Darren Lehmann quits as head coach

"Saying goodbye to the players was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do."

  

Darren Lehmann will step down as head coach of Australia at the end of the fourth Test against South Africa.

Lehmann had been cleared of any wrongdoing in the ball-tampering scandal, with the coach having had no knowledge of what Steve Smith, Cameron Bancroft, and David Warner were planning.

Reading from a prepared statement, Lehmann said: “I just want to let you know this will be by my last Test as head coach if the Australian cricket team as I’m stepping down.

“After seeing events in the media today with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, the feeling is that Australian cricket needs to move forward and this is the right thing to do.

“I really felt for Steve, as I saw him crying in front of the media, and all the players are really hurting.

“As I stated before I had no prior knowledge of the incident and do not condone what happened. But good people can make mistakes.

“My family and I have copped a lot of abuse over the last week and it’s taken its toll on them.

“As many who sit in this room will know life on the road means a long time away from our loved ones and after speaking to my family at length over the last few days it’s the right time to step away.

“I’m ultimately responsible for the culture of the team and I’ve been thinking about my position for a while.

“Despite telling media yesterday that I’m not resigning, after viewing Steve and Cameron hurting it’s only fair that I make this decision.

“This will allow Cricket Australia to make a full review into the culture of the team and allow them to implement changes to regain the trust of the Australian public.

“This is the right thing for Australian cricket.

“Like all Australians we are extremely disappointed and as a team we know we’ve let so many people down, and for that we are truly sorry.

“The players involved have been handed down very serious sanctions and they know they must face the consequences. They have made a grave mistake but they are not bad people.

“I would like to thank my beautiful wife Andrea, my four children and close friends for allowing me to do this job and supporting me 100 per cent every step of the way.

“I would also like to thank all the players and support staff who have been fantastic in my five years in the role.

“We’ve had a lot of highs along the way and played some really exciting cricket.

“It’s been a wonderful experience coaching the Australian cricket team.

“I hope the team rebuilds from this and the Australian public find it in their hearts to forgive these young men and get behind the XI that are going to take the field tomorrow."

Lehmann took over the team weeks before the 2013 Ashes series. During his reign Australia won two home Ashes series by a combined 9-0 margin, won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, and were briefly ranked No.1 in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings. Following his decision, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has announced he will address the media at 3:45pm local time (1:45pm GMT)

Steve Smith, David Warner Won't Take Part in IPL 2018: BCCI

Indian Premier League (IPL) sides Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have suffered a big blow ahead of the eleventh edition of the cash-rich league as Steve Smith and David Warner have been banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the aftermath of the ball tampering controversy on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Indian Premier League (IPL) sides Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have suffered a big blow ahead of the eleventh edition of the cash-rich league as Steve Smith and David Warner have been banned from taking part in the league by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the aftermath of the ball tampering controversy, on Wednesday.

Both Smith and Warner have been reportedly banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia and the Indian cricket body have now come out to say that the disgraced duo won't feature in the upcoming edition of the league.

"The CoA, in consultation with BCCI Acting President Mr CK Khanna, IPL Chairman Mr Rajeev Shukla and BCCI Acting Hon. Secretary Mr Amitabh Choudhary, has decided to ban Mr Smith and Mr Warner with immediate effect from participation in IPL 2018. The BCCI hopes that the cricketers participating in the IPL hold the highest regard for the Spirit of Cricket and Code of Conduct for Players and Match Officials," the BCCI statement read.


Speaking to CNN News 18, BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary said: "I am not aware of the punishment yet as dissed out by Cricket Australia but if they (Warner and Smith) are banned by their own cricket body then they won't take part in the IPL."

Meanwhile, IPL commissioner Rajiv Shukla also said that the Aussie duo won't be allowed to take part in the league and the SRH and RR will get a chance to replace the banned players."The franchises will get replacements for the players as they (David Warner and Steve Smith) will not be allowed to play this year," Rajiv Shukla told media-persons.

