ALL-ROUND INDIA BEAT SRI LANKA BY 4WICKETS, TAKE UNASSAILABLE 2-0 LEAD

KL Rahul scored an unbeaten half-century in his 50th ODI to help India claim a four-wicket victory in the second ODI against Sri Lanka here at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. India clinched the threematch ODI series with an unassailable 2-0 lead. Sensible batting from KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya ensured the hosts recovered from the early setback to complete the chase. The wicketkeeper batsmen scored 64* runs while Hardik made 36 runs. Chamika Karunaratneand Lahiru Kumara picked up two wickets apiece to dent the Indian run-chase. Chasing the target, India were off to a quick with openers Shubhman Gill and Rohit Sharma smashing five fours and a six inside the first four overs.

The batting duo looked in sublime touch and fed on the over-pitched bowling by the Sri Lankan pace attack. The Indian captain looked set for another Eden Garden special knock with the Kolkata ground serving as the right-hander’s happy hunting ground. However, pacer Chamika Karunaratne struck to the fourth-stump line to produce Rohit’s edge in the fifth over, giving the visitors some much-needed respite. The right-hander was dismissed for 17(21). Lahiru Kumara was struck for consecutive boundaries by Gill but the bowler had the last laugh as he dismissed the batter on the third ball of the over to send the opener packing for a quick-fire 21(12). The onus to steady the inning fell on last match’s centurion Virat Kohli and batter Shreyas Iyer.

However, the former Indian captain fell to a fiery in-swinging delivery as Lahiru knocked over Virat’s stumps. The right-hander could only score 4(9) before getting dismissed. India were in dire need of a sturdy partnership at the end of 10 overs with the scoreboard reading 67/3. Iyer did play a few eyepleasing strokes to find boundaries at regular intervals but was dismissed to a straight full delivery, expecting a bumper with the Sri Lankans feeding him shortpitched deliveries.