Dharamsala, Feb 27 (FN Agency) India whitewashed Sri Lanka in the T20I series, with Shreyas Iyer playing a match-winning unbeaten knock of 73 to hand the visitors a 6-wicket defeat in the third and final game here on Sunday. Chasing the 147-run target, India suffered an early hiccup with Dushmantha Chameera getting Rohit Sharma (5) for the sixth time in the shortest format of the game. Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda chipped in with 18 and 21 runs, respectively. Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja (22 not out off 15 balls) replicated their innings from the second match, with both taking the Sri Lankan bowlers to the cleaners.
The duo took India home comfortably with 19 balls remaining. Earlier, Dasun Shanaka (74 not out off 38 balls) dragged his Sri Lankan team to post 146/5. In spite of losing the series, Shanaka wanted to pocket “at least one game for pride” while heading into the third match. However, things took an early U-turn after Sri Lanka opted to bat first. India pacers Mohammed Siraj and Avesh Khan, playing their first game in the series, struck early, dismissing Sri Lankan top-order cheaply. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and pacer Harshal Patel also joined the party and rattled the middle-order, reducing Sri Lanka to 60/5.
In the last five overs, Shanaka along with Chamika Karunaratne, on the other end, added 68 runs to give the Sri Lankan attack something to bowl at when they walk out to defend a moderate total. Shanaka smashed nine boundaries and two maximums, while Karunaratne (12 not out) ensured to hold the other end.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 146/5 in 20 overs (Dasun Shanaka 74 not out; Avesh Khan 2/23, Mohammed Siraj 1/22) lost to India 148/4 in 16.5 overs (Shreyas Iyer 73 not out, Ravindra Jadeja 22 not out; Lahiru Kumara 2/39) by 6 wickets.