Seam bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar led a disciplined bowling performance as India hammered Sri Lanka by 38 runs in the opening T20 international...
Seam bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar led a disciplined bowling performance as India hammered Sri Lanka by 38 runs in the opening T20 international after a Covid scare at the stadium on Sunday.
Chasing 165 for victory, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 126 in 18.3 overs with Kumar returning figures of 4/22 in Colombo. India lead the three-match series 1-0.
Earlier skipper Shikhar Dhawan (46) and Suryakumar Yadav (50) guided India to 164/5 in 20 overs after being put into bat first.
“I thought we were 10-15 runs short but we felt it was still a good total,” said Dhawan.
“Surya is a great player and we enjoy watching him bat. He was taking pressure off me as well. Sri Lanka were playing well but we knew our spinners will get some turn.”
Spinners Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, debutant Varun Chakravarthy and quick bowler Hardik Pandya took one wicket each.
A ground staffer at the R Premadasa Stadium tested positive for Covid-19 following a rapid antigen test, Sri Lanka Cricket said, before the hosts won the toss.
As a precaution, reporters and photographers were not allowed inside the 35,000 capacity ground where the white-ball series is being played.
Spectators were already barred from attending since the start of the three-match one-day series which India won 2-1.
Kumar struck with...
