3 positives for India from the 2nd T20I vs Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma's India notched up their 11th consecutive win in the format as they beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second T20I of the three-game series in Dharamsala on Saturday, February 26.
Dasun Shanaka and Pathum Nissanka helped Sri Lanka put up a challenging 183-run total, but India made light work of the chase. The Men in Blue weathered the early loss of their openers to scale the target with a whopping 17 balls to spare and seal another series with a game to spare.
Here are three positives for India from the second T20I against Sri Lanka.
#3 Sanju Samson finally contributes to an Indian win
Sanju Samson carnage in Dharamsala. 3 sixes in the over by him. https://t.co/AkZQfovMyz
Sanju Samson is 27 years old and made his India debut seven years ago, but he hasn't been able to make a real impact in international cricket so far. The batter has either thrown away starts or been too eager in his approach, especially in the T20I format. Bue he took a massive step towards righting his mistakes in the second T20I against Sri Lanka.
Batting at No. 4, Samson took his time to get going. He also needed a slice of luck as a pull off Dasun Shanaka eluded a diving fielder in the deep. But the stylish batter came into his own in an over against the impressive Lahiru Kumara, striking a four and three sixes to effectively seal the game for India.
Samson was dismissed in the same over thanks to a stunning catch, but Rohit Sharma's complimentary words ahead of the series were justified to a certain extent.
With a few more innings like this, he could finally become a regular member of the squad. In a post-match conversation, Samson himself pointed out how happy he was to have finally made a positive contribution to the side, all those years after his debut.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja hasn't lost a step
11th T20I win on the bounce for #TeamIndia 👏👏
@Paytm #INDvSL https://t.co/zsrm3abCls
Returning from injury in the opening game of the series, Ravindra Jadeja managed only four runs in the five balls he faced. Having received a promotion, he was happy to play second fiddle as Shreyas Iyer put the Sri Lankan bowlers to the sword. But in Dharamsala, batting at No. 5 this time, the southpaw took charge.
Jadeja never took any real risks but still managed to notch up an unbeaten 45 off 18 balls, a knock which featured seven fours and a six. He found gaps to perfection on both sides of the wicket and dispatched everything in the slot down the ground with conviction. And like Samson, he justified the words of Rohit, who had said that the all-rounder would be used up the order more often.
Jadeja showed that he hasn't lost a step during his time on the sidelines. And although his bowling isn't as accurate as he and Rohit would like it to be, having their premier all-rounder firing is a massively positive sign for India.
#1 Shreyas Iyer is slowly but surely booking himself a ticket to Australia
Even now, after back-to-back half-centuries, there's doubt over whether Shreyas Iyer can be part of the playing XI during this year's T20 World Cup. The right-hander isn't fully equipped to deal with pace and hard lengths, with the short ball having often troubled him in the recent past. Moreover, India have several middle-order options waiting to return to the side, including Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav.
But against a Sri Lankan attack that features aggressive bowlers in Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera, Shreyas has been India's standout batter. He countered short-pitched bowling fairly effectively in the second T20I, using agricultural mows down the ground and picking the gaps smartly. The 27-year-old walked away with the Player of the Match award for his fifth T20I fifty, which featured six fours and four sixes.
If Shreyas can play more such innings, especially on pacy wickets like the one Dharamsala offered in the second T20I, he will definitely be part of the team's plans Down Under.