Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka smashed a superb 107 off 58 balls but that was not enough as India maintained their unbeaten record in the Asia Cup with a Super Over win in Dubai on Friday.
Arshdeep Singh was at his best in the Super Over as Sri Lanka managed only 2 runs. Suryakumar Yadav then knocked off the runs of the very first ball.
But Nissanka’s innings was the highlight of the match. With 12 needed off the final over, Harshit Rana dismissed Nissanka with the first delivery, courtesy a stunning catch by Varun Chakravarthy.
But Dasun Shanka (22 off 11) and Janith Liyanage together knocked off 11 runs to leave the scores tied.
This was Nissanka’s first T20I hundred. He hit a century on Test debut in 2021 and also notched up Sri Lanka’s first-ever double-ton in ODIs last year.
He added 127 runs for the second wicket with Kusal Perera which set the tone for the 203-run chase. Nissanka kept the momentum even as wickets fell at the other end.
The bowlers found the going tough in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested ahead of Sunday’s final. Arshdeep gave away only 11 in the 19th over to make it tough for Sri Lanka but it was Kuldeep Yadav and Varun who restricted the run rate.
Earlier, Abhishek Sharma’s 61 off 31 balls and Tilak Varma’s 49 not out off 34 helped India reach 202/5 in the inconsequential match.
Abhishek Sharma celebrates after completing yet another half-century in the Asia Cup on Friday. Reuters
Sanju Samson (39 off 23) and Tilak controlled the middle overs against the Lankan spinners and launched a calculated attack to propel the total. Then, Axar Patel (21 off 15) finished it off with a six off Dushmantha Chameera.
Sri Lanka are already out of the tournament with India taking on Pakistan on Sunday. It was an opportunity for the Indian batters to get into their groove before the title clash.
India’s innings was not as aggressive as the total suggests. This was the highest total in this edition of the tournament.
It was Abhishek’s prowess in the Powerplay that gave India the head start.