Arshdeep 'Super Over' negates Nissanka ton as India survive Lanka scare

Dubai, Sep 26 (PTI) Pint-sized Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka smashed a belligerent century as Indian bowlers endured their worst day in the Asia Cup before Arshdeep Singh produced a brilliant 'Super Over' to win the game for his side here on Friday.

India will thus play the final of the tournament having won six matches in a row.

Riding on Abhishek Sharma's third half-century of the event, India scored 202 for 5 in 20 overs but Nissanka packed so much punch in his strokes that left the defending champions on the brink of defeat, before Sri Lanka were stopped at the same score.

Needing 12 off the last over from Harshit Rana and three off the final ball, Dasun Shanaka (22 not out off 11 balls) could manage only two as the match went into Super Over.

The Super Over belonged to Arshdeep, who gave only two runs and got two wickets in five balls. The target of three runs was achieved in a single delivery by skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

During the chase, after Hardik Pandya removed Kusal Mendis in the opening over, Nissanka (107 off 58 balls) and Perera (58 off 32 balls) started a counter attack with such gusto that left the Indian bowlers worried for the first time in the tournament.

Kuldeep Yadav (1/31 in 4 overs) had a decent day by his standards while Varun Chakravarthy (1/31 in 4 overs) wasn't bad either.

But Harshit Rana (1/54 in 5 overs), Arshdeep Singh (1/46 in 4 overs) and left-arm spinner Axar Patel (0/32 in 3 overs) collectively got smashed for 132 runs in their 11 overs.

However, credit must go to Harshit and Arshdeep for bowling the required dot balls when it mattered the most.

Perera, whose short-arm pulls and lofted drives in the arc between cover and extra cover were a treat to watch, took on Arshdeep and the spinners along with Nissanka, who is gradually proving to be India's nemesis. They were also very severe on Rana.

Pacers Arshdeep and Harshit have been well below par in the two matches that they have played in the tournament. Going into the next T20 World Cup, Harshit hasn't done enough to guarantee himself a place in the 15-member squad, unless head coach Gautam Gambhir pulls all stops to ensure his selection.

The big-bodied Delhi man also doesn't look supremely fit, like an international fast bowler normally is.

He starts struggling from the second over itself. He does bowl the quick heavy ball that skid past the batter, but on most occasions, the lengths that he bowled soared into the orbit, in the arc between straight and deep mid-wicket.

Nissanka would fetch deliveries between off and middle to dispatch them on the side. If there was a half volley on length, it was smashed through the off-side and the deliveries with width were cut imperiously. He hit seven fours and six sixes in all.

In less than 12 overs, the duo added 128 runs, and Suryakumar Yadav looked worried.

Varun Chakravarthy then shortened his length and forced Perera to come out of his crease and hit him down the ground. He was beaten fair and square, and Sanju Samson completed the easiest of stumping.

That brought India back into the game as Charith Asalanka (5) and Kamindu Mendis (3) were dismissed in quick succession.

Nissanka, however, continued his glorious strokeplay as he clobbered Arshdeep down the ground to complete his century in 52 balls, which incidentally is also the first three-figure mark of this edition.

Earlier, Samson gained much-needed confidence with a useful 39 after Abhishek Sharma's familiar early assault.

This was the highest score by any team in the current tournament, surpassing India's 188 against Oman and Afghanistan's same total versus Hong Kong.

While Abhishek blasted his way to a 31-ball-61, Samson was finally in his element at No. 5, playing some breathtaking sixes in his 22-ball-innings. Tilak Varma anchored the innings well to finish on an unbeaten 49 off 34 balls, a knock that will do him a world of good.

Abhishek hammering the bowlers in the powerplay has become the norm of this tournament as he completed a hat-trick of half-centuries. Friday's innings was laced with eight fours and two sixes, even as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav were dismissed cheaply.

However, it was the third time in the tournament that Abhishek missed out on an opportunity to get a hundred, as he was caught at deep mid-wicket boundary after a half-tracker from Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka.

When Samson came in, it was about finding his mojo at a new batting position and for the first time, he looked in ominous touch.

He hit three sixes, but the one that stood out was the down-the-ground hit off Hasaranga's bowling. He plonked his front-foot shade outside the leg-stump to make room and muscled it straight into the sight-screen.

In the next over, he smashed Dasun Shanaka over cow corner for another maximum. PTI KHS KHS AH AH