India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I: As it happened...

India trounced Sri Lanka by 9 wickets to register back-to-back Twenty20I series wins.

India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I: As it happened... Indian players celebrate the dismissal of Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan during their third Twenty20 cricket match in Vishakapatnam.

Over  13.5 || Score 84/1 (Dhawan 46; Rahane 22)

Dhawan and Rahane reached the fifty-run partnership with a six off Gunaratne. It was followed by a four to win the match and series.


Over  12 || Score 65/1 (Dhawan 32; Rahane 17)

Easy as it comes. Taking singles, rotating the strike, and no need to take risk. Another quite over, three runs from Asela Gunaratne's second over.

India need 18 runs from 48 balls.


Over  10 || Score 58/1 (Dhawan 28; Rahane 14)

Slow and steady for India. The second wicket partnership between Dhawan and Rahane has subdued the Lankan spirit.

India need 25 more to win the match and plenty of overs left.


Over  7 || Score 39/1 (Dhawan 17; Rahane 6)

Dinesh Chandimal introduced leg break bowler Seekkuge Prasanna into the attack. Good start from the 30-year-old spinner. Only four runs, all singles. India need another 44 runs.


Over  6 || Score 35/1 (Dhawan 16; Rahane 4)

Good bowling change from Chandimal. Rohit Sharma perished to Dushmantha Chameera's straight delivery. The Indain opener missed the line and was caught in front, LBW.

WICKET: Ajinkya Sharma lbw b Dushmantha Chameera 13 (13b)

Newly arrived Ajinkya Rahane got into act with a four. Eventfull over - 10 runs, and a wicket.


Over  5 || Score 25/0 (Sharma 9; Dhawan 16)

One good over for India with Rohit Sharma finally breaking his silence. He lofted Senanayake for a huge six, over the straight boundary, deep into the stands. Eight runs from the over, with two singles more.

India still need 58 runs from 15 overs to win the match and series.


Over  4 || Score 17/0 (Sharma 2; Dhawan 15)

Another tidy spell from Fernando. Five runs from the over, with a four a a single to Dhawan. After three dot deliveries, Dhawan picked early to find the gap on the leg side. Then, took a single to keep the strike.


Over  3 || Score 12/0 (Sharma 2; Dhawan 10)

Dinesh Chandimal stuck with Sachithra Senanayake. Shikhar Dhawan, after blocking the first ball, hit the second ball for a four through the mid-wicket. Five runs from the over. India need another 71 runs to win.


Over  2 || Score 7/0 (Sharma 2; Dhawan 5)

Dilhara Fernando, who is making an international comeback after more than three years, got his first first delivery right on the spot. Rohit Sharma showed the due respect to the experienced bowler.

The 36-year-old conceded two runs, after three dot balls.


Over  1 || Score 5/0 (Sharma 1; Dhawan 4)

Indians taking not chances, not experiment for at least the opening pair.  And Rohit Sharma started with a single off Sachithra Senanayake's first delivery. Rohit waited for the ball to turn, and no risk.

There was a big shout of a LBW against Shikhar Dhawan, who plodded his front leg. And the very next delivery, the left-handed batsman played a one-handed sweep shot for the first boundary.


This is Sri Lanka's lowest Twenty20 International total. Previous lowest was 87 against Australia in 2010.

Over  18 || Score 82 All Out (Chameera 2)

Jasprit Bumrah got the final wicket, that of Dilhara Fernando, India need 83 runs to win the match and series.

WICKET: Dilhara Fernando b Jasprit Bumrah 1 (6b)

Indian bowlers did the job, as expected with a listless Sri Lankan batting line-up crumbling once again under pressure.


Over  15 || Score 71/7 (Perera 11; Senanayake 8)

Jasprit Bumrah continued. Tidy spell from the 22-year-old bowler, to concede only two runs.

The competition was long dead after Lankan top order committed batting harakiri.


Over  16 || Score 74/9 (Fernando 0; Chameera 2)

A double wicket over for Suresh Raina. It started with another contentious decision, which went against the visitors. MS Dhoni's prolonged appeal convince both Suresh Raina and umpire.

WICKET: Sachithra Senanayake c MS Dhoni b Suresh Raina 8(16)

Then, Thisara Perera played an adventerous shot only to find Ravindra Jadeja completing a well judged catch at mid-off.

WICKET: Thisara Perera c R Jadeja b Suresh Raina 12 (20)

And for the last pair, Dilhara Fernando and Dushmantha Chameera are out in the middle.


Over  14 || Score 69/7 (Perera 10; Senanayake 7)

Ashwin completed his quota. A quite over considering the menacing spell he had earlier in the innings.

Three runs from the over, and his figures: 4-1-8-4. Just brilliant.


Over  13 || Score 66/7 (Perera 9; Senanayake 5)

Suresh Raina also in attack. His slow left arm deliveries managed to contain the Lankans. Three runs from the over. Senanayake played the first five deliveries, resulting on those runs. Perera blocked the last ball.


Over  12 || Score 63/7 (Perera 9; Senanayake 2)

A good over for Sri Lanka. Nine runs from Pandya's second over, which included a four and five singles.

In the last five overs, Lanka have scored 30 runs losing two wickets.


Over  11 || Score 54/7 (Perera 3; Senanayake 0)

Then Jadeja removed Shanaka, the last known batsman for Lanka. What a delivery it was. A bit of turn, but the flight of the delivery was brilliant, which ultimately undone the batsman. Bowled. And second wicket-maiden of the day.

