West Indies' hopes of securing another T20 International series victory went up in smokes, as they suffered a nine-wicket loss to Sri Lanka cruised in the decisive contest of the three-match series in Dambulla on Thursday.

It was another clinical performance from the hosts, who secured a 2-1 series triumph –their fifth home series win and third consecutive series victory of the year. They won the second contest by 73 runs on Tuesday, after West Indies won the series opener by five wickets.

After choosing to bat first, West Indies battled their way to a respectable total of 162-8, but their effort proved insufficient against a well-organized Sri Lankan side, which had everything going their way on the day.

Despite a competitive total, the Caribbean team’s bowling attack faltered under pressure, and some misfortune in the field compounded their struggles, as Sri Lanka raced to 166-1 with two overs to spare.

Scores: West Indies 162-8 (20 overs); Sri Lanka 166-1 (18 overs)

West Indies innings got off to a horrible start as they lost Evin Lewis to a one-ball duck in the first over bowled by Maheesh Theekshana. Brandon King (23) and Shai Hope (18) tried to repair the damage with a 37-run second wicket stand.

But just when they found rhythm, King got over ambitious and also had his stumps rattled by Theekshana. That resulted in a mini collapse, as Roston Chase (8), Hope, and Sherfane Rutherford (six), followed in quick succession, with the score at 62-5 at the top of the 12th over.

However, captain Rovman Powell, who topscored with 37, and Gudakesh Motie (32) went on the counter with a 54-run sixth wicket partnership that gradually rattled the Sri Lankans. Both players struck three maximums and a solitary four.

Again, just as they found a decent tempo, the partnership was broken when Motie was stumped off Wanindu Hasaranga.

Powell fought on before he holed out to Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the deep off seamer Matheesha Pathirana. Romario Shepherd’s 18-run cameo saw the Caribbean side past the 160 mark.

Theekshana (2-19) and Hasaranga (2-24) got most wickets for Sri Lanka.

West Indies total seemed very much defendable on a turning pitch, especially as they failed to chase down a similar target in the second game. Add to that the fact that they brought in Fabian Allen as a third spinner to try to make the most of the spin-friendly conditions.

However, it was not to be, as Sri Lanka made light work of the target. Kudal Mendis, 68 not out, and Kusal Perera, 55 not out, got the job done, after Pathum Nissanka (39) and the former battered West Indies into submission with a 60-run stand in the Powerplay.

Mendis struck three sixes and five fours in his 50-ball knock, while Perera used 36 balls and struck seven boundaries. Nissanki also had seven boundaries and a solitary six.

Motie got the lone wicket.

Powell in a post-game interview felt they had enough runs on the board, but were undone by a superlative run-chase.

“We had enough runs. If at the start of the game, if you said we would get 160 on a turning wicket, we would have taken it. But credit to Sri Lanka. Had we controlled the Powerplay better as a bowling group, we would have made a game of it. Giving away 60-70 in the Powerplay, it is always tough to come back. Sri Lankan spinners completely out-bowled our spinners, and we knew it would be a showdown of the spinners, about who bowled better and who batted better,” Powell said in his assessment.

“Still a lot of positives when you come to Sri Lanka and push them. My guys gave good efforts; our fast bowlers gave good efforts on these tracks. As a batting group, our guys showed we can play against spin. Want to say thanks to the people of Sri Lanka. They have been very nice to us as a touring time,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka, was full of praise for his team’s performance.

“Secret was the top order batters batted really well and they gave their best shot. We played good cricket (even against India) and we just needed a bit of momentum and we did that in the second game. I wasn’t concerned about losing the toss much, but when they scored more than 160, I was a bit (concerned). But I knew if our top order batted well, we could do well, so I am really happy and good to win the series,” Asalanka said.

Suryakumar Yadav scored the winning runs as India confirmed a whitewash over Sri Lanka in the final game of their T20I series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. 

In a game that Sri Lanka started brightly, India ultimately proved too strong as they continued their impressive record over their opponents in this format. 

India's openers endured a difficult start to the encounter, as Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) Sanju Samson (0) and Rinku Singh (1) all fell inside the first four overs. 

