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Patna : India beat Sri Lanka (SL) by 78 runs in the 3rd T20I at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, to win the three-match series 2-0. SL had won the toss but opted to bowl. Shardul Thakur was declared Player of the Match while Navdeep Saini was declared Player of the Series.
Chasing a target of 202, SL were all out for just 123 in 15.5 overs. Fast bowler Navdeep Saini took 3/28 in 3.5 overs while Shardul Thakur took 2/19 in 3 overs and spinner Washington Sundar 2/37 in 4 overs. Jasprit Bumrah took 1/5 in 2 overs. The first match was abandoned due to wet outfield.
Batting first, India scored 201/6 in 20 overs with openers Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan scoring 54 and 52 runs respectively adding 97 runs for the first wicket. Both Rahul and Dhawan fell to spinner Lakshan Sandakan. Dhawan was first to get out at 97. Rahul hit 5 fours and a six in his 36 balls 54 while Dhawan hit 7 fours and a six in his 36 ball 52. Sanju Samson (wk) fell to spinner Wanindu Hasaranga for 6 making it 106/2. The third Indian wicket that of Rahul fell at 118. Shreyas Iyer also fell to Sandakan for 4 and it was 122/4.
Captain Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey added 42 runs for the 5th wicket. Kohli was run out for 26 in 17 balls with 2 fours and a six making it 164/5. Washington Sundar fell to fast bowler Lahiru Kumara for aduck and it 164/6. Manish Pandey and Shardul Thakur added 37 runs for the 7th wicket. Manish Pandey remained unbeaten on 31 in 18 balls with 4 fours while Thakur remained not out on 22 in 8 balls hitting a four and 2 sixes. Lakshan Sandakan took 3/35 in 4 overs.
In reply, SL lost their first 4 wickets for only 26 runs with Jasprit Bumrah taking the wicket of opener Danushka Gunathilaka (1) on the last ball of his first over making it 5/1.Aviska Fernando fell to Shardul for 9 and it was 11/2. Oshada Fernando was run out for 2 making it 15/3. Kusal Perera fell to Saini for 7 making it 26/4.
ngelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva added 68 runs for the 5th wicket. Mathews fell to Washington Sunday for 31 in 20 balls hitting 1 four and 3 sixes and it was 95/5. Dasun Shanaka fell to Shardul Thakur for 9 making it 110/6. Wanindu Hasaranga was run out at the same score for a duck and it was 110/7. Lakshan Sandakan fell to Washington Sundar for 1 making it 118/8. Dhananjaya de Silva fell to Saini for 57 in 36 balls with 8 fours and a six and it was 122/9. Saini also took the wicket of SL captain Lasith Maliga (0).