ANUP VERMA
New Delhi: Team India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, thanks to the brilliant performances of Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. India won the series by defeating Sri Lanka by three wickets in the match played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday. Deepak Chahar gave this victory to Team India by playing a brilliant inning of 69 not out off 82 balls. After the match, Deepak Chahar gave the credit of his match-winning innings to the coach of the team, Rahul Dravid.
Rahul Dravid has been sent with Team India as the head coach on the Sri Lankan tour. Shastri is currently on a tour of England with Team India, captained by Virat Kohli.
Sri Lanka gave India a target of 276 runs, chasing which India lost the wickets of seven main batsmen for 193 runs. At one point it seemed that Sri Lanka would win this match easily, but Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar put together an unbroken partnership of 84 runs and snatched the match from the jaws of the Sri Lankan team.
After the match, Chahar said, “There cannot be a better way for the country to win the match. Rahul sir told me to play every ball. I have played a few innings with India A (when Rahul Dravid was the coach) and I think he had faith in me. He told me that you deserve to bat at No-7, he believed in me. Hope I don’t need to bat in the coming matches. When the target reached 50, I thought we could win the match. Before that it was just for me to play every ball. After that I took some risks.”
Batting first, Sri Lanka scored 275 for 9 in 50 overs, in reply India scored 277 for seven in 49.1 overs to win the match and the series. Deepak Chahar was adjudged man of the match.