IND vs SL, Asia Cup 2025: India survives Super Over drama to keep perfect run intact

It needed a run-fest and the drama of a Super Over in a dead rubber to light up the Asia Cup, which so far had been dominated by off-the-field theatrics.

The ongoing tournament has often appeared as a comedy of errors, with the winner being decided by virtue of being the ‘least bad team’ on the day.

With three runs needed to win off the last delivery in regulation time, Axar Patel fumbled at long-on, and Dasun Shanaka couldn’t recover in time after putting in a sprawling dive at the striker’s end to complete the second run, even though the misfield would have allowed a third and sealed Sri Lanka’s win.

After both sides committed gaffes, the scores were fittingly level. An inconsequential game went into the one-over shootout, stretching well past midnight in India.

While the buildup was intricate, the denouement was swift as India captain Suryakumar Yadav took his team home with a punch off the back foot through covers, wrapping up the three-run target off the first ball of the Super Over.

Earlier, an uncharacteristically animated Suryakumar had assembled his men at the halfway stage of Sri Lanka’s innings, with bowling coach Morne Morkel joining the emergency meeting.

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera had raced to 114 for one in 10 overs, in pursuit of a 202-run total, the highest of the tournament. Ahead of an all-important Asia Cup final against Pakistan, India couldn’t afford to lose its winning momentum.

However, the mid-innings break did little to break Sri Lanka’s rhythm, as Harshit Rana continued to be walloped all around the park. The first ball of the 11th was slashed through point by Perera, and three deliveries later, Nissanka dumped Rana’s slower deliveries for a six and a four, first a hoick over deep midwicket and then a surgically precise cut that bisected point and backward point.

Nissanka reached a 52-ball century with a six over Arshdeep Singh, but another batting stutter ensued at the other end as Sri Lanka lost three wickets for 29 runs.

Sri Lanka needed 23 runs to win off 12 balls, and despite a horror show with the ball, Arshdeep and Harshit were good enough at the death to just about pull it off.

An inconsequential game was an opportune occasion for India to flex its batting muscle, and it grabbed the opportunity to post a mammoth 202 for five.

Even though runs continued to elude Suryakumar, there were positives for India, which, for a change, didn’t tinker with its order.

Despite struggling for a major part of the innings, Arshdeep Singh nailed his yorkers when it mattered the most.
| Photo Credit:
AP

Though Shubman Gill departed early, Abhishek Sharma continued his scorching form with a third consecutive fifty. He created his own lengths and widths by moving across his crease, stepping out to convert a length ball into a full toss and smash it over mid-off for a six off Dushmantha Chameera. When Chameera tried cramping him down leg-side, Abhishek lined up the short delivery and hooked it over the keeper, before making room on the off-side and finding the boundary again with a slash over point, all in the same over.

The left-hander brought up his fifty off 22 balls with a well-controlled pull for four to the square-leg fence. Only an unforced error could have stopped Abhishek, and it transpired when he pulled a shortish delivery from off-spinner Charith Asalanka straight to deep midwicket.

Suryakumar essayed a sumptuous drive through cover off Maheesh Theekshana, but missed a sweep in front of the stumps to depart for a scratchy 13-ball 12.

Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson ensured another middle-overs slowdown didn’t follow with a 66-run partnership off 42 balls. Tilak showed signs of overcoming his recent demons against spin by collecting 30 runs in 19 balls off the tweakers. Samson didn’t let the tempo drop from the other end, scoring a nearly identical 32 runs off 19 balls against spin.

He also sent the crowd into delirium when he hammered Wanindu Hasaranga’s floaty deliveries down the ground for two sixes and cracked a pull through midwicket to the boundary.

Axar, too, chipped in with a brisk 15-ball 21 cameo on a day when every run mattered, even though the result didn’t matter in the larger scheme of things. Such was the irony.

Published on Sep 27, 2025