India win by five wickets to complete 3-0 whitewash. After 19.2 overs, India 139/5 (Dhoni 16*, Dinesh 18*).
Dhoni finishes off with fine boundary. India needed just three runs off the final six balls. Dhoni pinched two runs before smacking a fine boundary off the next delivery to wrap up the series. Sri Lanka’s bowlers will be happy with their effort. They stretched India to the final over. A few more runs on the board and this game could have gone a lot differently. Unadkat played a crucial role starting up to help restrict Sri Lanka to 135. India’s chase did not pan as per script as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik, though, took them across the line without much stress despite a flurry of wickets after the 10-over mark. With the win, India capped off a fine year with a win.
After 19 overs, India 133/5 (Dinesh 18*, Dhoni 10*).
Dinesh Karthik smashes a six off the last delivery of the penultimate over to relieve pressure on the hosts. They need just 3 runs from the final six balls.
After 17 overs, India 116/5 (Dhoni 7*, Dinesh 4*).
Scare for Dhoni! He’s struck on the pads. The umpire turns down the appeal. Visitors review, but the ball is missing the stumps. Relief for India, but they still need 20 from 18 balls.
After 16.2 overs, India 109/5 (Dinesh 3*, Dhoni 1*).
WICKET! Trouble for India as Pandey is bowled. India’s batsmen have come under pressure. They not lose their sixth wicket. he misses a straigth delivery from Chameera, completely misses the line. Dhoni walks in.
Pandey b Chameera 32 (b: 29, 4s: 4, 6s: 0).
After 16 overs, 108/5 (Pandey 32*).
100 up for India! India have reached the landmark even as they lose wickets. Sri Lanka might not have shown fight with the bat, but has shown it with the ball. Fortunately for the hosts, the target isn’t that steep. They still need 28 runs off 24 balls.
After 15 overs, India 99/4 (Pandey 26).
WICKET! Pandya perishes trying to hit it down to third man off Shanaka. He places it straight into Dickwella’s hands and then reacts in frustration. India still need 37 from the final five overs.
Pandya c Dickwella b Shanaka 4 (b: 4, 4s: 0).
After 14 overs, India 87/3 (Pandey 17*, Pandya 2*).
WICKET! Shreyas departs in unfortunate circumstances. The Mumbai youngster back up as Pandey smashes a straight drive. Dhananjaya gets his hand to it and the ball deflects onto the stumps. He doesn’t even wait for the umpire to raise the finger and just walks away.
Shreyas run out 30 (b: 32, 4s: 1, 6s: 1).
After 12 overs, India 72/2 (Shreyas 27*, Pandey 8*).
Shreyas smashes a six to relieve some of the pressure, as Sri Lanka maintain a tight line to keep India’s scoring down. He smacks Shanaka for a 91 meter screamer. India need 64 from the last eight overs.
After 9 overs, India 50/2 (Shreyas 10*, Pandey 3*).
Fifty up for India! It’s taken a long time coming, but the target is not that steep. India, though, will do well to keep wickets in hand. Shreyas and Pandey have batted sedately since the departure of the openers.
After 7 overs, India 39/2 (Shreyas 7*).
WICKET! Rohit falls! Gets a top edge off Shanaka, Kusal completes a fine running catch in the deep. The odd bounce gets Rohit. He looks to pull, but can manage only a one-handed shot in the end. Sri Lanka sniff a chance of a fightback.
Rohit c Kusal b Shanaka 27 (b: 20b, 4s: 4, 6s: 1).
After 4 overs, India 21/1 (Rohit 12*, Shreyas 4*).
WICKET! Rahul departs. He’s struck on the pads, and the umpire raises the finger. He reviews, but it’s given as umpire’s call. The ball is pitched outside off and strikes him high on the pad. Replays show it would have just about hit the top corner of the leg stump.
Rahul lbw b Chameera 4 (b: 9, 4s: 0).
After 3 overs, India 17/0 (Rohit 12*, Rahul 4*).
Rohit finally gets going. Smacks Dhananjaya for a six and a boundary. The six takes his tally to 65 in all formats of international cricket this year, making him the top-six hitter of 2017.
After 1 over, India 3/0 (Rohit 1*, Rahul 1*).
Dhananjaya opens the bowling for Sri Lanka and he has Rohit, Rahul in a bind. India’s openers negotiate the over, but not before handing the bowler a chance. He got his fingers to a Rohit straight drive, but it goes away with pace just over his head.
After 20 overs, Sri Lanka 135/7 (Shanaka 29*, Dhananjaya 11*).
18 runs come off the final over by Siraj. He ends with figures of 1/45 from his quota of four overs. Shanaka helps provide some impetus as Sri Lanka end their innings positively. Their batsmen, though, could have done much better. Unadkat led India’s charge after skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first. He finished with two wickets and conceded just 15 overs. Debutant Washington Sundar was also impressive. Considering the form of their batsmen, India will look to romp home with ease as they chase 136 for victory.
After 18 overs, Sri Lanka 113/7 (Shanaka 17*).
WICKET! Gunaratne’s resistance comes to an end. Kuldeep gets a fine running catch off Pandya. He looks slog it over the midwicket fence, but can’t clear the inner-ring. He was the only Sri Lankan batsman to show some application today, but he can’t keep it going.
Gunaratne c Kuldeep b Pandya 36 (b: 37, 4s: 3, 6s: 0).
