Hapless Sri Lanka spin to another loss

– Skipper Rohit Sharma lauded the wrist-spinners for their wicket-taking abilities after Yuzvendra Chahal (left) powered India to their biggest Twenty20 win on Wednesday, as the hosts outplayed Sri Lanka by 93 runs in the first match.

Chahal returned fine figures of 4/23 to help dismiss Sri Lanka for 87 in 16 overs, while chasing 181 as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Left-arm unorthodox bowler Kuldeep Yadav also chipped in with two wickets while paceman Hardik Pandya claimed three to flatten the Sri Lankan batting.

“Those two guys (Chahal and Kuldeep), if you look at their careers over the last few months, they have always been a wicket-taking option in the middle,” Sharma said of the spin duo.

Earlier opener Lokesh Rahul smashed 61 off 48 balls as India posted a challenging 180/3 after being invited to bat first.

But it was Dhoni (39) and Manish Pandey (32) who set up India’s big win with their unbeaten 68run stand for the fourth wicket that lifted the team from 112/3 to put up a challenging total.

Dhoni hit four fours and a six during his 22-ball blitz while Pandey also hit the bowlers to all parts of the ground during his 18ball stay.

Rahul, who replaced Shikhar Dhawan in the XI, put on a crucial 63-run stand with Shreyas Iyer, who made 24, after India lost an early wicket. – AFP