Ind vs SL, 3rd T20: India win by 5 wickets, complete 3-0 series cleansweep

Mumbai: India ended the 3-match T20 series on Sunday with a 3-0 cleansweep as they outplayed Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the 3rd T20 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

Being put to bat first, Lanka once again had a lacklustre start. The Indian bowlers stocked the pressure with 3 quick wickets before Samarawickrama and Gunaratne steadied the innings. However, the Men in  Blue once again gathered momentum picking up wickets at regular intervals.

Gunaratne was the top scorer after a steady cameo but India’s chase was made difficult after they leaked 18 runs in the final over through Mohammed Siraj. Among the wickets were Jaydev Unadkat and Hardik Pandya who claimed 2 wickets each, while Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar picked one each.

In reply, India did not get the fanciest of starts as fans would have expected. KL Rahul was the first to be dismissed followed by Rohit Sharma, that put the hosts in a spot of bother. With the inexperienced Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer at the crease, Perera’s men shifted the momentum towards their sides with some tight overs, that saw the run-rate creeping up.

With the pressure soon building, the Lankan pace duo of Dushmanta Chameera and Dasun Shanaka shone as India soon went down to 5 wickets down to five wickets. But the pressure didn’t take a toll on Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni as they safely guided India over the line.

India 133-5 after 19 overs:

India is still in hunt for the chase despite the loss of 3 wickets. After Rohit and Rahul's dismissal, Lanka have piled kept it tight and upped the required run-rate. Game open at both ends.

WICKET! Just the one that Lanka needed. Chameera bowls a good length delivery that slightly nips back into the batsman. Pandey is out of the crease, trying to play through the line but gets an inside edge that clips the bails. Game on!

India 99-4 after 15 overs:

WICKET! Soft dismissal. Shanaka bowls a short one to Hardik Pandya, who attempts to run it down to third man. Doesn't get the execution and gives the keeper a practice catch. Karthik makes way.

Sri Lanka have struck early on after getting rid of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey are together at the crease.

WICKET! Iyer gets run-out at the non-striker's end. Dananjaya gets a hand to a flat shot by Pandey and the Mumbai batsman is stranded. He is furious as he makes his way back to the dressing room.

India 39-2 after 7 overs:

WICKET, but that won't stop the Wankhede faithful from chanting Rohit, Rohit! The India skipper goes for a pull, but doesn't quiet connect. Gets the height, but not the elevation and Kusal at deep mid-wicket takes a stunning catch.

India 21-1 after 4 overs:

WICKET! Just the start that Lanka needed. Back of a length delivery by Chameera and Rahul looks to play across the line. Misses the drive and is struck on the knee roll. The umpire raises the finger but Rahul reviews it straight away. Reviews show the ball hitting leg stump.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have kicked off India's run chase in style. 

India 17-0 after 3 overs:

Rohit Sharma has taken no time to entertain the Wankhede crowd. Creams Dananjaya for two boundaries.

1st innings:

Being put to bat by India, Sri Lanka posted a paltry 130-7 first innings total in the 3^rd T20 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. Having already lost the series, Sri Lanka failed to make any difference with the bat in the final T20 either.

The hosts struck early on during the powerplay, leaving the Islanders reeling at 19-3. However, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Asela Gunaratne restored Lanka’s hope soon with a decent stand.

But that didn’t take away the momentum from India as wickets once again came easy. In the death overs, Dasun Shanaka struck a couple of biggies during the end to take Sri Lanka to 135-7.

Hardik Pandya and Jaydev Unadkat were the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets each. While Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav claimed one each.

Sri Lanka 135-7 after 20 overs:

India are all over Sri Lanka here, having dominated the opposition and put them on the backfoot. The only ray of hope in the 1st innings was the partnership between Sadeera Samarawickrama and Asela Gunaratne, but they haven't possessed any threat to the Indian bowling attack since then.

Sri Lanka 85-6 after 13 overs:

WICKET! Another soft dismissal. Slower delivery on the pads by Siraj and Perera clips it straight to Rohit Sharma at mid-wicket. A huge relief for the Hyderabadi pacer.

Sri Lanka 74-5 after 12 overs:

WICKET! Kuldeep strikes this time. Gunathilaka smacks a delivery off Kuldeep straight and flat towards deep mid-wicket only to find Pandya who takes a jaw-dropping overhead catch.

After reeling at 19-3 at one stage, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Asela Gunaratne steered Sri Lanka to the 50-run mark. But just when they were looking like building a big partnership, they lose the momentum.

Sri Lanka 57-4 after 9 overs:

WICKET! Smart bowling from Pandya. Watches Sadeera dancing down the wicket and shortens the length, cramping him for room. The batsman goes for a lofted drive over cover and Karthik tracking back takes a sitter.

The Indian bowlers provided a solid start in the 3rd T20I after clinching 3 wickets early on during the powerplay. Washington Sundar claimed his first T20I wicket while Jaydev Unadkat once again excelled with the new ball, with Tharanga and Dickwella among his victims.

Sri Lanka 19-3 after 4 overs:

WICKET! Change of pace does the trick for Unadkat. Short delivery and Tharanga charges down the track only to guide it towards Hardik Pandya stationed at deep mid-wicket. The Lanka camp looks absolutely stunned!

WICKET! Another soft dismissal. Sundar flights up the ball and Kusal Perera plays it back straight to the bowler.

India 9-1 after 2 overs:

WICKET! India strike early through Jaydev Unadkat. Incoming length ball and Dickwella eyes the aerial route over mid-on. Hands Siraj an easy catch in the end. 

India are set to take on Sri Lanka in the 3rd and final T20 in Mumbai on Sunday, but despite the contest being a dead-rubber there's plenty to prove for both the teams. Pride is at stake for Lanka while few young Indian players have an opportunity to showcase their talent. The news is that young Washington Sundar makes his T20I debut.

Toss:

India have won the toss and opted to field. Here's how both the teams look like -

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Niroshan Dickwella(w), Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asela Gunaratne, Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera(c), Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Lokesh Rahul, MS Dhoni(w), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj

Preview:

Having bagged the T20 series on Friday after taking a 2-0 series lead with a thumping 88 run victory in the 2nd T20I, Team India will aim for whitewash as they lock horns with Sri Lanka in the final match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The Men in Blue have been on a roll and without the absence of the talismanic Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma has led the team to a 9th consecutive bilateral series win.

The hosts have shone in all three departments - batting, bowling and fielding – and will now look to give the youngsters a go in the final game of the series.

The visitors, on the other hand, will return back home empty handed having lost all the three series, with just one win on the road.

They have been dealt another massive setback with star all-rounder Angelo Mathews ruled out of the match due to a hamstring injury. The Islanders will once again look up to players such as Upul Tharanga, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera to instil some confidence.

The bowling attack, led by skipper Thisara Perera, has looked toothless and will have to pull up their sock against a high-flying Indian team.

The Wankhede Stadium is a good batting track with a fast outfield, where T20 teams are capable of chasing totals close to 200 runs. Given the quality of batting in both the teams, spectators could witness an entertaining run-fest.  

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), K L Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Basil Thampi and Jaydev Unadkat.

Sri Lanka: Thisara Perera(C), Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Janith Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella, Asela Gunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dasun Shanaka, Chaturanga de Silva, Sachith Pathirana, Dananjaya De Silva, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando and Dusmantha Chameera.

Match Timing:

Match starts at 1900 Hrs IST.

Where to watch the match live?

The match can be seen live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1HD. The match can also be streamed online on Hotstar.

Update Here