A one-sided tour will finally come to an end as India take on Sri Lanka in the last match of their tour in Colombo on Wednesday.
The hosts have made a lot of changes for this one-off Twenty20 International. While Upul Tharanga will lead, Kusal Mendis has been rested along with several other players. There are a quite a few names in the new-look squad.
India have the same squad from the One-Day International series but it’ll be interesting to see whether they make any changes.
Live:
10.55 pm: Manish Pandey finishes it off in style with a boundary. India win by seven wickets. Kohli was dismissed with ten runs to go, but it didn’t matter. Their 106-run partnership clinched it for them. India finish the tour on the high they wanted.
10.37 pm: We’re just waiting for the formalities to get over now. 23 needed off 18. Partnership is 106. India 148/2.
10.20 pm: Getting easier and easier now. Even Pandey has grown into his own and is reeling off some big blows. Kohli is rotating the strike, flicking boundaries and reeled off a 30-ball 50...which is his fourth consecutive one against SL. It never gets old, does it? India 118/2 off 13, need 53 off 42.
10.05 pm: Right, ten overs left. This should be easy for Kohli, you reckon. He’s already hit a beautiful straight six and taken two boundaries. Mastering the chase perfectly. India need just 89 off 60 balls. 82/2 in 10.
9.55 pm: Another one! Shanaka takes a stunning catch to send Rahul back. India are two down now. 43/2 after 6.
9.40 pm: Big wicket. Rohit Sharma is out. And it’s Malinga, his Mumbai Indians teammate who gets him. Goes for the pull, top-edge and Perera takes the catch. 23/1 in 3.
9.31 pm: India are off to a flyer here. Two boundaries from KL Rahul (who’s opened and not Kohli), one from Rohit Sharma and they’re already 21/0 in 2 overs and well ahead of the asking rate.
9.12 pm: And they finish at 170/7. A good fight at the end from Sri Lanka but those middle wickets really cost them. They looked good for 200 when Munaweera was batting. India will fancy it.
In fact, Sri Lanka’s batsmen had the most exotic shots!
8.52 pm: Right, three overs left. Where will Sri Lanka end up? They are just looking to play out deliveries but even then, they lost their seventh wicket. 135/7.
8.40 pm: This match sums Sri Lanka up. They are playing with reckless abandon, seemingly just here to have a hit and giggle without much care about the result. Thisara Perera has tried to smash every ball out of the ground, succeeded in hitting one and then played on. Then Shanaka is plumb in front. Falling away 118/6.
8.32 pm: Munaweera is out after a stunning 26-ball 50. A brilliant knock but then he tries to smash Kuldeep Yadav away and loses his bat and his stump in the process. Big blow for Sri Lanka. They are now 101/4.
8.20 pm: Dhoni pulls off one of his specials...a split-second stumping to dismiss Mathews. Sri Lanka’s run rate is good but they are losing too many wickets. Munaweera is still around and lining up. He just hit Chahal for a six over extra cover and over his head! 84/3 in 9 overs.
8.07 pm: Sri Lanka have lost Dickwella after he tried to reverse scoop Bumrah and bowled himself but Munaweera is playing a brilliant cameo! He’s 29 off 15 and taken Sri Lanka to 60/2 in six overs.
7.55 pm: And Tharanga falls. A miserable tour ends finally for him. Hit Bhuvi for a four on the leg-side but was then castled. Dickwella though has hammered Bumrah for three fours. Sri Lanka’s start is very good though. 32/1 off 3.
7.32 pm: There’s still a bit of rain in the air but amidst all that, Kohli has won another toss and chosen to field. Expected, right with rain around?
No Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur tonight. Nor is Hardik Pandya playing. Axar Patel and KL Rahul are in.
7.10 pm: The inspection is over and we have an update: Match to begin at 7.40 pm (IST). The umpires want to take a little more time to dry the outfield. No reduction in overs so it stays a Twenty20!
6.45 pm: Good evening. The match should have begun in 15 minutes but there was a lot of rain in Colombo with the covers on. The rain has abated and the covers are coming off. There’s an inspection in 15 minutes so stick around and we will keep you updated.