India thump SL to clinch series
Openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan smashed half-centuries as India thrashed Sri Lanka by 78 runs in the third T20I to clinch the series 2-0 in Pune yesterday.
Rahul, who top-scored with 54, and Dhawan, who hit 52, put on 97 runs for the opening wicket as India amassed 201 for six. Paceman Navdeep Saini claimed three wickets to help dismiss Sri Lanka for 123 in 15.5 overs despite a fighting 57 by Dhananjaya de Silva.
Earlier, Dhawan was dropped on one by Dasun Shanaka off Angelo Mathews and made the most of the spill as he recorded his 10th T20 fifty in just 34 balls.
Left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan finally got Dhawan and struck twice in his next over to send back Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, for four, trudging back to the pavilion as India slipped to 122-4. Skipper Virat Kohli, who dropped himself to number six in the batting order, then took the attack to the opposition with a 17-ball 26 before being run out.
SCORES IN BRIEF
INDIA: 201 for 6 (Rahul 54, Dhawan 52, Pandey 31; Sandakan 3-35)
SRI LANKA: 123 all out in 15.5 overs (Dhananjaya 57, Mathews 31; Saini 3-28, Thakur 2-19, Sundar 2-37)
Result: India won by 78 runs
Player-of-the-match: Shardul Thakur
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