Sri Lanka A pipped India A by 7 runs in a Super Over encounter
This was India A's back-to-back loss in the tri-nation series
India A failed to chase 17 runs in the Super Over
Sri Lanka A pip India A by 7 runs in a dramatic Super Over finish at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Monday, June 15.
After numerous heated exchanges among players and controversial umpiring decisions, the hosts managed to edge past a star-studded India A side as the latter was unable to chase down 18 runs from the Super Over under deteriorating conditions.
Arshad Khan gave away 16 runs in the Super Over, which proved beyond reach even for the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Shreyash Hegde, who could manage only 9 runs off Kugathas Mathulan and eventually lost the match by 7 runs.
Sooryavanshi even got engaged in a verbal spat with one of the fielders after failing to chase down the target in the Super Over. It was a match that was full of close calls which shaped the match into a thriller.
In the first innings, the on-field umpires imposed two five-run penalties on the Indian team for running on the danger areas of the pitch despite prior warnings. It turned out to be a big call in the context of the match as the match eventually came down to Sri Lanka needing 2 runs off the last ball.
Here, another controversy arose when Gunasekara sneaked off a run to draw the match while the Indian fielders pleaded to nullify the run as they believed that the batter didn't attempt any shot. The umpires, after a brief discussion, deemed the run as legal, taking the match to a Super Over.
Suryansh-Vipraj Century Stand Prevent Batting Collapse
Earlier India were reeling at 143/7 at one stage in 32.1 overs as Vijayakanth Viyaskanth rattled the Indian middle-order with a three-wicket haul. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi started positively but couldn't capitalize on it as he fell into the off-spin trap of captain Sahan Arachchige.
Punjab opener Prabhsimran soon followed suit and got out to Mohamed Shiraz. Skipper Tilak Varma (23) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (37) did try to stabilize India's innings with a 50-plus third wicket stand, but once the partnership was broken, the India middle-order collapsed.
All-rounder Suryansh Shedge and Vipraj Nigam stemmed the flow of wickets and forged a 104-run stand for the 8th wicket to dug-out the India A out of trouble to a decent total of 265. Both batters maintained the decent run-rate and slammed half-centuries, indicating the depth coming through pathways structure.
While Shedge hit three fours and two sixes while Nigam hit six fours. Gauging the slowness of the pitch, the duo farmed strike and showed the importance of running between the wickets even as they punished the loose deliveries.
