| Scores | Upcoming | Results |
Ranchi: Shikhar Dhawan smashed 51 off 24 balls and Ashwin picked up three as India thrashed below-par Sri Lanka by 69 runs and level the three-match series played at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday.
Incisive spell of bowling from Ravichandran Ashwin (3/14) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/24) before good batting display by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan guided India to register a convincing 69-run victory.
Earlier, fine knocks by openers Rohit (43) and Shikhar Dhawan (51) and some late burst by Suresh Raina (30) and Hardik Pandya (27) guided India to a mammoth total of 196/6 against Sri Lanka.
India were well on course of crossing 200-run mark but a fine hat-trick by Thisara Perera (3/33) in the penultimate over of the innings put the much-needed brakes in Indian run-scoring spree.
Dushmantha Chameera (2/38) was the other successful Lankan bowler who provided crucial breakthroughs to the Islanders. Perera became the fourth bowler in the history of T20Is to take a hat-trick after Brett Lee, Jacob Oram and Tim Southee.
Put into bat, India got off to blazing start as they raced to 55/0 just after five overs.
Rohit showed his intent straightaway by welcoming Lankan seamer Kasun Rajitha with a boundary on the first ball of the innings while his opening partner Shikhar took some time before cutting loose as he hit first six of the day to Perera in the second over followed with another hit over the park to off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake in the next over.
Dhawan, who was breathing fire from his willow, didn't stop there as he smacked three successive boundaries to Rajitha in the fourth over and then hit two more back-to-back lusty fours - first to Senanayake and then to Perera - in the fifth and sixth over to set the tone of the match.
Dhawan got out soon after notching up his maiden T20I fifty which came in just 22 balls that included 7 fours and 2 sixes.
Lanka brought Dushmantha Chameera in the attack which immediately did the trick for the visitors as he lured the southpaw by banging it short outside the off-stump and he tried to guide it towards third-man region but was eventually caught behind by the Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal.
Rohit and Dhawan gave India a good opening partnership of 75 runs. Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 21-ball 25, joined Rohit in the middle and the duo kept the momentum going with some solid ground running and hitting occasional boundaries as India reached the score of 100 after the end of 11 overs.
Chameera was once again brought into the attack and he immediately scalped Rohit with a fine caught and bowled effort by diving to his right. Rahane was dismissed by Senanayake, who picked up a lone wicket giving away 40 runs.
Pandya, who joined Raina after Rahane's dismissal, played a brisk knock of 27 runs off just 12 balls, was the first one to go back in the dug out after being dismissed by Perera during his hat-trick over followed by Suresh Raina - who also contributed with a scorching 19-ball 30 - and Yuvraj Singh who went for duck.
The third and final match of the series will be played in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Brief scores
India - 196 for 6 (Dhawan 51, Rohit 43, Raina 30, Perera 3-33)
Sri Lanka - 127 for 9 (Kapugedera 32, Chandimal 31, Ashwin 3-14)
Result - India won by 69 runs
MOM - Shikhar Dhawan (India)
