India's Shardul Thakur takes three wickets in five balls to set up T20I win over Sri Lanka
Tuesday 7 January 2020 19:01, UK
Shardul Thakur claimed three wickets in five balls as India thrashed Sri Lanka by seven wickets at Indore to go 1-0 up in their three-match T20I series.
Thakur (3-23) wrecked the visitors' lower order, dismissing Dhananjaya de Silva, Isuru Udana and rival captain Lasith Malinga in the same over to help restrict them to a below-par 142-9.
That never looked enough to trouble India and KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan put on an opening partnership of 71 before skipper Virat Kohli's unbeaten 30 saw them home with 15 balls to spare.
Kohli won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to field, with Sri Lanka's opening pair of Danushka Gunathilaka (20) and Avishka Fernando (22) failing to build on promising starts.
Kusal Perera, who hit three sixes in a breezy knock of 34 from 28 balls, was the pick of the batsmen before he fell to Kuldeep Yadav (2-38).
Paceman Navdeep Saini (2-18) impressed for India, yorking Gunathilaka and then bouncing out Bhanuka Rajapaksa (9) and, although Wanindu Hasaranga (16 not out) struck a flurry of late boundaries, the home side always looked favourites.
Rahul (45 from 32 deliveries) and Shikhar Dhawan (32 from 29) laid a solid foundation for the India reply before Hasaranga (2-30) accounted for both.
However, Shreyas Iyer's busy innings of 34 from 26 balls kept India on course for victory and Kohli finished the contest off by smashing Lahiru Kumara for a six.
With the opening match of the series abandoned due to rain, India take their advantage into the final meeting between the sides, at Pune on Friday.
