Leg-spinner Chahal takes four as India beat S. Lanka

CUTTACK ( India):

India’s Yuzvendra Chahal picked up four wickets in a brilliant display of leg-spin bowling to guide the hosts to a facile 93-run win against Sri Lanka in the opening Twenty20 international at Cuttack.

Opener Lokesh Rahul, who was not part of the side that beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in the one-day international series, hit 61 off 48 balls to build the platform for India’s innings of 180-3 in 20 overs after Sri Lanka had won the toss and opted to field on Wednesday.

The tourists, who also lost the three-Test series 1-0, were all out for 87, matching their second lowest total in the format and handing India their biggest victory margin by runs in T20s.

Coming in to bowl inside the batting powerplay, Chahal showed exemplary control with a slippery ball, owing to the dew on the ground, and finished with 4-23 in his four overs.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav snubbed out the remaining chances of a Sri Lanka challenge with figures of 2-18. Seamer Hardik Pandya wrapped up the tail with 3-29 as Sri Lanka were bundled out in 16 overs.

India, resting their top players including newly-wed regular skipper Virat Kohli, lost stand-in captain Rohit Sharma (17) early but Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, who made 24, added 63 for the second wicket to give the home side a solid base. — Reuters