Mohammed Siraj boasted of his batting skills to help India register a thrilling win over Sri Lanka Cricket XI in a three-day warm-up game at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo.
The tightly fought match went down to the wire, and the Indian player held his nerve to take the visitors home. India needed 16 runs to win in the final over when Siraj smashed a hat-trick of sixes to seal the game. Sri Lankan spinner Keshara Nuwantha was bowling the final six balls, and Siraj took just the first three to help India win the game.
Siraj slammed the first six over cow corner before going down the ground for another maximum. He connected with the third one on the trot as the ball sailed over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill struck useful runs at the top of the order before Siraj’s late blitz helped India beat Sri Lanka Cricket XI by six wickets in their three-day warm-up game in Colombo on Sunday.
Chasing 207 for victory, India completed the target in 45 overs, finishing on 214 for four with Siraj smashing 32 off just 15 balls, including three successive sixes, to bring the game to an emphatic end.
Jaiswal, who had fallen for a duck in India’s first innings, responded in style with a quickfire 61 off 46 balls. He and Gill put on exactly 105 for the opening wicket to give India a flying start to their chase.
Jaiswal retired after reaching his half-century to allow his teammates valuable time in the middle.
Gill, returning to action after missing the first two days of the fixture with a finger injury, made a useful 44 before being dismissed by spinner Keshara Nuwantha. His return to the middle was a significant positive for India ahead of the opening Test against Sri Lanka.
Dhruv Jurel chipped in with 17, while Rishabh Pant made a patient 28 before India were briefly reduced to 155 for three.
But the target was never in serious danger, with the lower order completing the chase in the final session. Siraj then provided the fireworks, hitting three consecutive sixes to finish the game in style.
Earlier, Sri Lanka Cricket XI declared their second innings at 200 for six in 45 overs, leaving India a target of 207.
Opener Nishan Madushka, who had also scored a half-century in the first innings, top-scored with 63 off 73 balls, while Nipun Dhananjaya made 46 and Anjala Bandara contributed 35.
Ravindra Jadeja and Gurnoor Brar claimed two wickets each for India, while Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took one apiece.
India had earlier declared their first innings at 357 for six after Sri Lanka XI posted 363 for eight declared.
Devdutt Padikkal was the star of India’s first-innings effort with an unbeaten 142, while Jadeja scored 63 and Manav Suthar contributed 41. Gurnoor Brar remained unbeaten on 36 as India finished just six runs behind the hosts.
The warm-up game provided India with useful match practice ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, with the first match scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15.
For India, the return of captain Gill to competitive action, Jaiswal’s brisk second-innings fifty and Padikkal’s century were among the major positives from the three-day fixture.