Finance
Wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul stepped up when it counted most, slamming his 12th ODI fifty and leading India to a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the 2nd ODI at Eden Gardens on Thursday.
After Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj each took three wickets to dismiss Sri Lanka for 215, the visitors’ bowlers reduced India to 86/4. But Rahul kept his cool and batted sensibly under pressure, scoring an unbeaten 64 off 103 balls and striking a crucial 75-run partnership with Hardik Pandya to help India cross the line with 40 balls to spare, giving the hosts a series win.
Chasing 216, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill smacked six boundaries in the first four overs. But Rohit fell in the fifth over to Chamika Karunaratne, giving a regulation catch to the keeper while looking to punch it through covers without any footwork.
In the next over, Gill smacked Lahiru Kumara for back-to-back fours. The pacer, however, had the last laugh when Gill picked out short midwicket with a short-arm pull. Kumara inflicted additional damage with a length ball that came in sharply, and Virat Kohli, who was stuck in the crease, got an inside edge to the stumps as India’s top three fell in power-play.
Shreyas Iyer pulled off Karunaratne twice with conviction for a pair of fours and had some luck with boundaries off leading edges. His stay came to an end when he took the wrong line from Kumara and was rapped lbw. He requested a review, but replays showed the ball clipping his leg-stump.
Rahul and Hardik teamed up to get India’s chase back on track. The pair took their time to settle down in order and weather the early storm. After India’s 100 was achieved, the duo began to punish loose deliveries from the Sri Lankan bowlers.
Hardik was quick to drive through mid-off and flick through backward square leg for boundaries when Rajitha bowled too full and sprayed down leg. Rahul leaped forward to drive through cover for four when Hasaranga overpitched. Kumara overpitched in the next over, and Rahul took full advantage by lofting high over mid-off for another four.
India were cruising as the ball began to lose its luster and the pitch became less spicy. Hardik hit a front foot drive off Dhananjaya de Silva, the sixth bowling option, and then flicked off Karunaratne for four more runs. In an attempt to drive off Karunaratne again, Hardik was caught at the crease and nicked behind to the keeper.
Axar Patel got off to a good start with an upbeat drive through vacant extra cover gap off Karunaratne for a boundary which was called no-ball. He made full use of the free hit by fiercely pulling over deep mid-wicket and putting the pressure back on Sri Lanka.
When his lofted extra drive was caught by long-off against de Silva, his attempt to take the aerial route again backfired. Kuldeep Yadav took India closer to victory with a fierce cut through backward point for a boundary after Rahul scored his fifty in 93 balls on a no-ball.
Rahul completed the chase with flicks and inside edges off Rajitha, followed by a top-edge on pull flying over the keeper’s head to make it three fours in an over. Kuldeep finished the chase with a four slapped through mid-off, giving India the series victory.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 215 all out in 39.4 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 50, Kusal Mendis 34, Mohammed Siraj 3/30, Kuldeep Yadav 3/51) lost to India 219/6 in 43.2 overs (KL Rahul 64 not out, Hardik Pandya 36; Chamika Karunaratne 2/51, Lahiru Kumara 2/64) by four wickets
Source:IANS
