Ice-Cool Deepak Chahar Stuns Sri Lanka As India Seal Series

India 277 for 7 (Chahar 69*, Suryakumar 53, Hasaranga 3-37) beat Sri Lanka 275 for 9 (Asalanka 65, Fernando 50, Chahal 3-50, Bhuvneshwar 3-54, Chahar 2-53) by 3 wickets

Colombo: Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar shepherded the run-chase expertly after India found themselves in a position of bother as the tourists beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in Colombo to record a series victory.

Deepak Chahar, who struck a match-winning fifty after taking three wickets, played a crucial knock when everything seemed lost and snatched the win from the hosts.

Sri Lanka went a step ahead and made a more imposing total and did most things right with the ball; however, they fell short in the end.

Sri Lanka once again won the coin toss and made a solid start, stitching a 77-run opening stand. But the hosts’ innings went out of control once again as Shikhar Dhawan brought the spinners into play.

Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets in two balls as Sri Lanka’s middle-order kept playing rash shots.

The buck lied with Avishka Fernando, who scored a fifty to carry on; unfortunately, he threw away straight after reaching the landmark.

Dhananjaya de Silva also got a start and threw his wicket.

It once again came down to the lower middle-order to do the rescue job.

Charith Asalanka, who showed brilliant resistance in the first ODI, crafted the second half-century for Sri Lanka by top-scoring with 65, consisting of six fours.

Chamika Karunaratne took off from where he left and made 44 to lift the Island nation towards a stiff total.

However, Prithvi Shaw once again started breezily as he struck three boundaries within two overs.

Skipper Dasun Shanaka responded by introducing Wanindu Hasaranga in the third over and he removed him in the last ball.

Ishan Kishan, yet another impact player from the first ODI, chopped on to the stumps off Kasun Rajitha, who replaced Isuru Udana for this game.

Manish Pandey and Shikhar Dhawan stitched a stable partnership before Hasaranga returned to dismiss the skipper.

Pandey looked good for his 37, but was unfortunate to be out at the non-striker’s end.

Dasun Shanaka had yet another massive success, sending back Hardik Pandya without scoring, minutes after dropping a catch off his own bowling.

Lakshan Sandakan, who had proven expensive, compensated by dismissing Suryakumar Yadav for 53 out of nowhere.

After producing two mighty strikes, Hasaranga did another by removing Krunal Pandya.

It left India seven down; however, they needed less than 90 then, with handy batters in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar in the middle.

Chahar made sure Shanaka pay for all the minor captaincy lapses as he raced to a fifty in his fifth ODI.