Top 3 T20I bowling performances by Team India in Sri Lanka
Team India are currently in Sri Lanka, preparing for a short limited-overs series, which will be played from July 13 to 25. The series will begin with three ODIs and conclude with three T20Is.
The new-look India squad in Sri Lanka will be led by experienced opener Shikhar Dhawan while the legendary Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the coach for the series. The changes have been necessitated since the main team led by Virat Kohli and coached by Ravi Shastri is in England.
Devdutt Padikkal, Chetan Sakariya, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Nitish Rana are some of the new faces in the Team India squad in Sri Lanka. All four players might get a chance to make their international debuts during the tour. An impressive showing could mean an outside chance of being considered for the T20 World Cup in the UAE later this year.
Team India have enjoyed an impressive run against Sri Lanka in T20Is. Of the 19 games between the two Asian sides, India have won 13 while the Lankans have won five. One match ended without producing a result. In Sri Lanka, the visitors have won four games and lost only one.
Famous Team India T20I bowling performances in Sri Lanka
As Team India prepare for the Sri Lanka challenge, we build up to the series by looking at three memorable T20I bowling performances by Indians in Sri Lanka.
#3 Ashok Dinda (4/19) - August 2012 in Pallekele
Former Team India pace bowler Ashok Dinda holds the record for the best bowling figures by an Indian against the Lankans in Sri Lanka. He claimed four wickets and conceded just 19 runs in the only T20I in Pallekele in August 2012.
India were defending a target of 156 to win the match, and Dinda played a key role. He claimed a couple of crucial wickets in the middle stages before running through the tail. After Irfan Pathan got Team India off to a good start in the second innings, Dinda joined the action.
The pacer got the big scalp of the well-set Angelo Mathews (31) with a pitched-up delivery that the all-rounder could only nick behind to the keeper. Dinda then had Dinesh Chandimal caught at long-off for just seven with a full delivery that the batsman mistimed.
He soon bowled Team India to victory by sending back Shaminda Eranga (6) and Lasith Malinga (0) in the same over. Chasing 156, Sri Lanka crumbled to 116-all out in 18 overs.
#2 Irfan Pathan (3/27) - August 2012 in Pallekele
In the same match that Dinda claimed four wickets, Team India pacer Irfan Pathan was declared Player of the Match for his figures of 3-27. India were defending a total of 155 in the second innings, and the left-arm quick rocked Sri Lanka right from the very start.
In the first over of the Lankan innings, Pathan sent back Tillakaratne Dilshan for a duck. He got one to swing in late, which cleaned up the Lankan opener who tried to play across the line but was beaten all ends up.
Pathan then sent back left-hander Upul Tharanga (5) with a wide, swinging delivery that the batsman edged to Suresh Raina at first slip. Sri Lanka’s hopes now rested on Mahela Jayawardene but Pathan put Team India on top by trapping the Lankan captain lbw for 26.
Dinda then joined in as Sri Lanka fell well short of Team India’s target. Batting first, India had posted 155 for 3 as Virat Kohli top-scored with 68. Thanks to Pathan and Dinda’s exploits, the total proved to be more than sufficient.
#1 Shardul Thakur (4/27) - March 2018 in Colombo (Nidahas Trophy)
Team India pacer Shardul Thakur was the star performer with figures of 4-27 as the Indians defeated the Lankans by six wickets in the fourth match of the Nidahas Trophy in March 2018.
India had won the toss and elected to field first. Thakur gave the team the first breakthrough by sending back Danushka Gunathilaka (17). The Sri Lankan opener smashed a short ball from Thakur with a lot of power, but Raina pulled off a stunning catch at midwicket to send him back.
Thakur next consumed Sri Lankan captain Thisara Perera for 15. The big-hitter tried to launch a knuckleball over long-off but he couldn’t get much power on the shot though. Perera ended up slicing a catch to Yuzvendra Chahal at cover.
Another knuckleball from Thakur accounted for Dasun Shanaka, who was caught behind for 19 trying to slog one out of the ground. The Team India medium-pacer found himself on a hat-trick as Dushmantha Chameera (0) then sliced a catch to short third man off the very next ball.
Thakur’s memorable outing restricted Sri Lanka to 152 for 9. Team India chased down the target in 17.3 overs as Manish Pandey (42 not out) and Dinesh Karthik (39 not out) starred with the bat.