Michael Roberts from the Outside without seeing Live Coverage
Studying the CricInfo ball-by-ball reportage and the eventual surveys by BBB and Rex Clementine, it seems to me that the principal reasons why Sri Lanka lost were because of (A) Suryakumar Yadav’s sagacious captaincy; (B) an Asitha Fernando bokku; (C) the search for sixers by our set batsmen when going for two or fours was a more sensible method; and (D) Charith Asalanka’s first-ball duck –the second in a row. And since I am a devoted Gallilean that last factor is esepeciially galling (pun intended).
But let the scores and two reviews by Rex Clementineand Hemant Brar respectively tell you the story …. while I also direct you to Facebook where, no doubt, Brian Thomas will be posting a caustic set of comments in his familiar style.
Suryakumar Yadav: whose capataincy & personal contributions were central pillars in Indiá’s dramatic win
Hemant Brar in ESPNcricinfo,3o July 2024, “India sweep T-20 series in Super Over thriller”
In one of the most bizarre finishes to a T20I, India beat Sri Lanka in the Super Over to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Pallekele. For the majority of the match, Sri Lanka outplayed India in all three departments but they had a great fall towards the end. They needed just nine from the last two overs with six wickets in hand. Rinku Singh, who had never bowled previously in T20Is, sent down the 19th over, conceded just three runs, and picked up two wickets.
That left Sri Lanka needing six from six balls. Mohammed Siraj had an over left but Suryakumar Yadav decided to bring himself on as the ball was turning a mile. He, too, was bowling for the first time in T20Is. Moreover, India were behind the over-rate and could have only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle. But Suryakumar gave away just five runs, apart from picking up two wickets, to tie the game.
Washington Sundar started the Super Over with a wide. But a single later, he had Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissankacaught at the boundary off successive deliveries.With India needing only three from their Super Over, Suryakumar swept Maheesh Theekshana‘s first ball towards short fine leg, where Asitha Fernando let the ball through his legs for four.
Earlier, the match started an hour late because of rain. Sri Lanka sent India in after winning the toss and restricted them to 137 for 9 on a fresh pitch that assisted both seamers and spinners. Making their effort even more impressive was the fact that Matheesha Pathirana did not bowl a single over in the innings. The fast bowler hurt his right shoulder while stopping a ball in the seventh over and walked off the field. He returned towards the end of the innings but did not bowl.
Nissanka and Kusal Mendis then gave Sri Lanka a start of 58 in 8.5 overs. Kusal Perera’s 46 off just 34 balls took them closer but just like the first two T20Is, their middle order collapsed – no one scored even 5 – to hand India the match.
Theekshana, seamers derail India
India made four changes to their XI, making sure everyone in the squad got at least one match. Shubman Gill, who missed the previous game with neck spasms, started cautiously against debutant Chamindu Wickramasinghe. From the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to take on Theekshana and hit the spinners for two fours in three balls. But Theekshana trapped him lbw on the very next ball as the batter missed a sweep.
In the next over, Sanju Samson miscued Wickramasinghe to sweeper cover for his second duck in as many games. Rinku, promoted to No. 4, lasted just two balls and became Theekshana’s second victim. He tried to go inside out over covers but the turn and slowness of the wicket did him in; Pathirana took a good catch running to his right from mid-on. Asitha Fernando dealt India another blow in the last over of the powerplay when Suryakumar played a sweep from well outside off straight down the throat of fine leg.
Gill, Parag stage recovery
With India 30 for 4 inside six overs, Gill and Shivam Dube tried to stabilise the innings. But the duo could add only a run-a-ball 18 as Ramesh Mendis had Dube caught behind, with Kusal Mendis pouching the catch on the second attempt.
Gill and Riyan Parag took India past 50 in the ninth over. Two overs later, Parag ended a 33-ball boundary drought with a four off Ramesh Mendis. Soon after, he launched Wanindu Hasaranga over deep midwicket for two sixes in three balls as the spinner erred on the fuller side.
Parag and Gill added 54 off 40 balls before Hasaranga dismissed both in the same over. Gill was the first to go. He came down the ground only to be beaten by the turn and be stumped. Three balls later, Parag mishit a half-tracker into the hands of deep midwicket. At 105 for 7 in the 16th over, India were in danger of getting bowled out.
Washington’s late cameo
Playing his first match of the series, Washington showed his worth with bat at No. 8. He hit two fours and a six in his 18-ball 25 and added 32 off 24 balls for the eighth wicket along with Ravi Bishnoi.Thanks to their partnership, India scored 35 in the last five overs and reached a respectable 137 for 9. In the absence of Pathirana, the Sri Lanka spinners bowled 14 overs for combined figures of 6 for 107.
Nissanka & Mendis set the platform
Nissanka and Kusal Mendis started slowly, scoring just four runs in the first two overs. Nissanka then broke the shackles with three fours off Khaleel Ahmed in the third over. Two overs later, he reverse-pulled Washington through cover-point for yet another boundary.
India knew they needed wickets, so Suryakumar gave Mohammed Siraj a third over in the powerplay. He did produce a chance, inducing the outside edge of Kusal Mendis’ bat, but Samson was wrong-footed behind the stumps and dropped it. To make it sting even more, Kusal Mendis swept Bishnoi for back-to-back fours in the next over.