WICKET: Dasun Shanaka b Ravindra Jadeja 19 (24b)

Sachithra Senanayake is the new man.


Over  10 || Score 54/6 (Shanaka 19; Perera 3)

Probably this is the consolidation part for batting side. Shanaka and Perera batting with a sense responsibility, certainly good side for the Lankans.

Good over for India, nonetheless. Hardik Pandya conceded four runs in his first over.


Over  9 || Score 50/6 (Shanaka 17; Perera 1)

A super quick over from Jadeja. Two runs, a wide and single, and also a huge appeal for LBW. Indians have taken full control of the proceedings.


Over  8 || Score 48/6 (Shanaka 17; Perera 0)

A big respite for Yuvraj Singh. His over was going all wrong with Shanaka hitting him for two sixes, but a wrong call between the Lankans resulted in a run-out. Good arm, Jadeja. A direct hit.

WICKET: Seekkuge Prasanna run out 9 (7b)

15 runs and a wicket from the over. Dhoni won't complain much.

Thisara Perera is the new man.


Over  7 || Score 33/5 (Shanaka 4; Prasana 8)

MS Dhoni introduced Ravindra Jadeja and the seventh over resulted in four runs, which came from the second delivery, with Shanaka playing late for a boundary through the slip cordon.


Over  6 || Score 29/5 (Shanaka 0; Prasana 8)

After Ashwin show, Nehra joined the fun removing Siriwardana Siriwardana's wicket. He cleaned bowl the Lankan.

WICKET: Milinda Siriwardana b Ashish Nehra 4 (2b)

But the newly arrived Seekkuge Prasanna hit two fours to make it a nine-run over. Lankans will need some hanging, it at all they are to make a contest out of it.


Over  5 || Score 20/4 (Siriwardana 4; Shanaka 0)

A rare maiden-wicket in Twenty20 cricket. And it comes from Ashwin. A dubious decision, but the Indian spinner has bamboozled the Lankans.

Debutante Gunaratne was unlucky. Suresh Raina took the 'catch'.

WICKET: Asela Gunaratne c Suresh Raina b Ashish Ashwin 4 (12b)

Dasun Shanaka is the new man.


Over  4 || Score 20/3 (Gunaratne 4, Siriwardana 4)

MS Dhoni introduced Jasprit Bumrah, in place of Nehra, and the over went for five runs. After a brilliant start, Bumrah conceded a four off the last delivery with Siriwardana playing an exquisite shot to dispatch the short-ish length ball.


Over  3 || Score 15/3 (Gunaratne 3, Siriwardana 0)

That's what Japanese called harakiri, committing a ritual suicide. Sri Lanka skipper, who was looking in fine nick in those two lifted shots he played in the over, this time went overboard and lofted a skier of the very first delivery of Ashwin's second over.

Hardik Pandya covered enough ground to take the catch at mid-off.

WICKET: Dinesh Chandimal c Hardik Pandya b R Ashwin 8 (9b)

Milinda Siriwardana is the new batsman.


Over  2 || Score 11/2 (Chandimal 8, Gunaratne 0)

Despite losing two wickets in the first over, Sri Lankan skipper continued playing his usual stroke-making game. He carted Ashish Nehra for two fours to make a decent enough return over for them.

Nine runs from the over.


Over  1 || Score 3/2 (Chandimal 0, Gunaratne 0)

As expected MS Dhoni started with R Ashwin, and India's strike bowler removed Niroshan Dickwella in the third delivery of the over. Accomplished stumping from the skipper.

WICKET: Niroshan Dickwella st MS Dhoni b R Ashwin 1 (2b)

Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal was welcomed with a LBW shout, but he survived with the ball missing the line. But, after taking a leg bye, he exposed out of form Tillakaratne Dilshan.

And Ashwin trapped him in front.

WICKET: Tillakaratne Dilshan lbw b R Ashwin 1 (2b)

Brilliant start for India.


Playing XIs

India XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra

Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal, Asela Gunaratne, Seekkuge Prasanna, Milinda Siriwardana, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Sachithra Senanayake, Dilhara Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera


TOSS: India won the toss and MS Dhoni invited Sri Lanka to bat first. India are playing the same XI. With that, R Ashwin can expect to open the bowling.


PREVIEW

Hosts India will start as the favourites to win the match and series. Reason: As in the Ranchi match, the pitch in Visakhapatnam is expected to be another dry belter, and the momentum is with the Indians.

The manner in which MS Dhoni and his men fought back after losing the series opener in Pune was indeed commendable. Indians played an all-round game in the second match to register a 69-run win. And now, it seemed every aspect of India's game was covered.

With the hosts in such a buoyant mood, Sri Lankans will will find it tough to change the course. But nonetheless, the spirited team under Dinesh Chandimal can spring a surprise or two.

Their only concern is the top-order form. And once again, it will be the one area where Indians will have upper hand.

Yes, the presence of experienced spin duo in Ravinchandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the Indian camp certainly give the edge to the hosts but Lankans have more than enough bowling talent in an otherwise untested side to give Indians a good fight.


Probables XIs:

INDIA: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (capt, wk), Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra

SRI LANKA: Niroshan Dickwella, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal (capt, wk), Chamara Kapugedera, Dasun Shanaka, Milinda Siriwardana, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Dushmantha Chameera, Jeffrey Vandersay, Kasun Rajitha