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All-round India thrash Sri Lanka by 69 runs in 2nd T20I at Ranchi to level series 1-1

Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah bowled terrific spells to ensure Sri Lanka were never in with a realistic chance against India in their massive 197-run chase.

India put in the perfect all-round display © AFP
India put in the perfect all-round display to thrash Sri Lanka © AFP

India put in the perfect all-round performance to thrash Sri Lanka by 69 runs in the second Twenty20 International (T20I) at Ranchi. Ravichandran Ashwin struck with the first legitimate delivery of the innings, Ashish Nehra picked up two wickets in his first two overs, and Ravindra Jadeja took two in two balls to ensure Sri Lanka were never in with a realistic chance in their massive 197-run chase. Having got the runs on the board, a consolidated bowling display by the Indians ensured the series was drawn level 1-1. In the end Thisara Perera’s hat-trick proved to be merely a footnote in India’s innings. Full Cricket Scorecard: India vs Sri Lanka 2015-16, 2nd T20I at Ranchi

Sri Lanka’s chase was derailed early, with Tillakaratne Dilshan getting stumped by MS Dhoni off Ashwin in the first over of the chase. It was not the first lightening-quick stumping of the evening for Dhoni. Nehra, bowling the second over, had No. 3 batsman Seekkuge Prasanna hit one straight to Yuvraj Singh off his first ball. Nehra struck again in his next over, getting Dhanushka Gunathilaka to edge behind for 2. Sri Lanka were reduced to 16 for 3 in the fourth over. After that it was a matter of when, not if, they would lose. Full Cricket Blog and Updates, India vs Sri Lanka 2015-16, 2nd T20I at Ranchi

Just like they had in the first T20I, Dinesh Chandimal and Chamara Kapugedara got together and set about repairing the damage. They added 52 runs before Kapugedara hit Jadeja to Hardik Pandya. Chandimal was stumped off the next ball, as Sri Lanka sunk further. Dasun Shanaka and Milinda Siriwardana played a few big shots but it was much too little and far too late to ever pose any serious problems for India. Ashwin returned to snap up Shanka and Thisara Perera in his final over, and Jasprit Bumrah too entered the wickets column. India drew level 1-1, with the third T20I at Vishakapatnam becoming a winner-take-all series decider. READ: MS Dhoni and Ranchi: Will India vs Sri Lanka 2015-16 2nd T20I finally see a big innings from Captain Cool?

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan scored his maiden T20I fifty and Thisara Perera took a hat-trick as India galloped, then slowed down, then looked set to finish with a flourish before again being disrupted in the second T20I. India’s roller-coaster innings finally finished at 196 for 6. After Dhawan and Rohit Sharma got India to a flying start Hardik Pandya and Suresh Raina provided the finishing touches that ensured India ended at a massive total. However, Perera’s hat-trick meant that India’s possibility of reaching 200 was killed. However, it was a huge turnaround for India from the batting of the first T20I, where they had been bowled out for an embarrassing 101. READ: Thisara Perera and other T20I hat-tricks

Dhawan and Rohit Sharma got India off to a phenomenal start, putting on 75 in just 7 overs. Dhawan continued his excellent recent form, slamming seven fours and two sixes in his innings of 51 off 25 balls. He was done in by an excellent delivery from Dushmantha Chameera. The Sri Lankan speedster bowled a short, quick ball into Dhawan’s body, and the opener tried to work it away to third man but could only get a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal. He had done his job though; India raced away early. READ: Hardik Pandya needs to grab the opportunity to stop Pawan Negi from replacing him

Kasun Rajitha, Man of the Match on debut in the first T20I, had a nightmarish start this time around. Dhawan took 17 runs off his second over after Rohit had smashed his first ball for a boundary. He ended up going for 45 in his four overs without taking a wicket. Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s other protagonist from the first T20I, went for 12 in his first over as India overcame the demons of their batting in the first match to put in a much-improved performance.

Sri Lanka managed to drag things back after Dhawan’s dismissal, albeit briefly. Ajinkya Rahane came in at No. 3, but the difference between him and Virat Kohli was instantly recognisable. Rahane did not bat poorly, but he could only go at a run-a-ball early on. He and Rohit added a sedate 47 in almost the same time it took Dhawan and Rohit to add 75. Rohit was the next batsman to go, done in by a brilliant slower ball from Chameera, who took an athletic return catch diving across the pitch. Rahane soon followed, top-edging an ugly hoick off Sachithra Senanayake to Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Suresh Raina, who came in at No. 4 as usual, was then joined by Hardik Pandya, promoted ahead of Yuvraj Singh. The all-rounder had been under fire over the last few matches for his perceived lack of quality. He went about correcting that impression with distinction. He showed his power early, swatting Rajitha over midwicket for a boundary. But it was in the next over, bowled by Senanayaka, that he unleashed himself with two massive sixes. By now he had moved up to 25 off 10 balls. Raina then took on Chameera in what was the 18th over of the innings, hitting four boundaries in various parts of the field. The duo brought up their 50-run stand off only 23 balls.

Pandya was finally dismissed for 27 off 12 balls with one four and two sixes, but he had done enough to ensure his place for the next few matches. Raina then hit the next ball to short fine leg, and new man Yuvraj Singh, in an attempt to go big, holed out first ball as Perera finished with a hat-trick. MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja could only take India to 196 for 6 to end with.

Brief scores:

India 196 for 6 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 43, Shikhar Dhawan 51; Thisara Perera 3 for 33, Dushmantha Chameera 2 for 38) beat Sri Lanka 127 for 9 in 20 overs (Dinesh Chandimal 31, Chamara Kapugedara 32; Ravichandran Ashwin 3 for 14, Ashish Nehra 2 for 26, Ravindra Jadeja 2 for 24, Jasprit Bumrah 2 for 17) by 69 runs.

Man of the Match: Shikhar Dhawan

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(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)

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