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Nissanka ton in vain as India edge Sri Lanka in Super Over / Photo: © AFP
Nissanka ton in vain as India edge Sri Lanka in Super Over
Defending champions India survived a scintillating century by Pathum Nissanka to edge out Sri Lanka in a Super Over after their Asia Cup match ended in a tie on Friday.
India, who had already booked their place in the final against Pakistan, posted an impressive 202-5.
In reply, however, Nissanka hammered 107 off 58 balls to lead Sri Lanka's chase which also ended on 202-5 in the last Super Four contest of the regional tournament in Dubai.
Sri Lanka managed just two runs from their Super Over which was bowled by Arshdeep Singh.
Kusal Perera sliced the first ball to deep point and Dasun Shanaka's dismissal from the fifth ball marked the end of the innings.
It took India skipper Suryakumar Yadav just one ball to settle the match which meant his side remain unbeaten in six matches ahead of the final against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday at the same venue.
Nissanka stood out with his first T20 century laced with seven fours and six sixes and his 127-run second-wicket partnership with left-hander Perera, who made 58.
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy broke the stand with the wicket of Perera as slow bowlers got India back into the game.
With 12 to get off the last over, Harshit Rana dismissed Nissanka on the first ball and restricted Sri Lanka to 11, sending the match into a Super Over.
Put in to bat, India posted a challenging total after opener Abhishek Sharma hit 61 off 31 balls.
The left-handed Abhishek set the tone with a 59-run second-wicket stand with Suryakumar, who fell after a scratchy 12.
Abhishek, who has a strike-rate of over 200 in the regional tournament, reached his third successive fifty with two straight boundaries to take the attack to the opposition.
Skipper Charith Asalanka cut short Abhishek's blitz before Tilak Varma and wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson put on 66 for the fourth wicket.
India lost two more wickets including Samson for 39 but Varma, who hit 49, and fellow left-hander Axar Patel with 21, steered the team past 200.
Tournament favourites India and Pakistan will clash for the third time in the tournament with relations strained between the teams.
The showdown comes months after deadly fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have not played a bilateral series in over a decade.
Their most recent meetings in the group stage and Super Four round of this Asia Cup saw India skipper Suryakumar refusing to shake hands with counterpart Salman Agha.
Players from both sides also skipped post-match handshakes after the first and second encounters.
V.J. Coelho--JDB