After 16 overs, Sri Lanka 106/6 (Gunaratne 35*, Shanaka 12*).
100 up for Sri Lanka! India have dominated proceedings. All their bowlers have pitched in with a wicket. Sri Lanka are hanging in there, but are no where close to scoring a big total. Gunaratne is leading the resistance, but will have to get a few lusty shots in quickly.
After 13 overs, Sri Lanka 85/6 (Gunaratne 29*).
WICKET! Siraj gets his first scalp. After conceding 22 runs off his first two overs, the Hyderabadi pacer gets something to smile about. Its bowled in the block hole and Thisara Perera hits it straight to Rohit at short mid-wicket.
T Perera c Rohit b Siraj 11 (b: 6, 4s: 2, 6s: 0).
After 12 overs, Sri Lanka 74/5 (Gunaratne 28*).
WICKET! Kuldeep gets his first scalp. Gunathilaka looks to get a slog sweep in. He smacks the full-pitched delivery well, but not well enough. Holes out to Pandya at the deep mid-wicket.
Gunathilaka c Pandya b Kuldeep 3 (b: 8).
After 9 overs, Sri Lanka 57/4 (Gunaratne 15*).
WICKET! Sadeera falls. Holes out to Dinesh Karthik in the deep off Pandya. He looks to hit it out of the park, but misjudges the bounce. Sri Lanka’s mini-comeback ends. Sadeera falls just as he had formed a steady partnership with Gunaratne.
Sadeera c Karthik b Pandya 21 (b: 17 4s: 3, 6s: 0).
After 8 overs, Sri Lanka 53/3 (Gunaratne 13, Sadeera 13*).
Fifty up for Sri Lanka! Kuldeep comes in and puts the batsmen in a spot of bother. There’s a stumping opportunity and a chance of a catch behind the stumps. Gunaratne and Sadeera are riding their luck, but are hanging in there.
After 6 overs, Sri Lanka 37/3 (Gunaratne 10*, Sadeera 8*).
Siraj gets smacked for two boundaries in his first over. A little raw, and the Sri Lankan batsmen capitalise. Sri Lanka need a pair to stick around here and form a fightback. The two batsmen at the crease look up to the task for now.
After 4 overs, Sri Lanka 19/3 (Sadeera 1*, Gunaratne 0*).
WICKET! Tharanga departs. Undadkat gets his second scalp of the night. The batsman looks to hoick it over mid-wicket, but cannot execute the shot well. It’s a leg-cutter and he fails to reach it and perishes.
Tharanga c Pandya b Unadkat 11 (b: 11, 4s: 2, 6s: 0).
After 3 overs, Sri Lanka 14/2 (Tharanga 7*).
WICKET! Washington gets his first wicket in T20I cricket. Kusal Perera look flick it on the leg side but get he gets a leading edge which is caught by Washington.
Perera c&b Washington 4 (b: 4, 4s: 1, 6s: 0).
After 2 overs, Sri Lanka 9/1 (Tharanga 6*).
WICKET! Jaydev Undadkat bowls a tight second over and picks up a wicket. Gets Dickwella to sky one. He doesn’t get it over the inner circle. Siraj completes an easy catch. This is third consecutive time in this series that Unadkat has dismissed Dickwella.
Dickwella c Siraj b Unadkat 1 (b: 6).
After 1 over, Sri Lanka 6/0 (Dickwella 1*, Tharanga 5*).
Washington Sundar opens the bowling on debut. Two left-handers - Dickwell, Tharanga - begin Sri Lanka’s batting effort. Sundar concedes five runs in that over, including a boundary.
Toss: India win toss, choose to field first.
Chahal and Bumrah rested. Washington Sundar to make his debut. Mohammad Siraj to get a look in. Sri Lanka have brought in Gunathilaka and Shanaka in place of Chaturanga de Silva and Angelo Mathews, who is out with a hamstring injury.
IND XI: RG Sharma (c), L Rahul, S Iyer, M Pandey, D Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), H Pandya, W Sundar, M Siraj, K Yadav, J Unadkat.
SL XI: N Dickwella, U Tharanga, K Perera (wk), D Gunathilaka, A Gunaratne, S Samarawickrama, T Perera (c), A Dananjaya, D Shanaka, D Chameera, N Pradeep.
Pitch: Sunil Gavaskar says it will be another run-fest. The team batting first should aim to post a score of 190-plus, he claims.
Update: Washington Sundar to make debut. He is handed his first India cap by former India cricketer Balwinder Singh Sandhu. Angelo Mathews is injured and won’t play today.
6.30pm: With the series already in their pocket, India will look to give more of the bench players a chance but there will be no let-up in the intensity as they eye a whitewash against Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I in Mumbai on Sunday.
For the islanders, it has been a forgetful year, and the two recent defeats against India have just added to their misery. While the hosts thrashed Sri Lanka by 93 runs in the first match at Cuttack, they outclassed them by 88 runs in Indore to seal the series. The visitors also lost the ODIs 1-2 and drew a blank in the Test series held earlier.
This will be India’s final international game at home this year. The team has emerged triumphant in face of nearly every challenge this year. A final hurrah is in order, and the galloping outfit will want to head into the new year on a high.
India’s spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have produced impressive performances through the series and will want to cap-off year with another memorable display.
Skipper Rohit Sharma and his opening partner KL Rahul have led India’s charge with the bat and will look keep the trend going.