India vs Sri Lanka, Nidahas Trophy, 4th T20I in Colombo Highlights - As It Happened
India seal the deal in style, a rather comfortable victory with some overs to spare. Karthik finds back to back boundary and then takes an easy single as India coast home. They win this one by 6 wickets and are in the drivers seat now to reach the final!
23:40 (IST)
India doing this easily now, Karthik and Pandey bringing their experience to the fore. India easily pick up 10 runs in the over and require just 9 runs from the final 2 overs. Should be a cake walk now.
23:34 (IST)
Game changing over this for India, just what they needed. Picking up 11 runs from that over and now they require just 19 runs from the final three overs. SL need something special to win this one from here.
23:32 (IST)
FOUR! First ball goes for a boundary from Karthik, puts the pressure immediately back on South Africa there. India are 129/4 and need just 23 off 21 balls now.
23:29 (IST)
SIX! Much needed big hit for India, Manish Pandey gets underneath one from Perera and easily clears the boundary. India need to be aware of the slower balls here. The score moves to 121/4
23:26 (IST)
Excellent spell from Akila Dananjaya comes to an end, he has been the key for Sri Lanka here and has kept them alive in this game. He concedes just 5 runs from his final over and ends with figures of 2/19. India are 114/4 after 14 overs.
23:22 (IST)
Again India pick 8 runs from the over, if these two stay at the crease then it might well be a walk in the park for India. Really effective cricket here, India are 109/4 after 13 overs here.
23:18 (IST)
Karthik picks up a boundary and India easily get 9 runs from that over. Jeevan Mendis then bowls an absolute snorter which almost gets Karthik stumped. India 101/4 here after 12 overs.
23:14 (IST)
Sri Lankan pacers are not helping the team's cause here by continuously bowling poor deliveries, Chameera concedes 7 off the over and India are 92/4 after 11 overs here.
23:09 (IST)
KL Rahul becomes thee 1st Indian batsman to be hit wicket.
He also becomes the 10th batsman to be dismissed in this fashion in T20Is.
23:07 (IST)
WICKET! KL Rahul is hit wicket there, right on the next ball he looks to play off the backfoot but steps on the stumps there. Some Sri Lankan fans will feel its justice there. India are 85/4 after 9.5 overs here.
23:05 (IST)
CLOSE CALL! KL Rahul survives a close call there, tight single but SL are quick in the field. Rahul gets in the big dive and he's saved by millimeters there. One frame here and there. Benefit of doubt saves Rahul there.
23:01 (IST)
Another good over for India, this is just what's required by them in this chase. Pandey picks up a boundary first ball and then India deal in singles. India easily pick up 8 runs in the over and score ticks to 82/3 after 9 overs.
22:56 (IST)
Jeevan Mendis comes into the attack now for Sri Lanka, the spinners have been certainly more effective on this pitch and he almsot gets Pandey in the over. India need 78 off 66 balls here.
22:52 (IST)
WICKET! Big one this for Sri Lanka as dangerous Raina departs, just when India were starting to build a partnership here, Nuwan Pradeep has struck. Right after hitting him for a six, he will be disappointed there. India 62/3
22:45 (IST)
Sri Lanka know that wickets is the only way they will stay alive in this one, Dananjaya bowling his third over of the spell and concedes just 4 runs from that one. India are 50/2 after 6 overs here
22:41 (IST)
Sensational from Raina and India, Chameera though not helping his cause by going short again and again. He won't be troubling Raina at that pace. Two boundaries and a six in the over, India pick up 16 runs in that over and are 46/2 after 5 overs.
22:34 (IST)
Almost a third wicket for Sri Lanka, confusion between Raina and Rahul there. Raina was 3/4ths the way down the crease and has to turn back. He puts in a big dive and has just made it back in time there. India are 28/2 after 3.4 overs.
22:29 (IST)
WICKET! Big one for Sri Lanka, in form Dhawan departs as Dananjaya gets his second wicket there. Again, Dhawan coming down the track but can't get to the pitch of the ball. In the end he can only lob one to Perera at mid on. India in trouble here, they are 22/2
22:28 (IST)
Lakmal with a poor delivery yet again which spoils the whole over, Dhawan picks up a boundary off a slower ball. India pick up 9 runs and are 22/1.
22:22 (IST)
WICKET! Dananjaya strikes, it was a quite over and Rohit Sharma tries to give him the charge and hit over mid-wicket. Dananjaya bowls at the pads and Rohit can't get underneath that one. His barren run with the bat continues. India 13/1 after 2 overs here.
22:16 (IST)
SIX and FOUR! What a start to this chase by Rohit Sharma, he starts with an exquisite pull shot which goes all the way and then a jab to the boundary. Just the start India wanted.
22:03 (IST)
That's the end of the innings then, Shardul Thakur was absolutely sensational and he ends with figures of 4/27. SL, after such a promising start can only end at 152/7 after their allotted 19 overs.
