Rohit Sharma inspires record win for India

Indore: On day that skipper Rohit Sharma blast his way into the T20 record books, India plummeted Sri Lanka by an overwhelming 88 runs in the second T20 International to clinch the three-game series 2-0 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

The visitors offered no resistance bar when Kusal Perera was in the middle. His 77 from 37 balls and a cameo by Upul Tharanga (47 from 29 balls) did not inspire the other batsmen as they were all out for 172 in 17.2 overs in reply to India’s mammoth 260 for the loss of five wickets.

Doing the job for India were wrist spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Chahal took four for 52, including three wickets in his final over, while Kuldeep also matched him with three for 52. Sri Lanka lost their eight wickets in the space of 25 balls to suffer another dramatic batting collapse. Earlier, Rohit Sharma blasted a 35-ball century to power India to the joint-second highest T20I total of 260/5 in the second match against a hapless opponents.

Put in to bat, India rode on a record opening partnership of 165 runs, bettering the previous 158 runs between Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan, as Rohit plundered the Sri Lankan bowlers to notch his second T20 ton (118 from 48 balls; 48x12, 6x10).

From the onset, there was no stopping the Mumbai right-hander, who also equalled the fastest T20I century with South Africa's David Miller as India raced to 50 in the first five overs. While his opening partner Rahul (89 off 49; 4x5, 6x8) started the onslaught with a couple of boundaries, Rohit took over by pulling Nuwan Pradeep for a thunderous six over mid-wicket before taking Akila Dananjaya to the skies thrice to milk 16 runs off the off-spinner's first over.

Rohit brought up his half century off just 23 deliveries, sending medium pacer Asela Gunaratne over deep mid-wicket for a maximum before swiftly moving on to 97 when he took his Sri Lankan counterpart Thisara Perera to the cleaners four times, thrice consecutively as the over yielded 26 runs.

The Mumbaikar brought up his century in the next over, lacing a length ball through the covers for a boundary off Angelo Mathews before belting two sixes and a four off Dushmantha Chameera, who finally managed to bring the curtains down on Rohit's innings with a slower one.

The fall of Rohit, brought in former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (28 off 20; 4x2, 6x2), who added 78 runs for the second wicket with Rahul. Rahul made the most of the dropped chance early in his innings, as he brought up his second successive half century with a boundary off Pradeep before launching an all-out attack on the opposition after the loss of Rohit.

With India within striking distance of reaching the highest T20I total of 263, Pradeep struck with the wicket of Rahul before getting rid of the dangerous Hardik Pandya (10 off 3; 4x1; 6x1), two balls later in the penultimate over of the innings.

Shreyas Iyer (0) was the next man to be dismissed on the second ball of the final over before Perera got rid of Dhoni, one ball later. Dinesh Karthik (5 off 2; 4x1) struck a boundary off the second last ball even as Manish Pandey managed to open his account as India raced to the second highest T20 total.