THAKUR STRIKES
Shardul shines as India restrict Lanka to 152/9
Colombo, March 12: Young Shardul Thakur registered his best T20 bowling figures as Sri Lanka lost their way in the middle overs after Kusal Mendis’ fifty to be restricted by India to 152 for 9 in a Nidahas Trophy Twenty20 match here on Monday.
India were 85 for 4 in 10 overs when this edition went to bed.
The match was reduced to 19-overs-a-side affair after over an hour was lost due to rain.
Sent into bat, Mendis once again shone bright for Sri Lanka scoring 55 off 38 balls with the help of three fours and as many sixes before Indian bowlers led by Thakur brought their side back into the game with wickets at regular intervals.
Thakur returned with impressive figures of 4/27, while young off-spinner Washinton Sundar (2/21) scalped two wickets as India made a strong fightback after leaking runs in the first 10 overs.
Vijay Shankar (1/30), Yuzvendra Chahal (1/34) and Jaydev Unadkat (1/33) also accounted for a wicket each.
But initially it looked Rohit Sharma’s decision to bowl first backfired as Sri Lanka got off to a flier scoring 24 runs off the first two overs. Left-arm pacer Unadkat was taken to the cleaners as he gave away 15 runs in the first over.
But India pulled things back bit with two wickets in back-to-back overs. Thakur gave India the breakthrough when he dismissed Danushka Gunathilaka (17) in the third over with Suresh Raina taking a stunning catch at midwicket. Sundar then cleaned up Kushal Perera.