Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka gave credit to the batting unit of his team after they chased 174 runs against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Tuesday with a ball to spare and six wickets in hand. Shanaka himself played a key role in his team’s thrilling win as he scored 33 runs from 18 balls to add the finishing touches.
The Sri Lankan captain was also awarded the Player of the Match for his fine knock. Sri Lankan openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis added 97 runs for the opening alliance to put their team in front.
Nissanka scored 52 runs from 37 balls while Mendis scored 57 runs from 37 balls and it laid the foundation of the run chase. Sri Lanka kept attacking after getting off to a good start in the PowerPlay overs, which yielded 57 runs for them.
The Island country did veer off the track in the middle overs a bit but Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa took their team over the line in the final over of the innings.
Dasun Shanaka said in the post-match presentation, “The environment in the team set the tone. It is what gave us confidence. The batting unit won it for us. The bowlers bowled well in patches, Dilshan and Theekshana in particular. The Indian batsmen came hard, but we did well to keep them to 173. We had a good discussion after the first game. We know what we can do in this tournament. Pathum and Mendis set the tone for us, and then Rajapaksa and I finished it off. Due to the team combination, Chamika bowls four overs for us, and that is why I don’t have to bowl my full quota of overs. I just have to take decisions on the basis of what the team needs.”
On the other hand, Kusal Mendis continued his good show and he was delighted with the way he and Pathum Nissanka batted in the run-chase.
Mendis said after the match, “Very happy. I and Pathum batted very well. Best partnership for us in this tournament. Did a lot of practice in SL in the last six months. Coaches told me to play a normal game. I and Pathum are not power-hitters – we try to hit the gaps. That’s a good option for us. We have power-hitters in the middle order.”
Sri Lanka has all but qualified for the final as they have won both of their Super Four matches against Afghanistan and India.
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