Sri Lanka registered its second victory in the Asia Cup Super Four and almost advanced to the finals of the tournament. The Lankan tigers defeated the Indian team by 6 wickets in a last-over thriller. India had set a total of 173/8 by batting first in the match. Sri Lanka reached the target on the second last ball of the match to register an impressive victory.
The Indian team will now have to rely on the outcomes of other matches in the Super Four of Asia Cup to reach the finals. India had lost the toss and had to bat first. Sri Lanka dominated the powerplay in both innings with their exceptional performances.
KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were sent back cheaply by the Sri Lankan bowlers to start on a positive note in the game. Rahul scored 6 off 7 while Kohli registered a duck. Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav constructed a great partnership for the third wicket, but after the departure of the attacking Indian captain, the other batters failed to carry the momentum.
Rohit played a valiant knock of 72 off 41. Suryakumar Yadav notched up 34 runs, while Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya scored 17 runs each. Ashwin remained not out on 15* off 7. For Sri Lanka, Madushanka was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets in his bag.
Chasing 174, the Sri Lankan team never looked in trouble. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis played extravagant knocks at the beginning of the chase and set the tempo for the batters to come. Nissanka scored 52, while Mendis scored 57 runs. India made a comeback in the match with 4 quick wickets in the middle, but Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dasun Shanaka guided their team towards the victory without much hassle.
Rajapaksa remained unbeaten on 25* while Shanaka remained unbeaten on 33*. India will next face the Afghanistan team in their final match of the Super Four in Asia Cup on 9th September in Dubai.
