Kohli, Pandey sweep Lanka in thriller Wrist spinners Kuldeep, Chahal make a point against Sri Lanka
DONE AND DUSTED After blanking hosts in Tests and ODIs, halfcenturies by Kohli and Pandey help India to 90 sweep
support role to the skipper.
Kohli seemed to suffer from cramps --- he unusually asked for drinks a few times – playing a long knock for the third game in a row, and doing plenty of hard running.
He slapped Prasanna over long-on for six and hit Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews for fours to reach his fifty (30 balls, 5x4) to restore momentum to the Indian innings. runs in the last five overs. After struggling to even
Australian David Warner’s second successive hundred against Bangladesh helped his side maintain their slight advantage on the third day of the second and final Test on Wednesday.
After heavy rain washed out more than a session of the day’s play, Australia eclipsed Bangladesh’s first innings total of 305 by tea before the hosts retaliated in the final session to reduce the tourists to 377-9.
Steve O’Keefe was batting on eight with Australia leading by 72 runs. Nathan Lyon was yet to open his account.
Resuming Australia’s innings on 225-2, overnight batsmen Warner and Peter Handscomb batted with the assuredness that was the hallmark of their 152run partnership.
Handscomb ran himself out in his eagerness to help Warner reach the 100 mark when he sprinted for a single before being Tests and ODIs, the Sri Lankan batsmen played with some freedom in the shortest version.
At 90 for three at the halfway mark, Sri Lanka would have hoped to reach 200. However, brilliant bowling by the spin trio pegged them down to a much smaller total.
Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav confounded the batsmen with his variations, finishing with a superb two for 20. Legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal came back strongly after being hit to claim three for 43 while left-arm Axar Patel (0/30) was steady.
The three gave away only 93 runs in 12 overs.
Sri Lankan opener Niroshan Dickwella (17) was bowled trying an improvised flick against Jasprit Bumrah after skipper Upul Tharanga was bowled by Bhuv-
Kohli believes taking wickets are the way to prosper in limited-overs cricket and wrist spinners provide the best option to keep striking.
The India skipper would have been convinced about his outlook after leg-spinner Yuzhvendra Chahal and Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav together delivered the goods in the one-off T20I against Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium. If patience and flight were the virtues for spinners of old, and in Test cricket even now, it’s temperament and the ability to second-guess batsmen are key to T20 success.
Chahal, 27, went for 14 runs in his first over as he was targeted early on, but the diminutive Haryana bowler showed why Kohli, also his RCB skipper, trusts him by making a strong comeback. He eventually finished with 3/43. Kuldeep was miserly, going for just 2/20 in his four overs that made up for Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah going for runs.
Chahal got Angelo Mathews stumped. Thisara Perera then hit him for a six only to be beaten by subtle turn as he could only play onto the stumps.
The 22-year-old Yadav was the one who controlled Sri Lanka’s scoring. He gave away just 11 runs in his first three overs. In fact, Ashan Priyanjan, who made 40 not out, had no clue initially against Yadav. Dilshan Munaweera was beaten by Yadav’s googly, swishing air with the bat flying off his hands as he was bowled. Seekuge Prasanna too failed to judge the pace, hitting straight to Kohli at midwicket.
In the last ODI at the venue on Sunday, the two spinners together gave away only 76 runs in 20 overs, taking a wicket each.
KOHLI, WHO COMPLETED A RARE ALLWIN TOUR AS SKIPPER, LEFT SCORES OF LANKAN FANS DISAPPOINTED WITH ANOTHER BRILLIANT EFFORT.