2nd T20I: All-round India thrash Sri Lanka by 69 runs to level series 1-1

RanchiIndia produced an allround performance to outclass Sri Lanka by 69 runs in the second T20 International at the Jharkhand International Stadium here on Friday to level the threematch series 11Opener Shikhar Dhawan 51 off 25 scored a quickfire half century as India posted a challenging total of 1966 in 20 oversIn reply the visitors could manage only 1279 in 20 oversIndian cricketers celebrate the fall of a Sri Lankan wicket during the second T20 match in Ranchi on Friday PicPTIRavichandran Ashwin 314 Jasprit Bumrah 217 Ravindra Jadeja 224 Ashish Nehra 226 were the pick of the bowlers for IndiaIndia earlier lost the first match by five wicketsChasing a challenging target of 197 the visitors got off to a worst possible start losing experienced Tillakaratne Dilshan 0 in the first over itself off the bowling of AshwinIn the next over Sri Lanka suffered another blow when Danushka Gunathilaka 2 was caught off an outside edge off the bowling of Ashish Nehra and the side was reduced to 32 in 11 oversNext up some tight bowling by both Indian pacers and spinners saw the visitors lose wickets at regular intervalsSeekkuge Prasanna 1 being out in the fourth over saw the team struggling at 163From there on skipper Chamara Kapugedera 32 and Dinesh Chandimal 31 held on to score some quick runs but in the 12th over Jadeja produced the much needed breakthrough for the hosts to get Kapugedera out to thus put more pressure on Sri LankaWith wickets falling in clusters it became difficult for the middle and lower order batsmen to pile on the huge runs which were needed and eventually surrendered to the IndiansIndias Shikhar Dhawan plays a shot during the second T20 international match against Sri Lanka at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday PicAFPEarlierDhawan smashed his maidenT20 International fifty to fire India to 1966 even as Thisara Perera took only thefourth ever in T20 Internationals and first by a Sri LankanDhawan 51 of 25 stood out in Indias run feast withthe other notable performance coming from his opening partnerRohit Sharma 43 off 36 Hardik Pandya 27 off 12 and SureshRaina 30 off 19The visitors pulled things back in the penultimate overwith pacer Perera 333 picking up a hattrickSri Lanka put the hosts in to bat for the second game ina row and India openers were on fire from the word go Unlikethe greenish deck for the first T20 the pitch aided thestrokeplay they are known forPacer Kasun Rajitha who troubled the famed Indianbatting on his international debut in Pune proved to beexpensive this time The 22yearold bowled short and wide onthe very first ball of the match and Rohit comfortablydispatched it to the point boundaryDhawan got going with a couple of delightful sixes Heflicked pacer Thisara Perera over midwicket before sweepingspinner Sachithra Senanayake in the following over for anothermaximum There was no stopping Dhawan after that as he got tohis maiden T20 International fifty in 22 ballsRohit did not mind watching Dhawan demolishing theopposition bowlers from the other and by the end of six oversIndia had to raced to 70 for no lossSri Lanka badly needed a breakthrough to stop theonslaught of the dangerous opening duo and it was provided bypacer Dushmantha Chameera who had Dhawan caught behind with asharp and straight rising ball The southpaw thoroughlyentertained the Ranchi crowd with his cracking innings thatcomprised seven fours and two sixesAjinkya Rahane joined Rohit in the middle but suddenlythe boundaries were hard to come by with spinner coming intoplay on a dry surfaceRahane released the pressure by hitting consecutivefours off medium pacer Dasun Shanaka one over mid off and thethe came courtesy a deft touch past Rajitha fielding at shortthird man India were now 122 for one in 13 overs and 200 wasvery much a possibilityThe innings flow was obstructed once again when Chameerapulled off a spectacular caught and bowled off Rohit beforeSenanayake had caught Rahane at cover point leaving India at1273 in the 15th overPandya sent ahead of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh came tothe party in the final overs in the company of Raina Hesmashed Senanayake for consecutive sixes before Raina joinedthe part by picking up three fours off Chameera in the verynext overIndia could have scored more had it not been for the hattrick of Perera who removed Pandya Raina and Dhoni in the19th over