22:03 (IST)
WICKET! Two in two for Thakur, Chameera departs first ball as he tries to play across the line but can only manage a top edge. Unadkat takes a good catch running behind there.SL are 151/9 after 18.5 overs and Thakur is on a hat-trick.
22:00 (IST)
WICKET! Another one departs as Shanaka also goes now, trying to go for the big heave but can only manage an outside edge and straight to Karthik. SL are 151/8 here after 18.4 overs.
21:54 (IST)
WICKET! Unadkat who has been expensive today finishes off with a wicket. He concedes 10 runs in the over as SL try to go big again on every ball. Unadkat ends with figures of 3/33 and after 18 overs Sri Lanka are 146/7
21:49 (IST)
Shardul Thakur has certainly mastered the use of the knuckleball here, again using it perfectly and despite conceding a boundary off the first ball, he concedes just 7 runs in the over. SL are 136/6 after 17 overs here
21:44 (IST)
Suresh Raina comes into the attack as the slower balls are proving more difficult to hit here, he concedes just 6 runs from his first over. SL are 129/6 here after 16 overs.
21:41 (IST)
SL have certainly lost all the momentum in the past few overs here, Chahal with another tight over as he gives away just three runs in that one. SL are 123/6 after 15 overs here.
21:37 (IST)
WICKET! Chahal strikes now, he gets the big one. SL losing wickets in a heap here. Kusal Mendis departs now. Chahal is rewarded for his tight bowling as he picks his first wicket. Mendis departs for 55 off 38 balls. SL are 120/6 after 14.1 overs.
PREVIEW: Skipper Rohit Sharma will be desperate to get back to form as a resurgent India look to set their record straight against hosts Sri Lanka in the third match of the Nidahas Tri-Series on Monday.
The stand-in skipper, possibly the most prolific white ball player after regular leader Virat Kohli, has gone off the boil since the start of the South Africa series. He will like to score heavily to get his confidence back as he frets on whether he could give Rishabh Pant another game in the tournament. Touted as Dhoni's successor, Pant is yet to do justice to his immense potential till now. With someone like KL Rahul waiting for his chance, time is running out for the burly youngster from Rourkee. Rahul's presence gives his skipper an option to use him as an opener and himself come at No 4, dropping Pant from the XI. It was not a perfect start for India's second string squad in the tournament as they lost by five wickets against the hosts in the opening match. But the Rohit-led side bounced back strongly to beat Bangladesh by six wickets in their next match. So the match would provide India with a chance to make amends for the mistakes they committed against the Islanders in the opener. The tournament is currently evenly poised as all the three teams have won a game each from two outings but Sri Lanka are leading the table on net run rate ahead of India and Bangladesh. But a win would take India to the top, dislodging the Lankans. Opener Shikhar Dhawan is in imperious form with two back-to-back half-centuries in the tournament so far. After his 49-ball 90 in the opener against Sri Lanka, Dhawan made 55 off 43 deliveries to help India chase down Bangladesh's below-par 140 total with consummate ease in the last game. After an indifferent Test series against the Proteas, Dhawan found his mojo back at the start of the limited overs leg in South Africa which can be ascertained from his sequence of scores in the last five T20Is — 55, 90, 47, 24, 72. But Rohit's form remains a cause of concern for India as he made 17, 0, 11, 0 and 21 in the last five T20 matches. Among other Indian batsmen, Manish Pandey (37, 27) looked in good nick and along with comeback man Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik form the core of the team's middle-order. On the bowling front, Jaydev Unaadkat needs to be more consistent. The left-arm pacer has picked up four wickets in two matches so far but leaked runs which is not expected while spearheading the attack. The young and inexperienced Indian bowlers have done a decent job so far with the likes of Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal and Vijay Shankar living upto their expectations. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, would be smarting from the shocking five-wicket loss to Bangladesh last night. Bangladesh pulled off a memorable record chase to stun the Lankans last night, ending their recent run of reverses against the islanders owing to Mushfiqur Rahim's belligerent 35-ball 72. Chasing a mammoth 215 in the stipulated 20 overs, Bangladesh crossed the line in 19.4 overs for the loss of five wickets, which was the fourth highest run chase in T20 Internationals and Bangladesh's best. The Lankan bowlers were taken to cleaners by Bangladesh batsmen and the hosts would be hoping for an improved show. On the batting from, the two Kusals -- Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera are in fine form for Sri Lanka. Indian bowlers would be wary about Perera, in particular, who has scored 66 and 74 in the two matches, while Mendis made 57 against Bangladesh yesterday. The live broadcast of the match will be shown on DSport. You can also catch the live coverage on Rishtey Cineplex/HD in Hindi commentary. Also watch the match live on JioTV. The match is scheduled to start at 7.00 PM IST. You can also check out CricketNext's LIVE blog for all the latest action from the match including live scores, ball-by-ball commentary and analysis.
Teams (from): India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and
