India Beat Sri Lanka By 88 Runs, Clinch Series

Sri Lanka lost Niroshan Dickwella early in run chase but Kusal Perera (77) and Upul Tharanga (47) put on a century-run stand to keep the Sri Lankan hopes alive. But once Yuzvendra Chahal broke the partnership and got rid of Tharanga, the visitors never really looked like chasing down the Indian total. Chahal returned with figures of 4 for 52 while Kuldeep picked up three wickets that choked the flow of runs. At the end, Sri Lanka could only score 172 for 9 in 17.2 overs with Angelo Mathews absent hurt. Earlier, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul powered India to a massive total of 260 for 5 in 20 overs. India won the match by 88 runs and clinched the T20I series 2-0 with a match to play.

There seems no end to the woes of the visitors. While the Indian youngsters have put their hands up to deliver the goods, the Lankans are going through a terrible phase of transition during which they are badly in need of reliable performers. This series has hardly proved to be a good preparation for the challenging South Africa tour that awaits India next month, considering the home team’s domination in the absence of a good opposition in favourable conditions.