Internet Desk : India leveled the three match T20 series 1-1 , with a convincing 69-run victory against Sri Lanka at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday . An accurate spell of bowling from Ravichandran Ashwin (3/14) restricted Sri Lanka to 127/9 . The third and final match of the series will be played in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Put in to bat , India scored 196/6 . Openers Rohit (43) and Shikhar Dhawan (51) gave India the perfect start as they raced to 55/0 after just 5 overs . Late burst by Suresh Raina (30) and Hardik Pandya (27) guided India to a huge total of 196/6 a .A superb hat-trick from Thisara Perera (3/33) in the penultimate over restricted India from scoring 200 runs . Perera became the fourth bowler in the history of T20Is to take a hat-trick after Brett Lee, Jacob Oram and Tim Southee.
Chasing 197, Sri Lanka made the worst possible start losing three wickets for just 16 runs . The islanders did not recover after the start they got as their innings ended at 127/9 in 20 overs.
Ashwin gave India perfect start as he picked up the wicket of veteran Tillakratne Dilshan in the first over . The off-spinner lured Dilshan out off his crease only to be stumped by Dhoni . Ashish Nehra too joined the party after he dismissed Seekkuge Prasanna on his first ball of the over before scalping other opener Danushka Gunathilaka in his next over as Sri Lanka were struggling at 21/3 after four overs in their chase of 197.
Chamara Kapugedera (32) and captain Dinesh Chandimal (31) stitched a quick 52-run stand for the fourth wicket before Jadeja got rid of them in successive balls to dash all their hopes of a Sri Lankan comeback.