Indian left-armer, Irfan Pathan, was pleased with his pace-setting three-wicket burst in the only T20I against Sri Lanka which helped his side complete an easy 39-run victory at Pallekele.
It was an impressive outing from the Men in Blue, who rounded off their tour with another empathic win over the hosts, with Virat Kohli and Pathan maintaining their imperious touch.
Kohli scored another eye-catching knock of 68, hitting the ball to all parts with considerable ease. His innings first helped the side recover from the early loss of Gautam Gambhir, before aiding further in posting a competitive total of 155.
Skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, nonetheless, still felt that they were 15 runs short, before going on add that early swing was an important factor in keeping the Lankans at bay. That movement was found by Pathan, who pinned the hosts back by claiming the top three scalps.
It started as early as the first over, where the left-armer got the ball to move in late that beat Tillakaratne Dilshan’s defences and went on to hit middle and leg stump. Upul Tharanga was the next to depart after chasing a wide swinging delivery, before Pathan got the all-important wicket of Mahela Jayawardene, who provided the team with an aggressive start with a quick fire 26.
However, the skipper stayed back to another in coming ball and was caught lbw, leaving his side in plenty of trouble at 3 for 35. Pathan, who had picked up regular wickets during the course of the tour, was pleased to keep his new-found form intact.
“Wickets at the top of the order help. Mahela was going great guns. The ball was swinging and we knew that if we got wickets, it would be difficult for the SL batsmen. Our bowling coach has been keeping a good eye on us. God has been kind to me. I want to continue my good form," he said, after taking the Man of the Match honours.
The remaining damage was then done by Ashok Dinda, who claimed 4 scalps to cut off the Lankans at 116. Virat Kohli was named the Man of the Series.
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