Kusal Mendis hit an unbeaten 68 to lend a hand clinch Sri Lanka’s first T20 world sequence win over the West Indies with a thumping nine-wicket victory within the 3rd and ultimate sport on Thursday.
Sri Lanka chased down its 163-run goal with 12 balls to spare as a sell-out house crowd in Dambulla erupted.
“Satisfied to get the crew over the road. No longer the very best pitch to bat on, however those are prerequisites that we’re used to taking part in,” stated Mendis who hit 5 fours and 3 sixes.
West Indies had a possibility to push aside Mendis when he was once on 44, however Roston Chase may just now not cling directly to a tricky go back catch.
Mendis and fellow opener Pathum Nissanka placed on 60 runs in simply 5.2 overs.
Nissanka, in elegant shape, contributed 39 from 22 deliveries, together with seven fours and a six, ahead of a low supply from Gudakesh Motie ended his keep.
Mendis persisted his composed knock, using the spinners without problems in the course of the covers and pulling the seamers with authority.
He was once joined through Kusal Perera, whose unbeaten 55 off 36 balls showcased his resilience as he battled cramps to succeed in his fifteenth T20I half-century.
In combination, Mendis and Perera stitched an unbroken 106-run partnership, steerage Sri Lanka to a landmark victory over the higher-ranked vacationer.
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The West Indies opted to bat and rallied from a shaky get started that left it 68-5 with a 54-run standoff of 26 balls between skipper Rovman Powell and Motie.
Motie blasted Dunith Wellalage for 3 consecutive sixes and a 4 within the fifteenth over, later departing when Mendis stumped him off Wanindu Hasaranga.
Sri Lanka leaned closely on its spin arsenal with Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga claiming two wickets each and every.
“I believed we had sufficient runs at the board. Sri Lankan spinners utterly outplayed us. We knew spin was once going to play a key position and Sri Lanka had been a long way higher,” Powell stated.
The West Indies received the sequence opener through 5 wickets and Sri Lanka bounced again with a commanding 73-run victory in the second one sport.
This sequence win crowns a robust 3 months for Sri Lanka underneath new head trainer Sanath Jayasuriya.
The crew broke a 27-year drought through profitable an ODI sequence in opposition to India in July then received a Take a look at in England for the primary time in a decade.
Previous this month it swept a two-Take a look at sequence at house in opposition to New Zealand — its first sequence win over the Kiwis in 15 years.
The post SL vs WI 3rd T20I: Kusal Mendis helps Sri Lanka clinch series against West Indies – ICC T20 World News first appeared on ICC T20 World News.