Shubman Gill would top score for the Men in Blue with 39 runs from 37 deliveries as Maheesh Theekshana starred with the ball in hand, taking 3-28 as Sri Lanka restricted their opponents to 137-9. 

Kusal Mendis (43) and Kusal Perera (46) would give Sri Lanka an excellent start to their chase, losing just two wickets in the first 16 overs of the contest. 

But with time running out, India's bowlers stepped up the pressure and claimed six wickets from the final four overs. Needing just six runs from the final over, Yadav's bowling display forced a super over. 

Washington Sundar was given the responsibility to deliver, and he claimed two wickets in three balls with Sri Lanka finished the super over having scored just two. 

Yadav would waste no time in sealing the win, smashing a four from the opening ball to secure a 3-0 series win. 

Data Debrief: India continue Sri Lanka dominance

India have now won five of their last six men’s T20Is against Sri Lanka (L1), including the last four on the bounce.  

The Men in Blue have won all of their four men’s T20Is against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka have now lost their last three men's T20Is at Pallekele, the second time they have done so in their history (three loses from September 2016 to September 2019). 

The Nicholas Pooran-captained MI Emirates on the back of a superb bowling spell from Akeal Hosein, registered their third win on the trot, as they slammed Sharjah Warriors by 106 runs in a lopsided International League Twenty20 (ILT20) encounter at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

After being sent to bat, MI Emirates led by top scores of 42 by Andre Fletcher and Kusal Perera respectively, and 37 from Pooran, posted 180-7 from their allotment, before Hosein bowled with skill and accuracy to grab 4-23 in restricting the Warriors to a paltry 74.

Scores: MI Emirates 180-7 (20 overs); Sharjah Warriors 74 all out (12.1 overs)

Hosein first accounted for fellow West Indian Johnson Charles (one), who for the first time since the start of the tournament, failed to get in on the runs. The Trinidad and Tobago left-arm spinner then snared another three wickets -Joe Denly (six), Basil Hameed (zero) and Daniel Sams (zero) -in the eighth over.

In fact, Hosein thought he had a fourth in the over and, by extension, the first hat-trick in ILT20 history when he had Englishman Chris Woakes adjudged leg-before-wicket. However, the decision was later overturned on review, as the ball pitched outside the leg stump.

New Zealander Martin Guptill (17), Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper/batsman Niroshan Dickwella (22) and England's Lewis Gregory (10), offered minimal resistance in the Warriors dismal innings.

Earlier, 'Spiceman' Fletcher and Sri Lankan Perera put together a 92 second-wicket stand that was the foundation of the MI Emirates innings. Fletcher slammed four fours and two sixes in his 31-ball 42, while Perera had three fours and three sixes in his 25-ball 42.

Pooran chipped in with a 37 off 29 balls, which includes a solitary four and two sixes, with Australian Tim David being the next best scorer with a 16-ball 20. 

Pakistani Muhammad Jawadullah was the pick of the Warriors bowling with 3-31 from his over overs.

With the win, MI Emirates remain atop the standing on six points, the Warriors are fifth on two points.

Joe Root reached 6,000 runs in one-day action as he steered England to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the series opener at the Riverside.

England's Test skipper did not feature in the recent Twenty20 series between the nations but returned to international duty with an unbeaten 79, in the process putting Sri Lanka's below-par total of 185 into context.

Moeen Ali weighed in with 28 after coming in at 83-4, the home team having suffered a middle-order wobble after opener Jonny Bairstow (43 off 21 deliveries) had given them a flying start.

The impressive Dushmantha Chameera struck twice but Sri Lanka's slim hopes were hit by two costly drops, all-rounder Ali put down from his first ball by wicketkeeper Kusal Perera before Root was missed in the deep when on 36. England eventually eased over the line with 91 balls to spare.

Captain Perera had top-scored with 73 but the tourists never appeared to have enough on the scoreboard in the first of three ODI games between the teams.

Chris Woakes claimed two early wickets on his way to outstanding figures of 4-18, Sri Lanka – left with a depleted squad after three players were sent home for breaching COVID-19 protocols – quickly slipping to 46-3.

