India pulls off a Heist at Colombo | India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Match Review

 

The 2^nd ODI match at the R. Premadasa Stadium saw a thrilling nail-biting affair between the two Asian Heavyweights, the result of which wasn’t clear until the very last over was bowled as it kept fans at the edge of their seats throughout. The match was full of ups and downs and it took some serious heavy lifting from India’s lower middle-order to steal the game from Sri Lanka’s hands. How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan (wk), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, M. Bhanuka (wk), B. Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, C. Karunaratne, A. Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan.

 

Sri Lanka Innings: Asalanka and Karunaratne help Sri Lanka finish on a high

Sri Lanka couldn’t have asked for a better start from openers Avishka Fernando and Minod Bhanuka as the duo’s free-spirited batting gave Sri Lanka the upper hand in the match. The duo’s exquisite shots left everyone in awe of the raw talent they possess. Sri Lanka looked comfortable at 77-0 after 13 overs and posed to be a serious threat if not neutralized as soon as possible and neutralized they were. Yuzvendra Chahal continued his hot streak with the ball as he dismissed Bhanuka (36) and Rajapaksa (0) in two consecutive deliveries, pushing the opposition to the back foot. Fernando (50) reached his half-century in his partnership with Dhananjaya de Silva (32) as the duo looked to steady the Lankan innings but back-to-back wickets from Bhuvi and Chahar curbed all the momentum Sri Lanka was riding on. Charith Asalanka was next as he was seemed to be a man on a mission. He stood by from one end as the wickets of captain Shanaka (16) and Hasaranga (8) fell from the other end in quick succession. Asalanka (65) and Karunaratne (44) held their nerves and batted extremely cautiously through the tough overs of spin and rained boundaries with the bat at the death, helping Sri Lanka’s cause of putting up a respectable total of 275-9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (10-0-54-3) and Yuzvendra Chahal (10-1-50-3) were the picks amongst the Indian bowlers as Deepak Chahar grabbed a brace as well.

 

India Innings: Deepak Chahar too good for Sri Lanka

After a dominant win just 48 hours ago, India looked to be confident in their approach with boundaries leaking from the bats of both Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan from the beginning of the Indian innings. This however didn’t last long as the introduction of spin in the 3^rd over not only put a halt at the run-rate but also earned Sri Lanka the crucial wicket of Prithvi Shaw (13). The wickets of Ishan Kishan (1) and Shikhar Dhawan (29) soon fell as India looked to be in serious trouble at 65-3 with their backs against the wall. Having their tails up, Sri Lanka was eager to prove all critics wrong with a decisive win against India but that was a long way to go from here. Suryakumar Yadav and Manish Pandey kept the runs flowing at a stable rate for the men in blue as India looked to gradually recover from the after-effects of the 3 early wickets. The duo put together a 50-run stand and it could have lasted a lot longer, had it not been for an untimely runout as Pandey had to depart for 37. Hardik’s dismissal for 0 soon left India stranded in the middle at 116-5 with newcomers SKY and Krunal Pandya at the crease. The MI lads put together a decent partnership as Suryakumar registered his maiden ODI fifty in the process. This didn’t last long as he was dismissed for 53 via LBW by mystery spinner Sandakan. Krunal’s effective cameo of 35 didn’t last long either as India was reduced to 193-7 as one could clearly see the writing on the wall. Nonetheless, Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar just hadn’t given up yet. Chahar proved to everyone just how good he is with the bat as some of the shots he played could easily put pure batsmen to shame. The duo batted with great bravado and didn’t lose hope as they continued to fight the battle all by themselves. Bit by bit as each run was scored, the tension grew in the Lankan camp as their bowlers seemed to have no answers to Chahar’s brilliancy with the bat. When the dust had settled, India needed 7 off 7 as two consecutive boundaries from Chahar and Bhuvi helped India seal the deal in one of the most inspiring tales in modern-day cricket. Deepak Chahar remained not-out at 69 while vice-captain Bhuvi’s 19 off 28 was just as important. Wanindu Hasaranga was the obvious pick amongst the Sri Lankan bowlers as he registered figures of 10-0-37-3 as Rajitha, Sandakan, and skipper Shanaka grabbed a wicket each.

 

Man of the Match: Deepak Chahar- 8-0-53-2 and 69* off 82 balls.

 

Conclusion: This game is the perfect example that cricket is an unpredictable game. India had no business getting this close to winning let alone winning the game after being stuck at 193-7. But I reckon that’s new India’s approach, they just refuse to give in. Sri Lanka failed to capitalize on the opportunity they had as they let loose of themselves at the worst possible time. They were the better side for 80% of the game but it’s the win that counts and not the chances you had. India’s morale would really be high right now but even they have a lot of areas to work on. Getting wickets with the new ball, containing runs at the death and some mature batting from youngsters Kishan and Prithvi would do them just good. As for Sri Lanka, well, they slip further down their downward spiral with hopes of getting better is far from here.