Clinical India cruise to final
It was another tough day for batsmen in the Asia Cup T20 as Virat Kohli once again displayed a high level of skill in leading India to a five-wicket victory on a green Mirpur pitch against Sri Lanka at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. In the process, India became the first team to qualify for the March 6 final.
Kohli's 47-ball 56 was the backbone of India's innings as they chased down Sri Lanka's score of 138 for nine with four balls to spare. Although the match went down to the last over, India were firmly in control through cameos from Yuvraj Singh and a late flourish from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
As he had done in their previous match against Pakistan, Kohli's assured batting helped India recover from the early loss of both openers to an excellent Nuwan Kulasekara opening spell. Kohli's cool was supplemented by Yuvraj's powerful hitting. Coming in after Suresh Raina had played a good hand of a run-a-ball 25 in the 54-run third wicket partnership with Kohli, Yuvraj seemed back to his explosive best, belting the signature whipped sixes over mid-wicket in his 18-ball 35. He fell after taking India to within sight of a win, hooking a ball down fine leg's throat with the score on 121 in the 17th over.
India's chase was set back by a penetrating opening spell from Kulasekara who utilised the helpful conditions to perfection. Shikhar Dhawan was caught leaden-footed as he edged an away-going delivery to the keeper in the second over. Rohit Sharma hit three delectable boundaries but fell trying to hit a fourth through cover in Kulasekara's next over, the seam movement beating the shot and taking a thin edge through to the keeper. But once again, India's batting depth ensured that they maintained their all-win record.
Earlier, Sri Lanka underwent their familiar batting woes after being asked to bat, finding themselves in trouble at 31 for three. Dinesh Chandimal inside-edged a slog to Dhoni off Ashish Nehra in the third over and Shehan Jayawardene followed suit in the next over off Jasprit Bumrah. Tillakaratne Dilshan raised hopes of a vintage display with an improvised sweep to fine-leg off the same bowler, but it was a false dawn as he fell for 18 off Pandya's first ball in the seventh over.
The middle order then came to the rescue. Chamara Kapugedera was the mainstay, building a 26-run fourth wicket stand with skipper Angelo Mathews and a 43-run fifth-wicket association with Milinda Siriwardana. Kapugedera became Bumrah's second victim with the score on 105 for seven in the 18th over, scoring a 32-ball 30. Thisara Perera then scored a 6-ball 17 before being controversially adjudged stumped by the square-leg umpire. His two fours and a six helped boost the score to 138 for nine.