Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka hailed his batting unit to win the crucial match for the team against India on Tuesday in the Super 4 stage. Chasing the 174-run target, Lanka openers gave a flying start with counter-attacking approach in the powerplay overs. Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka set up the platform with a sensational 97-run stand for the opening wicket as the duo slammed half-centuries to put Lanka in the driver’s seat.
Shanaka said that the bowlers did well in the patches but it was the batters who get the job done for the team against a quality Indian side.
“The environment in the team set the tone. It is what gave us confidence. The batting unit won it for us. The bowlers bowled well in patches, Dilshan and Theekshana in particular,” Shanaka said in the post-match presentation.
The Sri Lanka skipper was named Player of the Match for his all-round show. He claimed two crucial wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya and then scored valuable 33 runs off 18 balls to help Lanka register a 6-wicket win with just one ball to spare.
Shanaka said that the bowlers did a good job to restrict India to 173 as at one stage when Rohit Sharma was in the middle, India were looking to target the 190-run mark.
“The Indian batsmen came hard, but we did well to keep them to 173. We had a good discussion after the first game. We know what we can do in this tournament,” he added.
“Pathum and Mendis set the tone for us, and then Rajapaksa and I finished it off,” he said.
