Discussing the amazing victory of India in the third T20I against Sri Lanka brings a lot of talking points. Fans know that it was a memorable day because there were surprising turns of events. Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh took over as bowlers in the last overs. Additionally, neither Yadav nor Singhu had enough experience in this role in T20I cricket coming into the match. The former had rolled his arm over for 12 balls once in a T20I against the Netherlands, and the latter had never bowled in T20I cricket. Yet, their combined acts in those nervy moments forced the match into a Super Over and took India to a scintillating victory and an overall clean sweep.
The Crucial-Overs
Yadav opted for the unconventional choice of handing Singh the ball. Though known more for his batting skills, the newly minted bowler had only done so for 11 overs in his entire T20 career before this match. But the conditions of this pitch worked in his favor, offering so much grip and turn that he started confidently, producing something magic with his off-spin straightaway.
He tricked the main SL batter, Kusal Perera, into going for a reverse sweep but found the ball missing him to set the tone of a pivotal over. The next delivery was even better, beating Perera again, and it was a top-edged return catch. Perera’s wicket was a big blow to the Sri Lankan chase. Then it changed dramatically in the course of one over by Khaleel Ahmed. With an over left in the record of the most experienced Indian bowler on the field, Mohammed Siraj.
Turning the Situation
With Sri Lanka needing 9 runs off 10 balls, they still held the advantage. But the mastermind continued to ramp up the pressure. The next three deliveries only produced three runs before he picked up a second crucial wicket on the final ball of the over. Ramesh Mendis looked to go big but was taken at deep mid-wicket. In the first over in international cricket, Rinku returned figures of 2/3 and gave India a lifeline. When it came to the final over, Surya had another bold call to make.
India was penalized due to a slow over rate, hence having to bowl with one fielder short on the boundary. Defying all this, Yadav chose to bowl the final over himself. Starting with a dot ball, he quickly took two wickets in successive deliveries, creating chaos in the Sri Lankan camp. Then, tension built up as Asitha Fernando managed a single off the hat-trick ball, leaving Sri Lanka needing five runs from two balls.
What happened next?
Moving towards the super-over and talk about how the super-over proved crucial for India’s victory. Chamindu Wickramasinghe did manage to slog Surya’s fourth delivery towards long-off as the batsmen scampered for a couple. On the final ball, there was a similar situation, as Shubman Gill’s long-on turned out to be even further away from the stumps, and Asitha completed the run to tie the game. Both teams finished with 137 in 40 overs and it was time for the Super Over.
Washington Sundar was summoned to bowl the Super Over for India. India needed just three runs to win the game. Surya didn’t waste much time, as he smacked the first ball for a four to clinch the win for India in dramatic style. Well, this nail-biting finish proved not only that cricket is full of surprises and action but also the upcoming talent and strategic genius of players like Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav. It’s a victory that will be etched as one of the most thrilling finishes in recent T20I history, only to repeat the point one last time—cricket is a game where it’s never over until the last ball is bowled.
