2nd ODI, Colombo, July 20, 2021, 03:00 PM

275/9(50.0ov)
277/7(49.1ov)

India beat Sri Lanka by 3 wickets

Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
69
82
7
1
84.14
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
10
37
3
3.7
Man of the Match
Deepak Chahar
Commentry
That concludes the proceedings for this heart-pumping game! India adopted the English approach to chase down the target. They always kept the required rate under control and that played a big role in their victory. With the series gone, Sri Lanka's only aim will be to win the last match and get 10 points for the ICC Men's CWC Super League. Can they cross the line in the third ODI? Do join us on Friday, 23rd July to find out. The first ball will be at 3 pm local (9.30 am GMT) but you can join us in advance for the build-up. Until then, it's goodbye and cheers!
Shikhar Dhawan, the Indian captain, says the wicket felt a lot better than the last one and he thinks that the bowlers did well to restrict Sri Lanka to a gettable total. Admits that they did not start well with the ball and it is a good learning curve for the youngsters that every day is different. States Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav played well and called Krunal's fight with the bat amazing. Praises Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and tells that they were brilliant to watch and the way Chahar finished the game was excellent. Mentions the odds were against them but Chahar has been working hard with the bat and it was good he could implement it in the game. Further says that they showed a lot of calmness and were brilliant. Ends by saying the way Lanka planned their innings was really good and their strategy with the ball was also brilliant along with their fielding. States that Sri Lanka worked hard but Dhawan is glad that India won the game.
Dasun Shanaka, the Sri Lankan skipper, says that he is proud of his boys for the way they played and calls it a tough game. Credits the Indian players especially Deepak Chahar, who took the game away from them. Mentions they did not do well in the middle period with the bat and he hopes they can reflect on this in the next game. Regarding his bowling, Shanaka replies that he did not bowl for a long time as there were plenty of options but tried his luck in this match and it worked.
THE MAN OF THE MATCH IS DEEPAK CHAHAR! Says there were a few dropped catches early on and it was also very hot. Mentions that they did nicely to make a comeback and stop them to 275 which was a decent score. States he had just one thing on his mind that he can play a dream innings here for his country and there is no better way to win the game for your side and it was important to stay there till the end. Adds Rahul Dravid has seen him bat and he believes in him and probably that's why he came ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Also says they have a good batting line-up and he hopes he is not needed in the next games. Informs this is the first time he has won the game with the bat. Ends by saying, when the runs needed came under 50, he took risks and started hitting shots but before that, he was only looking to knock it around. Feels the six that he hit gave him the momentum.
Stay tuned for the presentation...
Earlier in the game, Sri Lanka chose to bat first and started brightly. However, once again they lost the plot in the middle overs and some late flourish from Chamika Karunaratne handed them a fighting total. They almost had the match in the bag but Deepak Chahar's knock spoiled their party. With this win, India also keep their winning streak in ODIs in Sri Lanka intact.
With 83 runs needed in 89 balls and three wickets in hand, it was Sri Lanka's game to lose and they ended up losing. Chahar batted with sensibility and smartness to stitch a partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar who also was level-headed in his approach. They played clever cricket to knock the ball around a bit and when the equation came down below 50, Deepak started to play his shots. There were a few lucky boundaries to aid them but that's part and parcel of the game. Sri Lanka will be crestfallen at the moment, they fought very hard and this defeat will be tough to swallow. Still, their energy in the field was incredible and the bowling effort of Wanindu Hasaranga was brilliant.
The presence of Suryakumar Yadav meant that Sri Lanka were not able to exert much pressure and his partnership with Krunal Pandya steadied the chase. The good thing for India was that the required run rate never reached an alarming level. Once Surya was trapped in front by Lakshan Sandakan, Sri Lanka did have an opening but once again the Indian lower order showed fight. Krunal formed a partnership with Deepak Chahar and once the former was dismissed, Chahar took charge.
This match saw plenty of ups and downs as it swung like a pendulum. The Lankan bowlers bowled a buffet of lines and lengths upfront and were all over the place. The chase started with a flurry of boundaries with both Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan bagging three apiece in the first two overs. After that period, Sri Lanka struck back through Wanindu Hasaranga and there was a phase where India lost three wickets. Suryakumar Yadav's arrival to the crease, however, never allowed the pressure to build on the visiting team. He stroked a delightful half-century and along with Manish Pandey propelled the chase. Just when it started to appear that India will coast to victory, Manish Pandey got run out in an unfortunate manner at the bowler's end and Hardik Pandya too was dismissed in the same over.
Deepak Chahar has done it for India! What a thrilling victory for them, it went right down to the wire and the tourists showed better nerves to end on the positive side of the result. Suryakumar Yadav is running on the ground in his slippers, he is ecstatic. The Indian players are now also coming out to shake hands with the opposition players. This is now the 9th consecutive ODI bilateral series win for India against Sri Lanka. Thorough dominance.
In over# 1
4
Kasun Rajitha 53/1(7.1)
49.1
4
FOUR! There are the winning runs! Chahar fittingly ends it for his side. A slower short ball on middle, it sits up to be hit and Chahar was ready for it. He smacks it over the mid-wicket fielder for a boundary. INDIA WIN BY 3 WICKETS!
3 needed now! Kasun Rajitha to bowl the final over.
In over# 1
4
1
2
0
4
1
Dushmantha Chameera 65/0(10)
48.6
4
FOUR! Kumar gets it away for a boundary and that is probably the stroke which wins India not only the game but the series too. Again, not a good ball with point and third man in the ring. Full and outside off, Kumar carves it over the point fielder for a boundary. Just the three needed in the last over.
48.5
1
Another one! 7 needed in 7! Short and outside off, this is slapped again but to long off for one. An important ball coming up, can Chameera get a wicket or bowl a dot?
48.4
2
Two and Mickey Arthur does not like that work in the field! A short ball, it is slapped through covers. The fielder in the deep does not stop it cleanly as he overruns a bit. He then releases a loopy throw to the keeper and the batsmen get two.
48.3
.
A dot! Chameera might have felt there goes another boundary in that third man region. Good work from the keeper! This is a slower one on off, Chahar looks to play it with an open face of the bat. It goes off the outside edge to the right of Minod who dives and stops it. 10 needed in 9 balls.
48.2
4
FOUR! Another edgy boundary! Not sure why the third man is up with so many runs going down that region! It is short and outside off, Chahar slashes at it and it goes off the outside edge past the short third man fielder for a boundary.