Sri Lanka bounced back from the first T20I defeat by putting on an all-round show that earned them series parity in Kingston. Kamil Mishara’s unbeaten 61 at the top and Dasun Shanaka’s middle-order assault (58 off 24) powered Sri Lanka to a big total that the bowlers comfortably defended. Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga picked three wickets each as West Indies fell well short in chase.

‎Sri Lanka flew off the blocks via Kusal Mendis in the Powerplay, before he and Pathum Nissanka were dismissed in the space of four deliveries. Mendis’s 19-ball 31 did enough to give the visitors a strong start. Pavan Rathnayake fell on the otherside of the Powerplay, but from 43/3, Mishara and Kamindu Mendis began repair work. They stitched a fairly conservative stand – worth 45 off 35 balls, before all hell broke loose with the arrival of Shanaka.

‎The all-rounder launched his offensive against Roston Chase, starting with a six over the roof. He hit another six and a four in a 19-run 14th over. He took boundaries off Shamar Springer too, even as Mishara continued his circumspect essay. That turned too, in the death overs as he went from 22 off 23 to 61 off 40, taking on Matthew Forde with a couple of sixes and getting to his fifty with one off Romario Shepherd. The West Indies all-rounder conceded 19 runs in that over. In the following over, Shanaka reached his 19-ball fifty with a six off Springer as fours and sixes came easily in this period of play. The only reason Sri Lanka didn’t go comfortably past the 200-run mark was because Joseph pulled back with a stunning final over where he conceded only three runs and picked two wickets. Shanaka was one of the two, not before smashing 58 off just 24 deliveries – an innings laced with five fours and four sixes.

‎West Indies received an early jolt in chase as they were reduced to 9 for 2 in the second over, with both openers Shai Hope and Brandon King departing, to Dunith Wellalage and Chameera respectively. Shimron Hetmyer and Powell made a real attempt at turning it around as they put West Indies on par with the asking rate nearly till the halfway stage. They took 28 off two Eshan Malinga overs on either side of the Powerplay and picked 18 off a Maheesh Theekshana over. Hetmyer even survived a tricky stumping call, only to be run out just four deliveries later in a double-wicket 10th over that derailed West Indies.

‎Powell, who’d thrown his bat around until then, also perished – for a 26-ball 43. From 91/4, West Indies suffered a nosedive. The next six wickets came for just 66 runs as the middle and lower-order couldn’t consolidate the efforts of those before them. In the 19th over, West Indies folded for 157.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka

194/6 in 20 overs (Kamil Mishara 61n.o., Dasun Shanaka 58; Shamar Joseph 3-32)

‎West Indies 157 in 18.1 overs (Rovman Powell 43; Dushmantha Chameera 3/09, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/38) (cricbuzz)