India beat SL to reach final

India`s Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament match between India and Sri Lanka at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on 1 March. Photo: AFP

High-flying India made it three wins from as many games in the Asia Cup on Tuesday as they beat Sri Lanka by five wickets to seal a place in the final.

Being put in to bat first at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the losing side set India a target of 139, but Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh led their team to a comfortable victory.

Sri Lanka did threaten in the early stages of the India innings, as Nuwan Kulasekara sent both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma to the dressing room with the score on 16, but Kohli was firm, duly helped by Suresh Raina (25) at first and then Yuvraj.

Kohli bagged back to back man-of-the-match awards, this time for his 56 off 47 balls, made courtesy of seven fours. Yuvraj, on the other hand, was at his usual self, smashing 35 in just 18 balls with three fours and three sixes.

Winning the toss, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted to bowl first, and his bowlers did not let him down.
The Indian bowlers sent the top three batsmen packing by the time Sri Lanka made 31 as Dhoni’s men were always in control.

Chamara Kapugedera top-scored with a 30 off 32 balls courtesy of three fours while the second highest came from Milinda Siriwardana who hit 22 in 17.

Late on, Thisara Perera blasted 17 in just six balls while Nuwan Kulasekara added 13 of nine balls to take the Lankans to a respectable score of 138.

For India, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Ravichandran Ashwin bagged two wickets each.

India will play their remaining match of the group stage against already eliminated UAE on Thursday while the Lankans take on Pakistan a day later in a decisive game.

Source: Prothom Alo