Ind vs SL, as it happened: India beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets, seal series 2-1 in Vizag

As it happened…

2151 hrs IST: This is India’s biggest win, in terms of number of balls left. With this win, India remain No.1 in T20Is

2150 hrs IST: India seal three-match series 2-1 with nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Vizag. (Dhawan 46*, Rahane 22*)

2135 hrs IST: Mere formalities left now. Ball not turning as much it was for the Indian spinners. Dhawan and Rahane operating with ease in the middle

2130 hrs IST: Dhawan brings up the FIFTY for India with a well-timed reverse-sweep

2121 hrs IST: Short, wide and Rahane slaps it to the ropes. Off the mark in fine fashion

2119 hrs IST: WICKET! Chameera gets one to angle into the right-hander and Rohit is hit in line of the stumps. Out lbw. India 29/1

2112 hrs IST: SIX! Rohit dances down the track and launches it into the stands. India are approaching the chase with ease. Both openers not doing anything silly in the middle

2105 hrs IST: Fernando, making a return to the team after over three years, to bowl from the other end

2100 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan out in the middle for the modest chase. Senanayake to commence proceedings with the ball

2039 hrs IST: India bowl out Sri Lanka for only 82 in Vizag. (Ashwin 4/5, Raina 2/6; Shanaka 19)

2030 hrs IST: WICKET! Perera mistimes and Jadeja takes a sharp catch in the deep off Raina’s bowling

2029 hrs IST: WICKET! Dhoni goes up, Raina doesn’t. Umpire still convinced, raises the finger. Senanayake out caught-behind. Sri Lanka eight down now

2026 hrs IST: Ashwin ends his spell with figures of 4-1-8-4. These are his best bowling figures, and the best by an Indian in the T20I format

2020 hrs IST: Sri Lanka, struggling at 64/7, now need a special effort to give their bowlers a respectable total to bowl at

2018 hrs IST: Turner, rank-turner, sharp-turner? What is it? Plenty of turn on offer in Vizag

2012 hrs IST: WICKET! Jadeja strikes…Shanaka plays a delivery back on to his stumps. Sri Lanka struggling at 54/7

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2002 hrs IST: WICKET! Jadeja with the direct-hit and Prasanna falls short. Sri Lanka lose their sixth wicket

1958 hrs IST: Yuvraj into the attack now and he concedes a couple of sixes. Gave air, but got the length wrong on both the occasions

1955 hrs IST: More spin. Jadeja into the attack now, replaces Ashwin

1950 hrs IST: WICKET! Nehra replaces Bumrah and joins the party. Cleans up Siriwardana with a back of a length delivery angling into the left-hander. Sri Lanka 21/5

1946 hrs IST: WICKET! Another one for Ashwin as debutant Gunaratne gloves one to Suresh Raina at leg-slip. Sri Lanka in deep trouble at 20/4

1940 hrs IST: Bumrah, who was introduced in the 16th over in the second T20, replaces Nehra

1939 hrs IST: WICKET! Chandimal mistimes, Pandya takes an easy catch. No.3 for Ashwin, he’s now on a hat-trick

1937 hrs IST: Chandimal goes after Nehra, collects a couple of boundaries

1934 hrs IST: Nehra from the other end and some swing right away for the left-armer

1933 hrs IST: WICKET! Ashwin with another one. Traps Dilshan in front to pick his second wicket. Sri Lanka off to a terrible start. 3/2

1930 hrs IST: WICKET! Ashwin strikes early. Dickwella is stumped easily by Dhoni behind the stumps. Sri Lanka 2/1. Early signs of turn

1928 hrs IST: Ashwin to commence proceedings with the hard new ball. Dickwella and Dilshan to open the innings for Sri Lanka

1925 hrs IST: The two teams are out in the middle. Electric atmosphere in Vizag

1918 hrs IST: SL XI – N Dickwella, TM Dilshan, LD Chandimal, DAS Gunaratne, S Prasanna, TAM Siriwardana, NLTC Perera, MD Shanaka, SMSM Senanayake, CRD Fernando, PVD Chameera

1910 hrs IST: Ind XI – RG Sharma, S Dhawan, A Rahane, S Raina, Y Singh, MS Dhoni, H Pandya, R Jadeja, R Ashwin, J Bumrah, A Nehra

1900 hrs IST: Toss – Unchanged India elect to bowl, Sri Lanka make three changes for the series decider

1850 hrs IST: Pitch – We are in for plenty of runs, feels Sunil Gavaskar. Evenly rolled, no cracks, some turn but it won’t worry the batsmen much. Cracker of a game, he says

1841 hrs IST: Dhawan and Harbhajan are all smiles ahead of the third and final T20I

1840 hrs IST: Here’s how the Vizag strip looks like

THE MATCH IN HINDI HERE

The build up

India zipping down the right alley

Ravi Shastri and MS Dhoni during a practice session (Source: PTI)

The pitch in Vishakhapatnam could be on the slower side. But Bumrah and Nehra have earned their captain’s confidence in all conditions.

Dhoni becomes first captain to win 30 T20I matches

India’s win in Ranchi was MS Dhoni’s 30th as T20I captain. (Source: AP)

Dhoni has become the first captain to win 30 matches as captain. He has lost 24 out of 56 (NR 1 and Tied 1) – success % 55.45.

Pandya comes to play, India breathe easy

Hardika Pandya, promoted up the order, smashed a 12-ball 27. (Source: AP)

Hardik Pandya’s 12-ball 27 changed the complexion of the game, at a time when India had gotten stuck a little after Shikhar Dhawan’s blitz upfront.

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