Kolkata: Sri Lanka needed 30 runs from 30 balls with nine wickets in hand but three double-wicket overs from Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav pulled off a sensational tied finish before the hosts crumbled again in the Super Over to hand India—who were resting their major players—a clean sweep of the T20I series at Pallekele on Tuesday.

Aided by decent contributions from Riyan Parag (26 from 18 balls) and Washington Sundar (25 from 18), Shubman Gill (39 from 37) tried to steer India to a par total but Sri Lanka kept hitting back on a pitch where spinners Maheesh Theekshana (3/28) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2/29) were getting considerable purchase. A steady start, courtesy Kusal Mendis (43) and Kusal Perera (46) almost ensured a handsome finish but a familiar collapse of the hosts saw India India bounce back and make a match out of a no-contest before Sri Lanka were dismissed for just two in the Super Over. A sweep from new India captain Yadav finally put an end to Sri Lanka’s misery as Gautam Gambhir’s reign as head coach couldn’t have got off to a more dramatic start.

As opposed to Sri Lanka who got 58 and 52 runs from the first two stands respectively, India just didn’t get enough partnerships when they were put to bat after a rain-induced delay. Theekshana was the first to strike when in the second over, he lured Yashasvi Jaiswal into going for a sweep to an angling in ball that pitched, straightened and struck him plumb in front of the stumps. Sanju Samson’s dry spell looks unabated as he was dismissed for a second consecutive duck in as many matches. Equally wretched was Rinku’s luck as he tried to clear covers but ended up spearing the ball straight to Matheesha Pathirana who closed in on the catch from mid-on. Yadav failing to clear fine-leg with a slog sweep in the sixth over plunged India in further trouble with the scoreboard reading 30/4.

Clearly troubled by the pitch, Shivam Dube didn’t last too long either as India were five down for 48 and heading for an embarrassing score. It was here that Gill and Parag came together and attempted to rebuild in a sixth-wicket partnership of 54. But Gill fell to the temptation of attacking Hasaranga, getting stumped in the process, in the 16th over. With Parag departing three balls later, Sundar had no option but to go for his shots. He connected a few balls, including a massive six, but couldn’t last the final over.

By the time Sri Lanka came out to bat, the pitch had eased out considerably. Pathum Nissanka set the ball rolling with a few boundaries before Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera stitched a match-winning stand of xx runs. But worrying was how none of the Indian spinners—they tried three—were able to put the ball in the right places. Parag was the most economical, conceding 27 from his quota of four overs but he couldn’t provide India with a breakthrough. Ravi Bishnoi conceded 33 runs in three overs before pinning Mendis leg-before in the 16th over but by then the game seemed almost over.

Sri Lanka however paid the penalty for playing too many cute shots as Sundar injected some interest in the game by sending back Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka in the 17th over. Khaleel Ahmed conceded five wides in the next over to almost single-handedly hand back the advantage but Rinku and Yadav—who bowled the last over with the hosts needing six from six balls—then pulled off the mother of all heists as a nervous Sri Lanka barely held on for a tie.

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