NEW DELHI : India completed a 3-0 series sweep against Sri Lanka after Shreyas Iyer’s third successive half-century secured a six-wicket victory in the final Twenty20 International in Dharamsala on Sunday.

Opting to bat, Sri Lanka posted 146-5 with skipper Dasun Shanaka scoring more than half the runs with his unbeaten 74 off 38 balls.

Iyer, who finished the series without being dismissed even once, smashed 73 not out as India returned to reach the victory target with 19 balls to spare.

With the series already in the bag, the hosts rested four frontline players, including wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan who was struck on the head while batting in the second match on Saturday.

Thanks to the depth in their squad, India joined Afghanistan and Romania as the countries to have won a record 12 consecutive Twenty20 Inter­nationals.

India’s victory follows their 6-0 limited-overs romp against West Indies in the previous home series earlier this month.

Sri Lanka captain Shanaka was left to rue his decision to bat after winning the toss as they lost both their openers in the first two overs and slumped to 60-5 in the 13th over.

Shanaka counter-attacked in a spectacular fashion scoring nearly two-runs-a-ball taking to take the tourists near the 150-mark.

India lost skipper Rohit Sharma early in their chase but Iyer once again anchored their chase as he and Ravindra Jadeja, who made 22 not out, guided India home.

The neighbours will now clash in a two-Test series beginning in Mohali on Mar. 4.

Iyer was the hero on Saturday also, when he helped India to a seven-wicket win in the second T20I and take an unassailable 2-0 lead at the same venue.

Put into bat, Sri Lanka rode Pathum Nissanka’s career-best 75 and captain Dasun Shanaka’s unbeaten 47 off 19 balls to post a commanding 183-5.

India fumbled early but Iyer anchored their chase with a masterly 74 not out as the hosts romped home with 17 balls to spare.

Earlier, Sri Lanka began well denying India any wicket in the powerplay with Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka raising 67 runs for the opening stand.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Gunathilaka for 38 in the ninth over and Sri Lanka lost three wickets in quick succession to be in a spot of bother.

Nissanka accelerated and Shanaka, who clobbered fix sixes, helped Sri Lanka to plunder 80 runs in the last five overs to set India a formidable target.

The hosts lost captain Rohit Sharma in the first over and Ishan Kishan, the other opener, did not last long either.

Iyer, whose knock included four sixes, brought India back into the contest with good support from the middle order.

Scoreboard

SRI LANKA:

P. Nissanka c V. Iyer b Avesh 1

D. Gunathilaka b Siraj 0

C. Asalanka c Samson b Avesh 4

J. Liyanage b Bishnoi 9

D. Chandimal c V. Iyer b Patel 22

D. Shanaka not out 74

C. Karunaratne not out 12

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-14, W-6) 24

TOTAL (for five wickets, 20 overs) 146

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-1 (Gunathilaka), 2-5 (Nissanka), 3-11 (Asalanka), 4-29 (Liyanage,), 5-60 (Chandimal).

DID NOT BAT: D.Chameera, J. Vandersay, L. Kumara, B. Fernando.

BOWLING: Siraj 4-0-22-1, Avesh

4-1-23-2 (2w), Patel 4-0-29-1 (1w), Kuldeep 4-0-22-0, Bishnoi 4-0-32-1 (3w)

INDIA:

S. Samson c Chandimal b Karunaratne 18

R. Sharma c Karunaratne b Chameera 5

S. Iyer not out 73

D. Hooda b Kumara 21

V. Iyer c sub b Kumara 5

R. Jadeja not out 22

EXTRAS (W-4) 4

TOTAL (for four wickets, 16.5 overs) 148

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-6 (Rohit), 2-51 (Samson), 3-89 (Hooda), 4-103 (V. Iyer).

DID NOT BAT: H. Patel, K. Yadav, R. Bishnoi, M. Siraj, A. Khan.

BOWLING: Fernando 4-0-35-0, Chameera 3-0-19-1 (2w), Kumara 3.5-0-39-2 (2w), Karunaratne 3.4-0-31-1, Vandersay 2.2-0-24-0.

TOSS: Sri Lanka.

RESULT: India won by six wickets.

SERIES: India won the three-match series 3-0.

UMPIRES: KN Ananthapadmanabhan and Virender Sharma (Both India).

TV UMPIRE: Jayaraman Madanagopal (India).

MATCH REFEREE: Javagal Srinath (India).

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2022