Watch: Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis takes brilliant catch to dismiss Hardik Pandya

India stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya had a task to take his team out of their ‘self-dugged’ hole. Chasing a stiff target, the Men In Blue lost three wickets for 21 runs. He needed to play big innings and take the team out of trouble. He looked like doing it as the Sri Lanka skipper introduced Chamika Karunaratne, replacing Dilshan Madushanka. On the first ball of the fifth over, Pandya hit a six.

At this point, it looked like the batters, Pandya and Surakumar Yadav would break the shackles in the midst of the ball swinging. However, after facing two magnificent deliveries, the right-hander tried to drive the ball on the up. The shot didn’t prove productive for the Indian all-rounder as the White Kookaburra took the outside edge of the bat.

Kusal Mendis, who kept the wickets, dove to his right to take a magnificent catch. With this, the home side lost their fourth wicket.

Watch the video here

Corrected visual: what a catch by Kushal Mendis! #INDvSL #cricket #T20 pic.twitter.com/4phYwKC3sx

— RadhakrishnanRK (@RKRadhakrishn) January 5, 2023

Talking about the game, the Lankan Lions have managed to level the three-match T20I series 1-1. After being asked to bat first, they had a great start as Mendis’ 52 helped the team reach 80 runs in eight overs. However, the Hardik Pandya-led side made a brilliant comeback as they took six wickets for the next 58 runs.

When it looked like India would restrict the opposition to a lower total, Dasun Shanaka scored the fastest fifty for his side as he hit a 20-ball fifty. His innings helped the team reach a daunting 206/6. In reply, for the second time in the series, the Indian batting order faltered as they lost 57/5. However, taking inspiration from their opposition in the first game, the home team made a brilliant comeback as Axar Patel and Suryakmar Yadav scored a half-century each.

Apart from them, Shivam Mavi, who was playing only his second game for India played a cameo. However, this wasn’t enough as they lost by 16 runs.