India A ride on Sooryavanshi’s 94-run blitz to beat Sri Lanka A, win tri-series
Dambulla: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showcased his talent and big-match temperament with a 29-ball 94, laying the foundation for India A’s lopsided 66-run over Sri Lanka A in the tri-series final.
Sooryavanshi’s romp, which also contained an 11-ball 50, the fastest in List A cricket, guided India A to a massive 377 for nine.
Sri Lanka A mustered 311 all out in reply as pacer Yash Thakur (3/45) and spinner Vipraj Nigam (3/60) inflicted timely blows.
If the hosts had to get closer to that improbable target, they needed a good start and consistent partnerships. They did not have either of them. Their top three – Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando and Nuwanidu Fernando – returned to the hut with just 75 on board inside the first 10 overs.
Two of the most productive partnerships in their innings was a 53 between Sadeera Samarawickrama (52) and skipper Sahan Arachchige (38) for the fourth wicket, and then a 77 between Wanuj Sahan (62) and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (39) for the seventh wicket.
Those numbers were vastly insufficient in a chase that demanded a scoring rate in excess of eight constantly, and were good enough only to delay the inevitable and help SL to cross the 300-run mark.
Earlier, Sooryavanshi’s blitz too had an air of inevitability to it, as he shrugged off a lean run in this tournament with typical gusto.
Asked to bat, India A looked set for a score in excess of 400 riding on Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary blitz before SL clawed their way back.
Skipper Tilak Varma steadied the innings with a composed 67 off 90 balls, while Anukul Roy (39 off 15 ) and Vipraj Nigam (27 off 20) produced a late burst to lift India beyond 350.
The day, however, belonged to Sooryavanshi.
The 15-year-old from Bihar’s Samastipur needed just 11 deliveries to reach his half-century, eclipsing the 21-year-old record held by Lankan Kaushalya Weeraratne, who had taken 12 balls to get to the milestone in 2005.
Having endured a quiet time so far the series, Sooryavanshi walked out with clear intent and unleashed absolute carnage.
His first 11 deliveries yielded 50 runs, reading 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 0, 6, 4, 4, 6, 6, as he dismantled the Sri Lankan attack from the outset.
He reached the landmark with five sixes and as many boundaries, bringing up the record with successive sixes straight down the ground off pacer Dulaj Samuditha.
The left-hander combined brute force with exceptional timing. He initially targeted the leg side against the seamers before effortlessly opening up the off side once Sri Lanka A stationed an additional fielder on the on side.
Sooryavanshi’s ability to dispatch even good deliveries over the ropes once again stood out.
The highlight of the innings was his lofted shots over extra cover.
Three effortless sixes in that region showcased the bat speed, balance and fearlessness that have made him one of India’s most exciting young talents.
Alongside Priyansh Arya (39), Sooryavanshi added 132 runs for the opening wicket and looked well on course to register the fastest century in List A cricket.
However, spinner Arachchige ended the fireworks by having him caught at mid-off in the ninth over. Arya followed an over later as Sri Lanka clawed their way back into the contest.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (40) and Tilak then added 63 runs for the third wicket, but the flow of boundaries dried up considerably.
As India attempted to accelerate in the closing stages, wickets fell at regular intervals, but Nigam and Anukul provided the final flourish.