They recovered thanks to a stand worth 99 as the impressive Wanindu Hasaranga contributed 54 in combination with his skipper, only to then lose their last six wickets for just 40 runs.

Sri Lanka's cause was not helped by two run outs to wrap up the innings midway through the 43rd over, David Willey having backed up opening partner Woakes by taking 3-44.

England held together by Root

Root is the second English batsman to register 6,000 runs in ODI cricket, with only Eoin Morgan (6,882) managing more. The right-hander reached the number in his 141st inning in the format, the same number as the legendary Viv Richards needed. Indeed, only Hashim Amla (123), Virat Kohli (136) and Kane Williamson (139) have done it faster.

Woakes keeps Sri Lanka in check

Perera became the 17th Sri Lankan batsman to register 3,000 one-day runs, though only Hasaranga offered any real support. Seam bowler Woakes set the tone from the outset for England as he ended up bowling five maidens in an outstanding 10-over stint.

Ahead of Sri Lanka's three-match series against England, which begins in Durham on Tuesday, visiting captain Kusal Perera might have ruefully acknowledged that if you want a job doing then you might as well do it yourself.

A 3-0 thumping in the T20I leg of the tour meant Sri Lanka's preparations were already far from ideal before Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka breached the squad's bio-secure bubble on Sunday and were send home immediately.

It means Perera is now likely to open the batting in Gunathilaka's absence and take the wicketkeeping gloves with Dickwella unavailable.

Avishka Fernando is out with a quadriceps injury and there could be a debut in the middle order for Charith Asalanka.

The hosts will begin as strong favourites and might even have their eye on a quick victory before the prospect of crowds drifting away to watch the England v Germany last-16 encounter at Euro 2020, which kicks off at 17:00 local time.

England's previous 50-over match against Sri Lanka on home soil ended in a surprise defeat at Headingley during the group stage of their ultimately triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign.

That meant what was in effect a quarter-final at Chester-Le-Street, where a home side flushed with local talent were roared to victory over New Zealand.

Ben Stokes is still working his way back to full fitness following a broken finger and Liam Plunkett has been cast aside at international level, but Durham's own Mark Wood remains a figurehead of England's white-ball attack and in fine form.

The quality of an England seam department boasting Wood's fellow World Cup hero Chris Woakes looks likely to be far too much for Sri Lanka, although Jason Roy (hamstring) being a doubt for an England batting order lacking Jos Buttler (calf) may give them the tiniest morsels of encouragement ahead of what might become an ordeal.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

England – Dawid Malan

Malan finished the T20I series as an opener after Buttler was laid low and the world's number one batsman in the shortest international format is likely to get his chance to impress alongside Jonny Bairstow as Roy recuperates. In three previous ODI innings, he has 90 runs and a top score of 50. If Malan impresses over longer periods in the middle a clamour for him to be restored to England's faltering Test line-up might in turn increase.

Sri Lanka – Dushmantha Chameera

Malan and Bairstow could face a stern examination from pace bowler Chameera, whose 4-17 in the final T20I at the Ageas Bowl followed an ODI career-best of 5-16 against Bangladesh in Dhaka last month. In 28 50-over internationals, the 29-year-old has 30 wickets at 33.36 and his slingy, slippery action could be particularly problematic during this gloomy period of the English summer.

KEY OPTA FACTS

- England have lost five of their past seven ODIs (W2), including a three-wicket defeat in their most recent match at home against Australia last September.
- Sri Lanka have just one win from their previous six ODI matches (L5), however, that win was their most recent game against Bangladesh.
- Joe Root needs 38 runs to reach 6,000 in ODI cricket. He is the second highest run scorer for England in the format after captain Eoin Morgan (6,876).
- Woakes needs one wicket to reach 150 in ODIs. He would be the sixth man to achieve the feat for England and the fourth fastest (105 matches) to do so if he manages it at Chester-Le-Street after Stuart Broad (95), Darren Gough (97) and Adil Rashid (102).
- Perera needs 11 runs to reach 3,000 in ODIs. He would be the joint-third fastest to the milestone out of 17 overall if he does so in his 100th innings after Upul Tharanga (93), Marvan Atapattu (94) and alongside Lahiru Thirimanne (100).