhile, Hardik, Arshdeep Singh, and Axar Patel supported him nicely, bagging two wickets each.

India romp home in rain-curtailed encounter

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson, who replaced Shubman Gill (neck spasm) for this clash, opened the innings for the Men in Blue. After just three balls and six runs, there was a long rain delay and when the action resumed, the tourists were given a DLS revised target of 78 runs in eight overs.

With India’s long batting lineup, Sri Lanka had their task cut out. Samson perished for a golden duck in the second over but Jaiswal and Suryakumar played scored some scintillating partnerships to add 39 runs off just 19 balls. The Indian captain was dismissed for a 12-ball 26 and Pandya was promoted to No. 4. Yashasvi brought the required run-rate below six with a huge maximum off Wanindu Hasaranga. However, the leg-spinner struck off the next ball as the visitors needed 13 runs off the last 14 balls.

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Pandya hit a six off the last ball of Hasaranga’s over to bring the equation down to six required off the last two overs. The Baroda all-rounder hit back-to-back boundaries off Matheesha Pathirana in the penultimate over to take India home with nine balls to spare.

Here’s how ‘X’ users reacted to the pulsating second T20I: