Watch cricket video highlights of West Indies tour of Sri Lanka 2024. Third Twenty/20 between Sri Lanka and West Indies. Venue of the match will be Dambulla.
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Pathum Nissanka sparked Sri Lanka’s chase, before Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera put on a polished and unbroken 106-run partnership for the second wicket. For a squad that had never defeated the West Indies in a T20I series, this chase seemed almost too easy to believe. Each of the top three had superb innings as the hosts raced to the mark of 163 with 12 balls remaining in front of a raucous Poya-day crowd in Dambulla. West Indies had done well earlier to reach 162, but they owe it primarily to a late attack from Gudakesh Motie – who bludgeoned 32 off 15 – for what was possibly a higher-than-par score on a spin-friendly track.
Despite Dunith Wellalage’s aggressive batting, Sri Lanka’s remaining spinners held the score under control. This was a significant disparity between the teams. Kusal Mendis went on to get the game’s best score, 68 not out of 50. Perera crashed 55 off 36. Nissanka had the most aggressive innings, scoring 39 off 22. The 2-1 victory is just another indicator of Sri Lanka’s revival in the format in which they have suffered the most over the past two years. They have won five Test matches this year and defeated India in a bilateral one-day international series in July.
This win also boosts new coach Sanath Jayasuriya’s status. The West Indies reinforced their spin attack by bringing in Fabian Allen for this match, but Nissanka ensured Sri Lanka’s batsmen established their dominance quickly. He hit three fours off Allen’s opening over before blasting seamer Alzrri Joseph for two sixes and a four in the following over, with the runs coming from all over the ground, though he did like the square zone on the offside. By the time Nissanka was bowled by a Motie slider after 5.2 overs, Sri Lanka had already reached 60.
The early middle overs were calmer than those that came before. However, Perera quickly began to hit the boundary, particularly off his legs, and Sri Lanka’s run rate dropped before the West Indies could put considerable pressure. Kusal Mendis, who had started to score quickly around the end of the powerplay, proceeded to hit regular boundaries as he cruised to his 15th T20I fifty. Perera reached his half-century, his 15th, in what would be the game’s last over. West Indies had chances to make a difference in the pursuit.
Rovman Powell should have caught the dangerous Nissanka in the opening over, but he misread the high ball and palmed it into the rope instead. Later, on 44, Roston Chase missed a simple return opportunity off Kusal Mendis, but Sri Lanka were well on their way to win by that point. Shai Hope might have run out Kusal Mendis on 34 if he had struck the stumps with a throw in the ninth over. The West Indies’ innings peaked in the 15th over, when they scored 25 runs. Their innings had flagged at 86 for 5 after 14 overs, with Sri Lanka expected to provide much of spin.
However, Motie would lay into left-arm spinner Wellalage to restart the innings. His first boundary came off the outside edge, but the following three were towering, consecutive sixes, the first down the ground and the next two over deep midwicket. He was dismissed soon after, but he helped the West Indies get back on track.
