Sri Lanka opt to bowl against India in inconsequential Asia Cup Super 4s tie 
Cricket

Sanju, Tilak power India to 202 for 5 after another Abhishek carnage

Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to bowl against India in their inconsequential final Super 4s match of the Asia Cup here on Friday.

Dubai | Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to bowl against India in their inconsequential final Super 4s match of the Asia Cup here on Friday.

India, who have already sealed a place in the final along with Pakistan, made two changes with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana coming in for Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube, who were both rested.

Sri Lanka brought in Janith Liyanage in place of Chamika Karunaratne.

The summit clash between India and Pakistan is scheduled for Sunday.

The Teams:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (w), Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Janith Liyanage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara.

Abhishek Sharma's flamboyant fifty

 Sanju Samson gained much-needed confidence with a useful 39 after Abhishek Sharma's familiar early assault as India posted an imposing 202 for 5 against Sri Lanka in the final Super 4s game of the Asia Cup here on Friday.

This was the highest score by any team in the current tournament, surpassing India's 188 against Oman and Afghanistan's same total versus Hong Kong.

While Abhishek blasted his way to a 31-ball-61, Samson was finally in his element at No. 5, playing some breathtaking sixes in his 22-ball-innings. Tilak Varma anchored the innings well to finish on an unbeaten 49 off 34 balls, a knock that will do him a world of good.

Abhishek hammering the bowlers in the powerplay has become the norm of this tournament as he completed a hat-trick of half-centuries. Friday's innings was laced with eight fours and two sixes, even as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav were dismissed cheaply.

However, it was the third time in the tournament that Abhishek missed out on an opportunity to get a hundred, as he was caught at deep mid-wicket boundary after a half-tracker from Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka.

Gill (4) was dismissed when a Maheesh Theekshana delivery stopped on him and the leading edge was accepted by the bowler.

Skipper Surya (12), who has been going through a very rough patch, wanted to sweep his way out of trouble but was trapped leg-before by Wanindu Hasaranga.

When Samson came in, it was about finding his mojo at a new batting position and for the first time, he looked in ominous touch.

He hit three sixes, but the one that stood out was the down-the-ground hit off Hasaranga's bowling. He plonked his front-foot shade outside the leg-stump to make room and muscled it straight into the sight-screen.

In the next over, he smashed Dasun Shanaka over cow corner for another maximum.

Along with Tilak, he added 66 runs in 6.5 overs to prepare the launchpad for a final flourish, before Axar Patel capped off the India innings with a six.

Scoreboard of the Asia Cup Super 4 match between India and Sri Lanka here on Friday.

India:

Abhishek Sharma c Kamindu Mendis b Asalanka 61

Shubman Gill c&b Theekshana 4

Suryakumar Yadav lbw b Hasaranga 12

Tilak Varma not out 49

Sanju Samson c Asalanka b Shanaka 39

Hardik Pandya c&b Chameera 2

Axar Patel not out 21

Extras: (LB-5, NB-2, W-7) 14

Total: (For 5 wickets in 20 overs) 202

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-74, 3-92, 4-158, 5-162

Bowling: Nuwan Thushara 4-0-43-0, Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-36-1, Dushmantha Chameera 4-0-40-1, Wanindu Hasaranga 4-0-37-1, Dasun Shanaka 2-0-23-1, Charith Asalanka 2-0-18-1

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