All-round show by Sri Lanka put them on par with West Indies

Sri Lanka celebrate the downfall of Brandon King to Dushmantha Chameera

• T20I series decider today

JAMAICA: Sri Lanka’s batting, which has been their Achilles’ heel, eventually clicked, putting enough runs on the board for their bowlers to run through the West Indies batting and earn them a creditable 37-run win in the second T20I played at Sabina Park, Kingston, on Saturday to put them on par at one-all in the three-match series. 

Following their seven-wicket defeat in the first T20I, Sri Lanka bounced back by putting on an all-round show. 

Kamil Mishara’s unbeaten 61 off 40 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes) at the top and Player of the Match Dasun Shanaka’s middle-order assault (58 off 24) powered Sri Lanka to a big total – 194-6 –which the bowlers comfortably defended. Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga picked three wickets each as West Indies fell well short in the chase.

Sri Lanka flew off the blocks via Kusal Mendis in the powerplay, before he and Pathum Nissanka were dismissed in the space of four deliveries. Mendis’s 19-ball 31 (2 fours, 2 sixes) did enough to give Sri Lanka a strong start. Pavan Rathnayake fell on the other side of the powerplay, but from 43-3, Mishara and Kamindu Mendis began the repair work. They stitched a fairly conservative stand – worth 45 off 35 balls – before all hell broke loose with the arrival of Shanaka.

The all-rounder launched his offensive against Roston Chase, starting with a six over the roof. He hit another six and a four in a 19-run 14th over. He took boundaries off Shamar Springer too, even as Mishara continued to bat circumspectly at the other end before moving from 22 off 23 to 61 off 40 in the death overs, taking on Matthew Forde with a couple of sixes and getting to his fifty with one off Romario Shepherd. The West Indies all-rounder conceded 19 runs in that over. In the following over, Shanaka reached his 19-ball fifty with a six off Springer as fours and sixes came easily in this period of play. The pair put on 103 off 141 balls.

The only reason Sri Lanka didn’t go comfortably past the 200-run mark was because Shamar Joseph pulled back with a stunning final over, where he conceded only three runs and picked up two wickets. Shanaka was one of the two, not before smashing 58 off just 24 deliveries – an innings laced with five fours and four sixes.

West Indies received an early jolt in the chase as they were reduced to 9-2 in the second over, with both openers Shai Hope and Brandon King departing to Dunith Wellalage and Chameera, respectively. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell made a real attempt at turning it around as they put West Indies on par with the asking rate nearly till the halfway stage, sharing a third-wicket partnership of 81 off 46 balls. They took 28 off two Eshan Malinga overs on either side of the powerplay and picked 18 off a Maheesh Theekshana over. Hetmyer even survived a tricky stumping call, only to be run out just four deliveries later for 36 off 26 (4 fours, 2 sixes) in a double-wicket 10th over that derailed West Indies.

Powell, who had thrown his bat around until then, also perished – for a 26-ball 43 (5 fours, 2 sixes). From 91-4, West Indies suffered a nosedive. The next six wickets came for just 66 runs as the middle and lower order couldn’t consolidate the efforts of those before them as spinners Hasaranga and Wellalage, and Chameera came into play. In the 19th over, West Indies folded for 157.

The series decider will take place at the same venue today.