India Legends clinch the inaugural Road Safety World Series title
It was time for the final match of the Road Safety World Series. A match between the Indian Legends and the Sri Lanka Legends reminded everyone of the 2011 ICC World Cup final. It would be interesting to see if the Lankan side could avenge their defeat in the game 10 years back.
Tillakaratne Dilshan won the toss and decided that his side would bowl first. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag walked out to open the batting for the Indian side. The Sri Lankan bowlers were at their very best and did not let the Indian openers get off to a good start.
Sehwag could be seen losing his patience and was eventually dismissed by Rangana Herath after scoring 10 runs off 12 balls. The Master Blaster played some fine shots but was unable to convert his start into a big one. He scored 30 runs off 23 balls in a knock which included five boundaries.
#INDLvsSLL#Champions of @RSWorldSeries – India Legends team 2021
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— India Legends (@IndiaLegends1) March 21, 2021
Yusuf Pathan’s all-round performance helps India win the tournament
While India were struggling with a very slow start, Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan turned the tables around. After taking some balls to get set they completely demolished the bowling attack. Yuvraj scored a fine 60 off 41 balls while Pathan smashed 62 runs in just 36 balls. Some of their shots reminded the world of how the two batsmen played at their peak.
Some good hitting in the death overs meant that India reached a score of 181 at the end of their 20 overs. Chasing 182, Sri Lanka got off to a terrific start. They had scored 58 runs in the first six overs without losing any wicket. However, post the powerplay the Indian bowlers came back strongly. Sachin handed over the ball to the Pathan brothers and they did not disappoint.
They picked up a couple of wickets each to dent the Lankan batting line-up. Sanath Jayasuriya tried his best but was dismissed after scoring 43 runs off 35 balls. At 91-4 in 13 overs, it seemed like it was India’s game. However, Chinthaka Jayasinghe and Kaushalya Weeraratne had other plans. They were at their aggressive best and made the game way closer than it actually was.
Weeraratne was the star batsman as he scored a 15-ball 38 which included three boundaries and three sixes. India eventually won the match by 14 runs and secured the Road Safety World Series title. Sri Lanka gave a really tough fight and it was a final worth watching. The tournament was filled with excitement and definitely gave the fans a lot to celebrate.
