Nidahas Trophy: Perera powers Sri Lanka to 5-wicket win over India

Colombo: A breezy 66-run inning by Kusal Perera set up the platform for Sri Lanka to win the Nidahas Trophy opener against India by 5 wickets with 9 balls to spare at the R Premadasa stadium here on Tuesday.

Despite the early departure of opener Kusal Mendis (11 off 6, 2 fours), Perera kept exploiting the Indian bowlers throughout his 66-run knock which came off only 37 balls and was laced with 6 fours and 4 sixes. With this convincing win, Sri Lanka also broke their seven-match T20 losing streak against India.

Danushka Gunathilaka (19 off 12, 1 four, 2 sixes) looked good in his knock but could not last long. Skipper Dinessh Chandimal was also sent back at the individual score of 14 runs off 11 balls. He scored just one boundary.

Upul Tharanga tried to keep the wickets at one end but could only score 17 runs off 18 balls with a six. Dasun Shanaka (15* off 18, 1 four) and Thisara Perera (22 off 10, 2 fours, 1 six) sealed the match for the home team with a 39-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

India had lost control on the match in the first six overs as Sri Lanka had scored 75 runs off those to take the match away.

Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal, however, tried their best to bring India back into the match but got no support from the pacers. They both picked up two wickets each for 28 and 37 runs respectively in their four-over spells.

Jaydev Unadkat bagged one wicket but went too expensive in his third over which took the match away from India. He conceded 35 runs in his three overs. Shardul Thakur had a bad day as he was hit for 27 runs in his first over by Kusal Perera. He, however, ended with 42 runs in 3.3 overs.

Debutant Vijay Shankar remained wicket-less and was hit for 15 runs in his two overs. Suresh Raina also bowled two overs but could not take any wickets and gave 14 runs.

Rishabh Pant, how disappointed with the bat in the first inning, also dropped a catch while fielding.

All in all, Sri Lanka outplayed India in all departments and emerged as a more united team.

Earlier, after being put in to bat first, India rode on Shikhar Dhawan's classic 90-run inning to post 174/5 on the scoreboard.

India lost skipper Rohit Sharma (0 off 4) in the first over itself, while Suresh Raina (1 off 3), came in at No 3, also failed to do any good for the team.

India was looking in precarious situation at 9/2, when Dhawan and Manish Pandey stitched together a 95-run partnership for the third wicket which established India to a dominating position at 104/2.

Also Read: Nidahas Trophy: Dhawan guides India to 174/5 against Sri Lanka

Pandey, however, played an average inning of 37 runs off 35 deliveries with 3 fours and a six. He failed to capitalise on several bad deliveries which shifted the pressure on Dhawan.

Dhawan thrived under pressure and played his career-best inning of 90 runs off only 49 balls and decorated his knock with 6 fours and 6 sixes.

Rishabh Pant, who was given a chance today, disappointed as he could not in the manner he is regarded for. Despite being an extremely explosive batsman, he could only manage 23 runs off 23 deliveries with a four and a six. He got out trying to play a big shot on the last delivery of the inning.

Dinesh Karthik did not get enough time to play a big knock but still he scored 13 runs off only 6 deliveries he faced with 2 boundaries.

Dushmantha Chameera was the pick of the bowlers as he bagged 2 wickets for 33 runs in his four overs, while Nuwan Pradeep, Jeevan Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka managed to get a wicket each. Mendis and Gunathilaka were economical as well in their spells. They conceded 21 and 16 runs, respectively, in three overs each.