Nisshin, Oct 1:
Ishan Kishan’s composed unbeaten 80 off 46 balls and a quickfire 38 from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi helped India post 169 for seven before their bowlers dismantled Sri Lanka for 45 in the Asian Games men’s T20 semifinal here on Thursday.
India won by 124 runs to book a gold-medal clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, who defeated Bangladesh in the other semifinal earlier in the day. The final will be played in Nisshin on Saturday.
Asked to bat first on a turning track, India found run-scoring difficult in the early stages. Sri Lanka relied heavily on spin and used only two overs of pace, putting the Indian batters under pressure.
Sooryavanshi, however, provided the impetus at the top of the order. The youngster struck 38 off just 21 deliveries, displaying his trademark aggressive strokeplay. He hit consecutive boundaries off Binura Fernando before launching spinner Tharindu Ratnayake for a six over long-on.
India lost Abhishek Sharma for seven and Sanju Samson for seven inside the powerplay, while Sooryavanshi also departed after an entertaining cameo. Captain Shreyas Iyer made 13 and Axar Patel scored eight as Sri Lanka continued to keep India in check.
With wickets falling at regular intervals, Kishan took responsibility for rebuilding the innings. He attacked the spinners with calculated strokes, preferring to hit them straight rather than attempt risky horizontal shots.
Four of Kishan’s six sixes came between long-on and long-off, while he also struck four boundaries. His unbeaten 80 gave India the late surge they needed to reach 169 for seven.
Sri Lanka’s chase never got going. Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in his opening over, leaving the opposition in serious trouble during the powerplay. Axar Patel then joined the attack and claimed two wickets as Sri Lanka slipped to 31 for six.
The difficult pitch added to Sri Lanka’s problems, with some deliveries turning sharply and others behaving unpredictably off the surface. Two run-outs further highlighted the pressure on the Sri Lankan batters.
India completed the victory in just 9.5 overs, dismissing Sri Lanka for 45. The defeat means Sri Lanka will face Bangladesh in the bronze-medal play-off, also scheduled for Saturday.
The India-Pakistan final will now be the major attraction of the men’s cricket competition.