India clinch T20I series against SL riding on Jaiswal, Surya’s pyrotechnics

Pallekele: Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Suryakumar Yadav displayed their wide array of strokes as India took an unassailable 2-0 lead, winning the rain-curtailed second T20I by seven wickets with nine balls to spare here on Sunday.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir and new captain Suryakumar couldn’t have asked for a better start to their new roles as the Indian team played like true T20 World Champions outplaying Sri Lanka in all departments.

Despite Shubman Gill’s absence due to neck spasm and another failure in the format for the ever-hyped Sanju

Samson (0), Jaiswal (30 off 15 balls) and Suryakumar (26 off 12 balls) didn’t even break a sweat in their short but tricky chase of 78 in 8 overs after another fine effort by bowlers had restricted Sri Lanka to 161 for 9.

Just when Maheesh Theekshana looked dangerous getting

Samson with a carrom ball and squaring up Surya with a doosra, the Mumbai duo decided to bring the sweep shot -- both conventional and reverse -- out of the closet.

The strategy was to not allow Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga’s deliveries to deviate off the surface and create confusion.

Instead, the India batters used their reach to

good effect and smother the turn.