India beat Sri Lanka in Asia Cup thriller as Nissanka hits 107

India survived a scare against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup after Pathum Nissanka scored 107. Abhishek Sharma’s 61 and Arshdeep Singh’s Super Over heroics helped India tie at 202, with Suryakumar Yadav finishing the match in the final delivery

Dubai: Pint-sized Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka smashed a belligerent century as Indian bowlers endured their worst day in the Asia Cup before Arshdeep Singh produced a brilliant ‘Super Over’ to win the game for his side here on Friday.

India will thus play the final of the tournament, having won six matches in a row.

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Riding on Abhishek Sharma’s third half-century of the event, India scored 202 for 5 in 20 overs. But Nissanka packed so much punch in his strokes that he left the defending champions on the brink of defeat before Sri Lanka were stopped at the same score.

Needing 12 off the last over from Harshit Rana and three off the final ball, Dasun Shanaka (22 not out off 11 balls) could manage only two as the match went into a Super Over.

The Super Over belonged to Arshdeep, who gave only two runs and took two wickets in five balls. The target of three runs was achieved in a single delivery by skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

During the chase, after Hardik Pandya removed Kusal Mendis in the opening over, Nissanka (107 off 58 balls) and Perera (58 off 32 balls) started a counter-attack with such gusto that it left the Indian bowlers worried for the first time in the tournament.

Kuldeep Yadav (1/31 in 4 overs) had a decent day by his standards, while Varun Chakravarthy (1/31 in 4 overs) was not bad either.

But Harshit Rana (1/54 in 5 overs), Arshdeep Singh (1/46 in 4 overs) and left-arm spinner Axar Patel (0/32 in 3 overs) collectively gave away 132 runs in their 11 overs.

However, credit must go to Harshit and Arshdeep for bowling the required dot balls when it mattered the most.

Perera, whose short-arm pulls and lofted drives in the arc between cover and extra cover were a treat to watch, took on Arshdeep and the spinners along with Nissanka, who is gradually proving to be India’s nemesis. They were also severe on Rana.

Pacers Arshdeep and Harshit had been below par in the two matches they played in the tournament. Going into the next T20 World Cup, Harshit has not done enough to guarantee himself a place in the 15-member squad unless head coach Gautam Gambhir pulls all stops.

The big-bodied Delhi man also does not look supremely fit, like an international fast bowler normally is. He starts struggling from the second over itself. He bowls the quick heavy ball that skids past the batter, but on most occasions, his lengths soar into the arc between straight and deep mid-wicket.

Nissanka fetched deliveries between off and middle to dispatch them on the side. Half volleys were smashed through the off-side, and deliveries with width were cut imperiously. He hit seven fours and six sixes in all.

In less than 12 overs, the duo added 128 runs, and Suryakumar Yadav looked worried.

Varun Chakravarthy then shortened his length and forced Perera to come out of his crease and hit him down the ground. He was beaten fair and square, and Sanju Samson completed the easiest stumping.

That brought India back into the game as Charith Asalanka (5) and Kamindu Mendis (3) were dismissed in quick succession.

Nissanka, however, continued his glorious strokeplay as he clobbered Arshdeep down the ground to complete his century in 52 balls, which is also the first three-figure mark of this edition.

Earlier, Samson gained much-needed confidence with a useful 39 after Abhishek Sharma’s familiar early assault.

This was the highest score by any team in the current tournament, surpassing India’s 188 against Oman and Afghanistan’s same total versus Hong Kong.

While Abhishek blasted his way to a 31-ball-61, Samson was finally in his element at No. 5, playing some breathtaking sixes in his 22-ball innings. Tilak Varma anchored the innings well to finish on an unbeaten 49 off 34 balls, a knock that will do him a world of good.

Abhishek hammering the bowlers in the powerplay has become the norm in this tournament as he completed a hat-trick of half-centuries. Friday’s innings included eight fours and two sixes, even as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav were dismissed cheaply.

However, it was the third time in the tournament that Abhishek missed out on a chance to get a hundred, as he was caught at deep mid-wicket after a half-tracker from Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka.

When Samson came in, it was about finding his mojo at a new batting position, and for the first time, he looked in ominous touch. He hit three sixes, but the one that stood out was the down-the-ground hit off Hasaranga’s bowling. He plonked his front foot just outside the leg-stump to make room and muscled it straight into the sight-screen.

In the next over, he smashed Dasun Shanaka over cow corner for another maximum.