Tensions flare as Sri Lanka A deny India A in Super Over thriller

In a dramatic encounter at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Sri Lanka A defeated India A in a thrilling Super Over finish in the tri-series. The contest was defined by heavy lower-order recoveries, late drama, a rare double-penalty incident, and post-match tensions between the two sides after the game finished in a tie in regulation time.

After Sri Lanka A won the toss and elected to bowl first, India A's powerhouse top-order suffered a mini collapse with openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh back in the hut by the seventh over. A 52-run stand ensued between skipper Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad, before India lost their next five wickets at regular intervals for an addition of mere 52 runs. Vijayakanth Viyaskanth caused serious damage in the middle overs, picking up three for 26. That included the wickets of Gaikwad, Nishant Sindhu and Anukul Roy in quick succession.

India A found themselves reeling at 125 for 6 and shortly after, an alarming 143 for 7. That's when a rescue act was brilliantly orchestrated by the lower-order all-rounders, Suryansh Shedge and Vipraj Nigam. Batting at No. 7, Shedge played a remarkably mature and aggressive innings, top-scoring with 72 runs off 66 balls, which included three boundaries and two massive sixes. He found an ideal ally in Nigam, who compiled a crucial 51 runs from 49 balls before his run-out. The duo staged a counter-attack that quickly shifted the momentum back in India's favor through a defiant 104-run partnership.

The fine partnership ended in a dramatic mix-up when Shedge called for a quick single; Nigam selflessly stepped out of his crease to sacrifice his own wicket to keep the in-form Shedge on the park. Shedge was eventually the last man out, caught excellently by Ahan Wickramasinghe off Mohamed Shiraz's bowling, bundling India A out for 265 in 49.2 overs. India A's batting performance included repeated breaches of regulations by running on the protected middle area of the pitch resulting in two separate five-run penalties after an initial warning. Consequently, Sri Lanka A were awarded 10 runs before facing a single ball, allowing them to remarkably start their run chase at 10 for 0.

Sri Lanka A's pursuit of 266 started strongly before they lost their openers in quick succession as well after a half-century stand. Middle-order batter Sadeera Samarawickrama then stepped up, anchoring the chase elegantly with a 93-run knock. He stitched meaningful partnerships after a brief collapse of 3 for 34 wherein the hosts lost a well-set Niroshan Dickwella. Samarawickrama found able company in Wanuja Sahan (25) and Viyaskanth (18) to drag the equation down to a comfortable 12 required at run-a-ball.

However, India A's bowlers mounted a spectacular death-overs comeback to tie the scores with a run-out on the last ball, triggering immense confusion and animated discussions on the field. Captain Tilak was involved in a heated discussion with the umpires, seemingly suggesting that Chamika Gunasekara hadn't offered a shot before the ball rolled off his boot for a leg bye off the last ball.

After settling down for a Super Over amid fading light, Sri Lanka A batted first and smashed 18 runs, courtesy of a dramatic over that included a controversial six off a no-ball that India A contested again, with a furious Tilak in the umpires' faces again.

Chasing 19 to win, India A sent out Shedge and Sooryavanshi but decided to keep the latter off strike. Kugathas Mathulan bowled a masterful under-pressure over for the hosts, nailing his lines and lengths mostly to keep India's batters at bay. Despite Sooryavanshi hitting a boundary off the penultimate delivery, India A fell well short by 7 runs as Sri Lanka A marched to a breathtaking victory. It was immediately followed by heated on-field tensions and physical contact between the batters and the Sri Lankan fielders, capping off a dramatic contest at the end of which Sri Lanka A consolidated top spot with their second win of the tri-series.

Brief Scores:India A 265 all out in 49.2 overs (Suryansh Shedge 72, Vipraj Nigam 51; Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 3-26, Mohamed Shiraz 3-33) tied with Sri Lanka A 265/9 in 50 overs (Sadeera Samarawickrama 93, Niroshan Dickwella 37; Ayush Badoni 2-45). Sri Lanka A won the Super Over.