Virat Kohli did what he does and so did Yuvraj Singh, finding his form of old, to help India to a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka and a place in the final of the 2016 Asia Cup T20.
Choosing to field first again, a decent bowling effort from India saw them restrict Sri Lanka to 139/9 in the 20 overs, before Kohli (56 n.o., 47b, 6x4) anchored the chase perfectly with Yuvraj (35, 18b, 3x4, 3x6) coming in and playing a few trademark shots to add the gloss to the victory, which was achieved with five wickets and four balls to spare.
India's innings did not begin well, as both their openers – Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, both passed fit – fell within the first 20 balls, both to Nuwan Kulaekara, both nicking off behind the wicket.
However, when you have a batsman of Kohli's quality and form, there really is not much need to worry is there. The right-hander, coming off a fantastic knock against Pakistan, looked on course right from the off, steering the India chase ship with consummate ease.
Suresh Raina (25, 26b, 2x4), in need of a good innings, stuck around for a little while, as the two experienced batsmen put on 54 runs together, and once Raina fell after mistiming a big-hit attempt off Dasun Shanaka, Yuvraj Singh came in and played a lot more like the Yuvraj Singh we know and love.
In his first six balls, Yuvraj scored 18 runs, which included a crisp four to wide third man and a couple of sixes to the onside.
India needed 69 runs from 53 balls when Raina got out, but Yuvraj's blitz meant the equation came down to just 27 from 25 balls and it was easy enough from there, notwithstanding the wobble that came with the quickfire wickets of Yuvraj and Hardik Pandya.
Sri Lanka's innings was a bit like a patchwork quilt, some runs here, a bit there, a few holes in there still to fill, before a bit of runs come in to just paper over the cracks.
Dinesh Chandimal was always going to be the man Sri Lanka would need to score big, if they were going to post a biggish score, but the in-form right-hander fell in just the third over of the innings, edging one through to wicketkeeper Dhoni while attempting a big shot off Ashish Nehra.
Shehan Jayasuriya fell soon after, edging one behind off a nice ball from Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-27-2), and with it piling the pressure on Tillakaratne Dilshan to make a big one.
Dilshan (18, 16b, 2x4), desperate to find some form, hit a couple off the middle and looked like he could be on his way to a nice score, but a short ball from Hardik Pandya (4-0-26-2), his first, led to the batsman's demise, as a top edge carried through to R Ashwin at fine-leg.
Angelo Mathews (18, 19b, 3x4), another batsman who has looked out of touch, and Chamara Kapugedera (30, 32b, 3x4) tried to put on a partnership and bring the innings back on course, and there were a couple of nice shots in there from the captain as well, but Pandya struck again, finding the inside-edge to force a play-on.
Milinda Siriwardana (22, 17b, 1x4, 1x6) came in and whacked a couple, but it was Thisara Perera who really gave the innings the impetus, hitting a much-required six-ball 17 (2x4, 1x6), before the square-leg umpire, rather strangely, gave him out stumped without checking with the third umpire, when it was, really, too close to call.
Sri Lanka got to 138 courtesy a couple of boundaries from Nuwan Kulasekara in the final over, but it was never going to be enough against this India side, on a wicket that had a bit of that grass shaved off.
Get the India vs Sri Lanka match highlights of the Asia Cup HERE
