“We were really poor in all three departments”: Dasun Shanaka

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka, after a crushing defeat in the first T20I against India, said that they were in all three departments. The match saw the visitors facing a devastating defeat at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday (24 February 2022). 


Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer smashed half-centuries to take India to 199 for the loss of two wickets. The Player of the Match, Ishan Kishan hit a 56-ball 89, meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer raced to an unbeaten 57 off just 28 deliveries. Rohit Sharma’s 44 off 32 was another major contribution during India’s innings. 


A combined bowling performance from India later then beat the Islanders by 62 runs as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the T20I series. Charith Asalanka’s unbeaten 53 also could not save his side from the loss albeit. 


In the post-match presentation, the Sri Lanka captain said, “We were really poor in all three departments. They batted beautifully, read the game and conditions really well. I could have bowled more. We are without two frontline spinners, Theekshana and Hasaranga.”


The pace-bowling all-rounder further added, “The replacements aren’t really experienced. Asalanka was positive from this game. Chameera is bowling beautifully. He is our main strike bowler but the situations didn’t allow me to bowl him longer.”


Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, spoke about Ishan Kishan’s outstanding knock. The southpaw has played under the captaincy of Sharma in the Indian Premier League for Mumbai Indians over the years. 


Sharma mentioned, “I know Ishan for a long time now. I know the mindset he has. I know the ability he has as well. It was just about getting the kind of game that he had today. It was so pleasing to watch from the other end. The way he constructed the innings was so good, that is usually a challenge for him.”


After the first T20I, the caravan now moves to Dharmanshala for the remaining two matches of the limited-overs series, scheduled for February 26 and 27 before the two-match Test series began on March 4, 2022.  

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IND vs SL | 2nd T20I: In-form India look to wrap up series, Sri Lanka eye redemption

India have continued to be a lethal force under the new skipper Rohit Sharma and they stretched their winning streak after clinching victory against Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Thursday in the first T20I. The action between the two sides now shifts to Dharamsala where they will lock horns in the second T20I. The hosts suffered some blows ahead of the series with Deepak Chahar and Suryakumar Yadav being ruled out due to respective injuries. Opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad was due to play the first match but had to be left out after he felt some pain in his right wrist. He has been replaced by Mayank Agarwal for this game. But the positives from the first game was that Ishan Kishan who had struggled against West Indies looked in some fine touch against the Lankan Lions as he struck 89 off 56 balls and helped India put up a big total of 199/2 in 20 overs. Apart from Kishan, Rohit was also among some runs as he scored 44 off 32 while Shreyas Iyer who came out to bat at number three produced a brisk knock and struck a fine fifty during the course. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah also made a comeback in the side. Jadeja who had been out of action for a while due to injury returned with a wicket for 28 runs in 4 overs. Sri Lanka on the other side, would look to make a comeback in this second T20I to stay alive in the series. While the bowling unit was thoroughly dominated by the home side, the batting from the Sri Lankan team didn’t really impress either barring Charith Asalanka who scored a half-century and tried to hold the fort at one end. The visiting side needs to work on all departments right now to get any fruitful result. Match Details Match: IND vs SL, 2nd T20I, Sri Lanka tour of India, 2022 Date: Saturday, February 26, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM Venue: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala Pitch Report The pitch might have something on offer for the fast bowlers. While chasing can be tricky on this surface. So, if you win the toss, elect to bat first. Team News India: With Ishan Kishan being among runs in the first match, it is unlikely that Mayank Agarwal will be played. In the wildest of chances that Mayank does come in, Samson might miss out. But there is surely a major concern for the team management and that is fielding. From the West Indies series, the Indian team has been a bit sloppy and in fact, dropped a couple of catches in the first T20I against Sri Lanka as well. This is one area that would be on Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid’s minds which needs to be fixed. Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka need to push the paddle if they want to stay in the hunt in the series. They would be looking for a fightback. As of now, the visitors have a lot of issues to sort out. Their batting as well as bowling brought disappointment for the fans in the first match against India. The bowlers have leaked runs at a heavy pace while the batters haven’t been able to get into the groove. Probable XI India: Mayank Agarwal, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Charith Asalanka, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Kumara Fantasy XI Ishan Kishan (WK), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Mayank Agarwal, Charith Asalanka, Pathum Nissanka, Ravindra Jadeja (C), Dasun Shanaka (VC), Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Lahiru Kumara