India won by 78 runs
PLAYER OF THE MATCH : Shardul Thakur
Batter
Bowler
That's that then. Comprehensive. Easy. Yawn-inducing. Not at all subtle. The BCCI clearly is running out of property space to store these trophies, and this one is rather large. But it was fun bringing you this, as I, Vineet Anantharaman sign off on behalf of Varun Dixit, Kumar Abhisekh Das, Akshay Maanay and our scorer, Praveen. Until the Aussies show up with hopefully some fight, ta ta!!
Virat Kohli | Winning skipper: A good start to this year. We started on the right track, chasing one game and setting the other. Very clinical as well, so I am very happy. Just the confidence of getting that 200 mark will help us. The middle collapse was challenging but what Manish and Shardul did in the end really helped. We saw guys who turned up and who put their hands up when the senior guys don't perform and need more of this in the coming games as well. We wanted to plug some of the gaps. I think today as well, we thought 180 at one stage and crossed 200. In Mumbai as well, we thought 200 and crossed 230. We don't want to be a team which is tentative while batting first, and we want to show the same attitude which we bring in chases while batting first as well. All three (Rohit, Dhawan and Rahul) are solid players, it all boils down to who is batting better. Rohit has been a consistent performer. People must stop pitting people against each other and I don't believe in doing that at all.
Navdeep Saini | Man of the Series: When I used to play with the red ball earlier, I used to find bowling with the white ball difficult. But now after practicing, I have been finding it easier and have been getting better. My seniors have been helping me as well as to how to bowl in different situations. Bowling fast comes naturally to me. I look after my gym, my diet and playing for India is a big deal. I have been playing with the red ball only for the last four-five years and before that I was playing with the tennis ball only. [Hindi translation]
Shardul Thakur | Man of the Match: I believe I have the ability with the bat and I have been practicing well. If I can contribute at number eight, it is always crucial for the team. With regards to my action, I can bowl outswingers, so the focus is to swing the ball early. I have spent quite some time in the team ever since I broke-in in 2016. I get a homely feeling and don't feel left out, so credit to the captain and the management. I am preparing myself to bat when I am waiting outside and that takes pressure off me when I come in.
Lasith Malinga | Losing skipper: I think in these kind of situations when the conditions were wet, we needed to control the ball better. They (India) got away in the last three overs. But our top-order batsmen got out quickly and Dhananjaya and Mathews showed us how easy it was to bat here. We need to learn how to handle these situations better. This is the talent we have in Sri Lanka and we have to back them and get the maximum out of them in the World Cup. All teams in the world are using wrist spinners, and we have good bowlers in Hasaranga and Sandakan. These are the two bowlers we are looking at going into the World Cup.
It's taking awfully long to get the presentations started. Kohli's already bored, and has found his phone to chat on.
Lowest win% as captain (20+ T20Is)
31.8 (8/22) L Malinga
33.3 (7/21) Shakib Al Hasan
34.8 (8/23) Mushfiqur Rahim
35.7 (10/28) Mashrafe Mortaza
36.7 (11/30) C Brathwaite
Biggest defeats for SL in T20Is (by runs)
134 v Aus Adelaide 2019
93 v Ind Cuttack 2017
88 v Ind Indore 2017
85 v Aus Pallekele 2016
81 v Aus Bridgeown 2010
78 v Ind Pune 2020 *
69 v Ind Ranchi 2016
Most wins against a team in T20Is
13/19 Ind vs SL *
13/21 Pak vs SL/NZ
13/21 Eng vs NZ
12/15 Afg vs Ire
12/23 Pak vs Aus
* includes Super Over wins
Manish Pandey: Coaches told me somewhere down the line I will get a game and I have to be ready for it. Luckily, I got my chance today and got a good partnership with Shardul. I will keep pushing. I have been batting well in domestic cricket, Syed Mushtaq Ali was good for me as well as Karnataka. I was batting well in the nets as well, somewhere I knew, I will get my chance and I have to be ready. I had to deliver and I did. I have been working on my off-side game in the nets and these things help you in the matches too.
22:10 Local Time, 16:40 GMT, 22:10 IST: A clean-sweep was obviously what most pundits would've predicted, but India - after all the experimenting as well - are these big bullies who just refused to be challenged. At least not at the hands of this group of Sri Lankans, who were clearly no match here. Apart from those two triggerd mini-collapses to minimize the damage the Indian batsmen could do, 201 was easily beyond their reach. It'd be fair to say the powerplay killed the chase. Or no, the first two overs killed the chase. Or maybe the first innings killed the chase. Anyway, the top four - Gunathilaka, Avishka, Perera and Oshada - fell for single digits inside the first six, Mathews and Dhananjaya kept the hopes alive (mathematically at least) with a few blows, and then the long tail just fell apart. Yep, shambolic. Stay around, the presentations should be up soon ..
Navdeep Saini to Malinga, out Caught by Kohli!! That's the 2-0 nail -- Another quick short one, worth pulling, but kicking up more than usual, taking a top-edge and this time it's mid-off's turn. Yes, let's say it, it's been bloody boring. Malinga c Kohli b Navdeep Saini 0(1)
Navdeep Saini to Malinga, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
Navdeep Saini to Lahiru Kumara, 1 run, 137.5kph, low quick full toss. Kumara clears out his front leg, swishes, and outside-halves it down to third man
Prathmesh: "Can't remember the last time Sri Lanka gave India a tough fight!"
Lahiru Kumara, left handed bat, comes to the crease
Navdeep Saini to Dhananjaya de Silva, out Caught by Bumrah!! Short, quick, not-skiddy, 132.4kph. Dhananjaya backs away, arches behind, wanting to cut it uppishly, but is undone by how quickly it gets to him. Only a top-edge. And only a sitter - third man. Dhananjaya de Silva c Bumrah b Navdeep Saini 57(36) [4s-8 6s-1]
Navdeep Saini to Dhananjaya de Silva, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
Navdeep Saini to Dhananjaya de Silva, FOUR, 138kph, the quick yorker on off. But Dhananjaya anticipates superbly, mind-reads it coming, shuffles, settles behind and whips it into an empty backward square leg
Navdeep Saini to Dhananjaya de Silva, no run, back of a length, into the body. Silva clears his front leg out big time and pulls it away to mid-wicket
Navdeep Saini [3.0-0-23-1] is back into the attack