Out of the Asia Cup stakes Sri Lanka brought alive their dead rubber super four final game to coming close to shocking unbeaten finalists India in a dramatic tie going into a super over finally won by India by one run following a disappointinrg 2 runs losing two wickets with Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav claiming victory by a first ball 3 off Wanindu Hasaranga on a day Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka stole the thunder by thrashing the daylights out of India’s bowlers by a blistering 107 off 58 balls setting ablaze Dubai’s International Cricket Stadium smoking 6 sixes and 7 boundaries in a lightning second wicket 134 bonding off 70 balls together with Kusal Janith Perera a cameo 58 off 32 with 8 boundaries and a six as the Lankans fell short at the post following a 3 wickets for 29 setback to drawing level on 205 each.
Nissanka’s explosive innings however made him the king with the bat on the day simply putting into second place India’s much talked of T20 showman Abhishek Sharma whose top scored for India with 61 off 31 with 8 boundaries and 2 sixes.
Nissanka fell in the first ball of the final over with Sri Lanka needing 9 to win that was the one blot in a great innings the opener fell short of providing a much needed six or four that would have taken Sri Lanka to victory.
It left former captain Dasun Shanaka in a last ditch battle after Sri Lanka lost 3 quick wickets for 29 runs and needing the 12 as debutant Janith Liyanage swiped the first ball he faced for 2 and running a leg bye.
Nine off three and the pressure mounting on Shanaka who met the fire heaving Harshit Rana to deep mid wicket for 2. In an odds against seven off two Shanaka heaved the next ball for 4 from the slot over short third man that took the outside edge and three off the final delivery square off the wicket which could have been converted to the winning third run but that Shanaka had landed sprawling and unable to recover as Rana, the fielder fumbled with the ball taking it to a super over where Sri Lanka failed miserably – Kusal Janith Perera gone first ball and Shanaka fourth ball with just the 1 by Kamindu Mendis and a wide.
India’s innings, put in to bat, did not take off rosily with Mahees Theekshana sending out Shubnam Gill inducing India’s new found batting sensation to playing back a sharp delivery into his hands for a third ball 4 as India lost two more wickets reaching 92 for 3 into 8.4 overs when their big gun Abhishek Sharma fell for a 31 balk 61 to Asalanka who had him caught by Kamindu Mendis following the dismissal of the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav leg before wicket to Hasaranga for 12 when the score was 74 after 6.5.
But forceful contributions from Tilak Varma who batted through for 49 off 34 with 4 boundaries and a six and Sanju Samson 39 off 33 in the heave of 3 sixes and a boundary propped up India to 205 for 5 in the 20 with Axar Patel together with Varma on 21 off 15.
India 202 for 5 (Abhishek 61, Tilak 49, Theekshana 1-36) tied with Sri Lanka 202 for 5 (Nissanka 107, Perera 58, Kuldeep 1-31, Varun 1-31)
India won in Super Over
Sri Lanka 2/2
India 3/0 Suryakumar Yadav 3 (1)