In their last game before the T20 World Cup title defence, India flaunted the true range and abilities of their batting might. They rocked up to the halfway stage in Thiruvananthapuram at 102/2 and yet what followed in the second half was the real mayhem. Sixes were hit, records were broken, a pulsating century was reached, and India had 271/5 in 20 overs – their third highest T20I total. Along the way, India matched their best tally of sixes in a T20I – 23 of them, on the most deflating night of the series for a very self-aware New Zealand bowling attack, who, per Mitchell Santner, have known the near-limitlessness of this Indian line-up.

‎In a series where the final scoreline matters less than fine-tuning before a big event, India checked a few crucial boxes. On Saturday evening, Suryakumar Yadav decided to bat first to account for the prospect of losing the toss during the World Cup. He marked the game with his third half-century of the series, finding and embracing the runs that have long eluded him in this format.

‎Before he could throw his bat around in the company of Ishan Kishan, the expectant crowd watched Sanju Samson suffer another failure – falling for a run-a-ball six to New Zealand’s fit-again quick Lockie Ferguson. The pacer stopped Abhishek Sharma in his tracks too, after the opener had typically smashed four fours and two sixes in quick time. Abhishek was sent packing for a 16-ball 30 but two early wickets didn’t change the tune of India’s heavy-metal batting.

‎Ishan Kishan then proceeded to present his best possible case to be a starter at the World Cup exactly a week from now, as he smashed a 41-ball century, full of adrenaline, risk and sixes. In perhaps a sign of things to come, he was also handed the keeping gloves during New Zealand’s chase, even as Samson was listed as the designated wicketkeeper in the team sheet.

‎India had 54/2 in 6 overs, a slow-go by their recent incredible standards. New Zealand looked to lock them down further with spin through the middle but barring one over from Mitchell Santner worth five runs, the ball continued to fly in all directions.

‎Ish Sodhi was first at the receiving end, and Santner himself came under attack in the 10th over, where Suryakumar and Kishan collected 20 runs to take India past 100. Then came a five-over period, accentuated by a 29-run 12th over from Sodhi where India completely got away from New Zealand’s flailing grasp. Kishan started the over at 47 (27), went 4, 4, 4, 6, 4, 6 and finished it at 75 (33). Like in Raipur, Kishan chose not to slow down even after hitting such a high, as he brought up the 100-run stand with his captain with a six in the next over.

‎When the strike turned over, Suryakumar ensured it didn’t lead to any respite for the bowlers. He carted Jacob Duffy for three successive sixes to reach his 26-ball half-century. Santner had him stumped in the 15th over, but Hardik Pandya walked out having already read the memo for the mayhem. From the 15th to the final over, the big-hitting all-rounder faced 17 balls and took 42 runs off it, with four sixes. Kishan rose to a new pedestal this series – smashing two sixes off Santner to reach a 41-ball century in a 25-run 17th over. 10, 14 and 21 runs came in the last three overs – totalling up to 169 off the last 60.

‎New Zealand had a mountain of runs in front of them, but Finn Allen stepped up in full preparation to attempt this hike. He returned to the side with a 22-ball half-century inside the PowerPlay, with scintillating strokeplay that involving flat-batting Jasprit Bumrah for a six. He also went 4, 4, 6, 4, 4 against Arshdeep Singh, as his knock pushed New Zealand to 79/1 in 6 overs – the best PowerPlay total by any team against India. He kept at it even after the field restrictions relaxed, welcoming Axar Patel with a six in the seventh over and smashing one off Varun CV too. In the ninth over though, he found the long-on fielder with another big hit – against Axar, to depart for a 38-ball 80, a knock laced with eight fours and six sixes. New Zealand still went to the mid-point of their chase at 131/2 – well ahead of what India had at that stage.

‎But being ahead was only one half of the story. Getting anywhere close to India’s total needed New Zealand to sustain the carnage, and even better it, and that’s where they fell away. Axar dismissed Glenn Phillips in the 11th over and Arshdeep returned after going for 40 in his first two overs, to concede just one run in his third while dismissing Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner.

‎Daryl Mitchell and Bevon Jacobs re-kindled New Zealand’s hopes briefly by going after Bumrah – 4 6 6 1 4 1 in a 22-run over. But Varun came as the next disruptor, cleaning up Jacobs in the following over. Arshdeep then bowled another double-wicket over – taking out Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell, to complete a five-wicket haul. Axar arrived for a slice of the fun against New Zealand’s tail, and cleaned up Ferguson.

‎Jacob Duffy and Ish Sodhi swung for the fences, even against Bumrah who finished with his most expensive T20 figures of 0/58. Rinku Singh bowled the final over and ended the 10th-wicket stand with the wicket of Sodhi to wrap up a 46-run victory.

‎‎Brief Scores:

‎India 271/5 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 103, Suryakumar Yadav 63, Hardik Pandya 42; Lockie Ferguson 2-41)

‎New Zealand 225 in 19.4 overs (Finn Allen 80, Ish Sodni 33; Arshdeep Singh 5-51, Axar Patel 3-33)

(cricbuzz)

When a man’s house was flattened by a falling tree, the case was taken before King Kekille. In his wisdom, Kekille ruled that the owner of the tree was not at fault, but the man who planted it. He then went further down the rabbit hole, blaming the seller of the seed, producing a chain of logic so absurd it has lived on in folklore. Sri Lanka’s national selection panel has now offered a modern-day re-enactment of that farce.

Barely a fortnight ago, Dhananjaya de Silva could do no wrong in the eyes of the selectors. He was hailed as the solution to Sri Lanka’s T20 troubles, the man to plug the leaks in the shortest format. Yet on the very day the World Cup squad had to be submitted to the ICC, he was deemed surplus to requirements. Such last-minute somersaults demand an explanation. Instead, the selectors have left the public guessing while accountability remains conspicuously absent.

This game of musical chairs has done little to inspire confidence within the squad. On the contrary, Sri Lanka might have been better off without the self-inflicted drama at a time when clarity and calm should have been the order of the day.

The confusion was laid bare in the first T20I against England. Dhananjaya did not bowl a single over and his agonising stay at the crease ended tamely when he was caught at square leg. Tasked with batting through the innings, his early departure triggered yet another collapse as Sri Lanka failed to bat out their full quota of overs.

Sanity, thankfully, has now prevailed, with the selectors abandoning the Dhananjaya experiment. If Sri Lanka play to their true potential, there is no reason why they can not push on to the semi-finals of the 20-nation showpiece event.

The top order has largely done its job, providing brisk, sometimes blazing starts inside the Power Play. The bowling, as showcased in the opening game against England, has the teeth to test opponents and defend modest totals. The soft underbelly, however, remains the middle order.

Too often, Sri Lanka’s middle-order batters have perished chasing glory shots, neglecting the basics of rotating the strike and running hard between the wickets. That is where the think tank must seriously consider whether Pavan Rathnayake can be trusted to settle in.

Pavan appears the best player of spin in the current set-up and batting him at number four could go some way towards addressing Sri Lanka’s long-standing issues against spin, particularly wrist spin. It is a problem that should have been identified six months ago, giving Pavan time to bed in and grow into the role.

That opportunity was missed. But with a World Cup looming, it may still be a case of better late than never.

by Rex Clementine

Yuhansa Peiris of Bishop’s College emerged victorious in the Under 18 girls’ singles as she beat Annaya Norbert 6-3, 6-2 in the finals of the YETI SSC Open tennis championship continued in Colombo.

‎She reached the final with a 6-4, 6-2 win in the semi-final.

‎Yuhansa also won the mix double title and the runner up position at the women’s open singles at these championships.

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