Twitter Reactions: Asalanka, Nissanka, bowlers help Sri Lanka knock defending champions West Indies out of T20 World Cup
Shimron Hetmyer scored an unbeaten 54-ball 81, but his knock went in vain
Defending champions West Indies have been knocked out of the T20 World Cup 2021. On Thursday, November 4, Sri Lanka beat them by 20 runs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The Lankans were knocked out previously, but they managed to bow out on a high. As far as Kieron Pollard and Co. are concerned, they will be playing for pride in their final Super 12 match against Australia.
Sri Lanka rack up massive score
The Lankans, after being put in to bat, didn’t give their opponent much breathing space as they racked up 189 for three. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera laid the platform with a 42-run stand off 32 balls. Andre Russell gave West Indies some breather after he got rid of Perera, who made 29 with two fours and a six. Lanka got off to a pretty good start as they made 48 runs in their first six overs.
Thereafter, Nissanka and Charith Asalanka’s 91-run partnership piled on more agony for Pollard’s men. Asalanka, Lanka’s leading run-scorer in the tournament, carried on with his impressive form, scoring 68 off 41 with eight fours and a six. Nissanka also chipped in with a handy 41-ball 51. Skipper Dasun Shanaka gave the innings a finishing kick after he stayed unbeaten on 25 runs off 14 balls.
West Indies huff and puff
West Indies made a terrible start to their run-chase as Binura Fernando got rid of both their openers- Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis- in quick succession. Roston Chase got some runs against Bangladesh, but failed to go beyond double digits this time around. He fell prey to pacer Chamika Karunaratne. At the half-way mark, the Caribbean team was struggling at 72 for three with the required rate up to 11.80.
Nicholas Pooran looked dangerous as he scored 46 with six fours and a six. But Dushmantha Chameera nipped him out to give Lanka a breather. Thereafter, Karunaratne struck a body blow, getting of Andre Russell cheaply. Shimron Hetmyer tried his heart out, scoring 81 runs off 54 balls with eight fours and four sixes. But his valiant efforts couldn’t save West Indies from elimination.
Here’s how the netizens reacted to Sri Lanka’s win
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