Iyer leads India to series win over SL

India’s Shreyas Iyer plays a shot during the second T20I against Sri Lanka at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala yesterday. (AFP)

Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 74 as India hammered Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international to clinch the series yesterday. Chasing 184 for victory, Iyer led the batting charge, putting on an unbeaten 58-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja, who hit 45 off 18 balls, to take the team home with 17 balls to spare in the Himalayan hill town of Dharamsala. India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with their 11th successive T20 victory and a seventh straight series win at home. India lost skipper Rohit Sharma for one off Dushmantha Chameera in the first over of their chase. Ishan Kishan survived a nasty blow on the helmet by a short ball from Lahiru Kumara but the bowler soon got the left-handed opener out for 16. Iyer kept up the attack on the bowlers and soon got company from Sanju Samson, who emerged from a slow start to hit 39 off 25 balls, and the duo put on 84 runs off 47 deliveries. Iyer hit Chamika Karunaratne for a six to reach his second successive half-century and finished with six fours and four sixes in his 44-ball knock. Samson smashed Kumara for a four and three sixes but fell on the final delivery of the over as Binura Fernando pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at short third-man. But the hosts had seized the momentum and the left-handed Jadeja joined the onslaught to complete the chase with ease. Earlier Sri Lanka were in trouble at 102-4 after being put into bat before Pathum Nissanka, who made 75, and captain Dasun Shanaka, who hit an unbeaten 47 off 19 balls, helped the team reach 183-5. The pair put on 58 in 26 deliveries as Sri Lanka smashed 72 runs from the final four overs and Shanaka finished off the innings with his fifth six. The Sri Lankan openers started cautiously as they scored just 15 runs from the first four overs before Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka, who made 38, took on the bowlers. “I think it was pleasing to see for us. The middle order coming out and performing is good to see those guys taking the responsibility and finishing off games. To finish the way they did was really good. Jaddu came and looked positive from ball one and Shreyas as well,” says Rohit. Sri Lanka lost four wickets, but Nissanka stood firm to raise his fifty in 43 balls and found company in Shanaka to take on the Indian bowlers. The final match is today at the same venue. BRIEF SCORES Sri Lanka 183 for 5 (Nissanka 75, Shanaka 47*, Bumrah 1-24)  lost to India 186 for 3 (Shreyas 74*, Jadeja 45*, Kumara 2-31) by seven wickets.