The Indian team defeated Sri Lanka in a nail-biting encounter at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The Indian team made a memorable comeback to tie the match from almost a losing position and later on win the super over.
In the third match of the SL-IND 2024 T20 series, the Indian men’s cricket team defeated Sri Lanka in the super over and blanked the hosts 3-0.
Being asked to bat first on a difficult wicket at Pallekele, the India team had a terrible start when Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) got out in the second over, then in the next over Sanju Samson scored another duck in this series.
India lost Rinku Singh (1) next, then Suryakumar was dismissed on the individual score of 8, reducing India to 30/4 in 5.4 overs.
But after that, Shubhman Gill and Riyan Parag gave the team a brief reprieve with a solid 54-run partnership. Washington Sundar’s 25 off 18 and Riyan Parag’s 26 off 18 gave some late momentum to the Indian inning, and India finished with a score of 137/9 in 20 overs.
The best bowler in Sri Lanka, Maheesh Theekshana, claimed three wickets in a spell of 3/28 and removed Jaiswal, Rinku, and Sundar. Wanindu Hasaranga claimed two wickets as well.
Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis shared a 58-run opening stand as the hosts got a flying start to the run chase. Ravi Bishnoi got India rid of both Mendis, who hit 43 off 41, and Nissanka, the series’ top run scorer, who was removed after scoring 26 (27 balls).
At one stage, Sri Lanka was miles ahead of India in the match with the scoreline of 117/2 in 16.2 overs, but then Sundar gave India some hope with two wickets in two balls and left Sri Lanka on 117/4 in 16.4 overs.
Indian skipper Surya Kumar Yadav decided to play a gamble by giving bowling to Rinku Singh in the 19th over after realizing a certain defeat was approaching. However, Rinku bowled an outstanding over, gave just 3 runs, and dismissed two batters.
Surya decided to take responsibility on his shoulders and came to bowl the last over of the Sri Lankan inning with Sri Lanka needing just 5 runs in the last over. Surya with the ball in the last over of the match, just 5 runs required, it seems like Sri Lanka will win this encounter.
But Surya had other plans. He stuns the hosts by picking up two wickets and giving away just 5 runs to take the match to the super over.
Sri Lanka batted first in the super over with both Kusal, Mendis & Perera opening the innings, and from India’s side, Washington Sundar took the responsibility of bowling. He dismissed Perera and Nissanka in consecutive deliveries before giving away just two runs in two balls, leaving the visitors with a target of only three runs to win.
From India’s side, Surya and Gill came to bat in a super over, and on the first ball of the super over, Suryakumar swept Theekshana for a boundary to complete a stunning comeback victory.
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Despite Sri Lanka dominating for the majority of the match, India staged a dramatic comeback in the final two overs to force a super over, and Washington Sundar reduced Sri Lanka to 2/2 in the super over to sculpt a memorable win for India.
“(Super Over) All the work I did, blessings from God helped me. I wanted to try and stay calm. Very grateful to SKY for throwing the ball to me. Very grateful to get an opportunity. I just need to do what I am supposed to do. We did a bit of homework against their batters. I had to hit the right lengths.” After writing a famous victory in Pallekele, Sundar shared his remarks on receiving the Man of the Match award in the 3rd T20I of the SL-IND 2024 T20I series.
SL vs Ind 3rd T20I Scorecard
India 137 for 9 (Gill 39, Parag 26, Theekshana 3-28, Hasaranga 2-29)
Sri Lanka 137 for 8 (Perera 46, Kusal Mendis 43, Rinku 2-3, Suryakumar 2-5)
Super over
Sri Lanka Super over 2/2 (Kusal Mendis 1*, Sundar 2-2)
India Super over 4/0 (Surya Kumar Yadav 4*, Maheesh Theekshana 0/4)