Karthik, Sundar gains for India
COLOMBO: When the dates for the Nidahas Trophy tri-series were announced, the reception ranged from lukewarm to indifference. The high frequency of India-Sri Lanka matches has reached a point of monotony. With MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah giving the tournament a miss, the inexperienced Indian team did not appeal to the Sri Lankan fans.
However, Rohit Sharma’s side was strong enough to beat teams. The side had experience of the IPL in addition to four-five fresh faces who had done well in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, were on the way upwards under Chandika Hathurusingha while Bangladesh were volatile yet competitive.
India were jolted in the opening game by Sri Lanka. Following that, and after a scrappy fielding performance against Bangladesh, questions were raised. Shikhar Dhawan set the tournament on fire with knocks of 90 and 55 but Rohit and Suresh Raina failed. With the middle order not getting exposure, India’s supposed weak link was the batting.
In the next three games, India ticked all the boxes. Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey shared a match-winning partnership against Sri Lanka while Rohit and Raina got back to form against Bangladesh. In the final, Rohit hit his 14th fifty but Karthik showed his mettle and his eightball 29 helped India seal the title in dramatic fashion.
Karthik’s contribution in the tournament has shown that he can be considered as India’s next finisher if they have to look at life beyond Dhoni. However, the tournament brought to the fore the bowling bench strength of India, espe- cially Washington Sundar.
POWERPLAY SUNDAR
The 18-year-old Tamil Nadu offspinner became the leading wicket-taker in the series with eight. The remarkable aspect was that six of those wickets came during powerplay. His economy rate of 5.7 is testimony to his skill in a period where batsmen dominate. With Shardul Thakur’s deathover variations and Yuzvendra Chahal’s guile, India’s bowling bench strength is in good hands. However, the contributions of Karthik and Sundar have been the standout factor. When the IPL begins on April 7, Karthik and Sundar will be vital members of their franchises, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore, respectively.
KUSAL DUO STAR
Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis were the stars for Sri Lanka. While Perera hit three fifties in four games, Mendis hit two to give the top order stability. However, the rest of the batsman failed to contribute. The hosts’ bowling was their weak link, with all of them having an economy rate of over nine.
BANGLADESH SHINE
Bangladesh showed spark, aggression, determination and, at times, desperation to win. Bangladesh’s two remarkable victories over Sri Lanka demonstrated the above-mentioned factors. Mushfiqur Rahim’s brilliance and determination helped Bangladesh achieve the fourthhighest successful chase in T20s when they chased down 215. Ugly scenes following Mahmudullah’s second-last ball six showed them in poor light. However, their determination to win was evident till the 38th over of the final before it was shattered in spectacular style by Karthik’s cameo.
To sum up the tournament, it began with a twist, meandered through the next two games, burst into life in the two Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh games and ended with a thriller.