Dominant India rout Sri Lanka to clinch series

PUNE: Openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan slammed quickfire half-centuries as India outclassed Sri Lanka by 78 runs in the third and final T20 International to win the three-match series 2-0, in Pune, on Friday.

Rahul continued his good form as he slammed 54 from 36 balls, while Dhawan returned back to form with entertaining innings of 52 from the same number deliveries to power India to a huge 201 for six in their 20 overs.

Defending the total, the Indian bowlers, led by right-arm pacer Navdeep Saini (3/28) Shardul Thakur (2/19), dished out a disciplined effort to bundle out Sri Lanka for 123 in 15.5 overs.

Off-spinner Washington Sundar also picked up two wickets giving away 37 runs from his four overs.

Earlier, Dhawan roared back to form with a muscular half-century in the company of a sublime KL Rahul as India posted a competitive 201 for 6 against Sri Lanka despite a middle-order collapse. Dhawan, who has been under pressure to perform for some time now, smashed 52 off 36 balls (7x4; 1x6) in his 97-run opening stand with the in-form Rahul (54 off 36 balls, 5x4;1x6). However, the hosts suffered a middle-order collapse as Sri Lankan wrist spinners Wanidu Hasaranga (1-27) and chinaman Lakshan Sandakan (3-35) spun their web around the batsmen on a flat track. But Manish Pandey, playing his first game of the tournament, hit an unbeaten 31 off 18 balls and Shardul Thakur once again revealed as a lower-order pinch-hitter (22 not out off 8 balls; 1x4, 2x6) to ensure that the hosts crossed the 200-run mark. Agencies

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