India restrict Sri Lanka to 135/7 in 3rd T20I

Mumbai Dec 24 (IANS) India restricted Sri Lanka to 135 for seven in the third and final Twenty20 International (T20I) at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday.

Asela Gunaratne (36 off 37 balls) and Dasun Shanaka (29 not out off 24) were the main contributors for the struggling visitors who lost the first two T20Is in Cuttack and Indore.

Asked to bat by Rohit Sharma Sri Lanka failed to click with their batting again. Both openers Niroshan Dickwella (1) and Upul Thranga (11) fell to left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat (2/15). While left-hander Dickwella was caught by Mohammad Siraj at mid-on Tharanga played one to the hands of Hardik Pandya at deep midwicket leaving his side at 18/3 in 3.3 overs.

In between these two wickets debutant off-spinner Washington Sundar got Kusal Perera s catch of his own bowling as Sri Lanka struggled.

Gunaratne (36 off 37) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (21) seemed to be building a strong partnership until the latter mistimed Pandya and Dinesh Karthik caught it at mid-off with Sri Lanka at 56/4 in 8.3 overs.

The Sri Lankan batting line-up showed no sign of resilience and Danushka Gunathilaka (3) and Thisara Perera (11) lost their wickets to left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and pacer Siraj respectively.

Gunaratne and Shanaka tried their best but struggled to score briskly. Gunaratne was the next one to be dismissed pulling Pandya to the hands of Kuldeep at midwicket.

Later Shanaka hit two sixes as Sri Lanka moved to 135/7 in 20 overs.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka: 135/7 (Asela Gunaratne 36 Dasun Shanaka 29 not out; Jaydev Unadkat 2/15 Hardik Pandya 2/25) vs India.

--IANS
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