India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav (C) and Rinku Singh celebrate after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Ramesh Mendis (not pictured) during the third and final Twenty20 international cricket match between Sri Lanka and India at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on July 30, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Suryakumar Yadav had never bowled in a T20I, before today.

On Tuesday, at the Pallekele Stadium, with Sri Lanka needing six runs for a win off the final over, the Indian captain brought himself on, opting not to go for the more conventional option of pacer Mohammed Siraj.

What unfolded was stuff usually reserved for fiction as Suryakumar gave away just five runs, with a mix of off-breaks and seam-ups, ensuring a tie.

Improbable victory

A shell-shocked Sri Lanka folded out for two runs in the Super Over batting first. Befittingly, it was Suryakumar who struck the winning runs, with a four off the first ball, as India secured an improbable victory and a series clean sweep.

With two overs to go in the chase, the odds were even more stacked against India, with the home side needing just nine runs. Suryakumar handed the ball to Rinku Singh — who too had never bowled in a T20I before today. Rinku delivered a three-run over, dismissing the well-settled Kusal Perera and Ramesh Mendis, to set the stage for his captain.

India’s inconceivable win was aided in no small measure by the now-customary Sri Lankan middle-order collapse.

Once again, the top-order trio of Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera hauled the team to relative safety, in its 138-run chase, only for the rest of the batting order to fumble.

India’s resurgence was set up first by its front-line spinners. Ravi Bishnoi provided the initial breakthroughs by accounting for Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. Washington Sundar followed it by piercing the Lankan middle order with a double strike, dismissing Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka.

But their contributions would soon be surpassed by the part-time duo of Rinku and Suryakumar.

Earlier, for the first time in this series, India floundered with the bat after being sent in as the home bowlers bowled with purpose and intensity.

India’s decision to promote Sanju Samson and Rinku up the order yielded no rewards as both batters were dismissed cheaply, and were soon followed by Suryakumar.

Shubman Gill, the lone survivor of the top-order collapse, and Riyan Parag put together a crucial 54-run stand. This, along with a late cameo from Washington proved to be a key differential in the end.

India Women’s Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana celebrate after winning the Semi-Final match against Bangladesh Women’s by 10 wickets in the Womens Asia Cup T20, 2024, at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Defending champions India will look to translate their overwhelming dominance in the Women’s Asia Cup to a record-extending eighth title while facing a feisty Sri Lanka in the final here on Sunday.

India have lorded over their opponents in this continental showpiece – hammering Pakistan by seven wickets and followed it up with facile wins over UAE (78 runs), Nepal (82 runs), and Bangladesh (10 wickets).

India’s top-order batters and bowlers fired in tandem, not giving their rivals even an iota of chance to mount a fight.

Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma have scored well in excess of 100 runs and at a healthy strike-rate of over 140, giving India solidity and quick starts alike at the top.

But the management could be even more pleased with the way bowlers responded to the challenge, particularly Deepti Sharma and Renuka Singh.

Deepti is the leading wicket-taker of this event with nine wickets and Renuka is third on the chart with seven scalps.

But their economy rate across four matches has been brilliant – 4.37 and 4.31 respectively. It ensured that the opposition batters have no breathing space at the top or in the middle-overs, phases when Renuka and Deepti often operate.

It has also aided other bowlers, as batters often look for relief shots against them, and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav offers a prime example.

She has taken six wickets at an economy of 5.5, while feeding on the success of her senior colleagues’ success.

While there is no palpable worry in the Indian camp, they may just be a tad concerned about the lack of batting time for skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues.

Harmanpreet has batted just twice in three matches, even though she made a riveting 66 in one of them, while Rodrigues is yet to hit the top gear here in three innings.

The think tank will hope that these experienced campaigners can find their range, if the situation comes to that.

“They might not have got that much time in the middle, but everyone is working hard at nets, and I am sure they will fire when the time comes,” wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh had said.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka too are undefeated in this event and they also have scored the biggest victory in terms of runs – a 144-run toweling of Malaysia in the group stage.

The primary reason behind their supremacy is the fine form of skipper Chamari Athapathuthu, the leading run-scorer here with 243 runs.

But it also has a bleaker side to it. Apart from Athapathuthu none of their batters have scored over 100 runs with Rushmi Gunarathne a distant second for them with 91 runs.

Their bowling too offers a similar story. Except off-spinner Kavisha Dilhari (7 wickets, economy 5.35), others Lankan bowlers have failed to make an impact as yet.

In that context, the Islanders will require a quick all-round improvement against a settled India to have a smidgeon of chance even to stretch them.

Teams (from): India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan.

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Anushka Sanjeewani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Ama Kanchana, Udeshika Prabodani, Vishmi Gunarathne, Kawya Kavindi, Inoshi Priyadarshani, Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasooriya, Kaveesha Dilhari, Nilakshi De Silva, Sachini Nisansala, Shashini Gimhani.

Match starts at: 3 PM IST.