Still, India did not let Sri Lanka run away with the game. They finally got a breakthrough in the ninth over, when Nissanka chipped Bishnoi to wide long-on.
Perera’s effort in vain
Sri Lanka were 61 for 1 after ten overs, the target still 77 runs away. But Kusal Perera took the aggressive route and hit five fours in the next five overs. That brought down the equation to 30 needed from 30 balls. India had won from the exactly same situation in the T20 World Cup final, but on Tuesday night, they were without Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, their heroes from that game.
While Bishnoi had Kusal Mendis lbw, and Washington dismissed Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka off successive balls, Sri Lanka were still the favourites; they required only 21 from 18 balls. Khaleel then bowled an 11-ball over, which included five wides, to tilt the scale further in Sri Lanka’s favour. But the hosts were in for a rude shock.
Sri Lanka suffered another batting collapse as they surrendered early advantage in the third T-20 International against India to lose the game in the Super Over after scores were tied at Pallekele International Stadium on Tuesday. Chasing 138 to win, Sri Lanka were well on course having reached 110 for one and needed a run a ball with nine wickets in hand. Then the collapse started. They lost nine wickets for 27 runs in dramatic fashion and this game was further evidence that the team has not addressed batting woes.With plenty of gaps on the field, there were many options to keep rotating the strike or picking up twos, but many experienced campaigners fell trying to clear the boundary on a wicket where the spinners had a lot of assistance.
Kusal Perera was the main culprit. He has been the in form batter in the series and was cruising when he attempted to take on Rinku Singh and the all-rounder completed a return catch to start the slide. He made 46 in 34 balls.
India blundered as well but Sri Lanka outperformed their opponents when it came to blunders. Khaleel Ahmed sent down eight wides in the 18th over to reduce the equation to nine runs in the last two overs.
Rinku Singh was called up to bowl the penultimate over and he picked up two wickets to put pressure on the tail as only three runs were scored in the over.
Mohammed Siraj was ready to bowl the final over but the captain changed the plans and brought himself on with the spin bowling options exhausted. He did a terrific job. Suryakumar had never bowled in T-20 Internationals before and had to contain with just four fielders outside the 30-yard circle as India had been slow with the over rate.
He dismissed Kamindu Mendis and Maheesh Theekshana in successive balls to make it six needed in three balls. Asitha Fernando managed a single off the fourth ball, putting debutant Chamindu Wickramasinghe on strike. But he couldn’t find a boundary in the remaining two balls and scores were levelled.
Sri Lanka managed only two runs in the Super Over bowled by Washington Sundar.
Suryakumar opened batting for India with three runs needed for a whitewash. He swept the first ball by Maheesh Theekshana and the short fine leg fielder misfielded and the ball reached the boundary to sum up Sri Lanka’s miserable day.
The teams now move to Colombo for the three-match ODI series.
Bowling: Chamindu Wickramasinghe 4-0-17-1, Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-28-3 (w 1), Asitha Fernando 2-0-11-1 (w 1), Ramesh Mendis 3-0-26-1 (w 3), Wanindu Hasaranga 4-0-29-2, Kamindu Mendis 3-0-24-0.
Sri Lanka innings
Pathum Nissanka c Parag b Bishnoi 26
Kusal Mendis lbw b Bishnoi 43
Kusal Perera c & B Rinku 46
Wanindu Hasaranga c Bishnoi b Sundar 3
Charith Asalanka c Samson b Sundar 0
Ramesh Mendis c Gill b Rinku 3
Kamindu Mendis c Rinku b Suryakumar 1
Chamindu Wickramasinghe not out 4
Maheesh Theekshana c Samson b Suryakumar 0
Asitha Fernando not out 1
Extras: (lb 2, w 8) 10
Total: (for eight wickets) 137
Overs: 20
Did not bat: Matheesha Pathirana.
Fall of wickets: 1-58 (Nissanka), 2-110 (Kusal Mendis). 3-117 (Hasaranga), 4-117 (Asalanka), 5-129 (Perera), 6-132 (Ramesh), 7-132 (Kamindu), 8-132 (Theekshana).
Bowling: Khaleel Ahmed 3-0-28-0 (w 7), Mohammed Siraj 3-0-11-0, Washington Sundar 4-0-23-2, Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-38-2 (w 1), Riyan Parag 4-0-27-0, Rinku Singh 1-0-3-2, Suryakumar Yadav 1-0-5-2.
An Assessment by Michael Tissera in an EMAIL COMMENT re All ThreeMatches, 1 August 2024:
“Three batting failures in a row. Unbelievable. Very poor cricket sense.”
An EMAIL COMMENT from Harry Solomons in Sydney, 3 August 2024:
“Absolutely agree with you 💯 % . Our men in the SL team appear to have an attitude of self entitlement……….
Cheers, ………..” Harry
But let the scores and two reviews by Rex Clementine and Hemant Brar respectively tell you the story …. while I also direct you to Facebook where, no doubt, Brian Thomas will be posting a caustic set of comments in his familiar style.
An Assessment by Michael Tissera in an EMAIL COMMENT re All ThreeMatches, 1 August 2024:
“Three batting failures in a row. Unbelievable. Very poor cricket sense.”
An EMAIL COMMENT from Harry Solomons in Sydney, 3 August 2024:
“Absolutely agree with you 💯 % . Our men in the SL team appear to have an attitude of self entitlement……….
Cheers, ………..” Harry