Cricketnext had broken this story first as earlier, a senior BCCI official had said that all speculations mean nothing if the CA bans them for even two months as any player banned by his host body cannot be a part of the IPL.

“To be honest, I don’t understand what all the cry is about. If the CA goes ahead and bans them, there is no way that the IPL franchises can accommodate them, just like Andre Russell had to skip the IPL after he was caught violating doping clauses. If CA says that they have decided to ban the two players, that is where it all ends for them as far as IPL 11 is concerned. The IPL GC actually has no role,” the official had said.

Lehmann offers to quit; Smith, Warner could face 12-month ban

Australia coach Darren Lehmann is all set to step down from his position following the ball-tampering episode during the third Test match against South Africa Cape Town, according to reports in the Australian media.

Lehmann will tender his resignation in the next 24 hours and his decision is the main reason why Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland decided to fly to South Africa.

Sutherland is likely to meet players and coaching staff and then hold a press conference on Tuesday evening when the announcement about Lehmann and actions against Smith, Warner and Bancroft are likely to be announced.

Smith and Warner are also thought to be facing the prospect of a 12-month ban from the game.
Banned over Smit and warner

Lehmann has been under tremendous pressure since the scandal erupted on Saturday and is likely to walk away after series of cricketing greats called for his head.

Justin Langer is likely to be announced as the interim coach for the fourth Test match in Johannesburg if the 48-year-old decides to quit.

The former Aussie all-rounder has already cleared hi intent of stepping down after the 2019 World Cup and next Ashes series in England.

Steve Smith banned by ICC over cricket ball-tampering scandal as he, David Warner relinquish leadership positions

Steve Smith has been suspended by the ICC for one Test and fined his entire match fee over the Australian ball-tampering scandal.

Cameron Bancroft has also been fined 75 per cent of his match fee and issued three demerit points.

The punishment from world cricket's governing body came after both Smith and David Warner were stood down as Australian captain and vice-captain for the remainder of the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town

The shell-shocked tourists capitulated to a 322-run loss, collapsing to be all out for 107. South Africa now leads the four-Test series 2-1 with the final Test beginning in Johannesburg on Friday night Australian time.

The sanctions followed the ball-tampering scandal on day three, where Smith instructed Cameron Bancroft to tamper with the ball during South Africa's second innings.

In a statement, ICC chief executive David Richardson said the charge against Smith fell under rules prohibiting all types of conduct of a serious nature contrary to the spirit of the game.

"The decision made by the leadership group of the Australian team to act in this way is clearly contrary to the spirit of the game, risks causing significant damage to the integrity of the match, the players and the sport itself and is therefore 'serious' in nature," Richardson said.

"The game needs to have a hard look at itself. In recent weeks we have seen incidents of ugly sledging, send-offs, dissent against umpires' decisions, a walk-off, ball tampering and some ordinary off-field behaviour."

Cricket Australia said in a statement that both Smith and Warner had agreed to stand down from leadership duties, with an investigation to be conducted "with the urgency that it demands".

"Cricket Australia and Australian cricket fans expect certain standards of conduct from cricketers representing our country, and on this occasion these standards have not been met," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said in the statement.

"All Australians, like us, want answers and we will keep you updated on our findings, as a matter of priority."

 Smith did not participate in the team warm-up, staying in the sheds before the players came together on the field as the news of their standing down emerged.

How ball-tampering incident unfolded

Australian cricket team captain Steve Smith and senior players planned the ball-tampering plot during a lunch break. This is how it played out.

The incident, which saw Cameron Bancroft rubbing a piece of tape along the ball before dropping the tape down his trousers when footage of the tampering appeared on the big screens, prompted Cricket Australia to send officials to South Africa to investigate the incident.

Bancroft admitted to the offence and was charged by match officials, while Smith initially said he would not be standing down as captain.

In an emotional media conference in Melbourne, Sutherland admitted it was a dark day for the game in Australia, with players and staff letting their supporters down.

"Australian cricket fans want to be proud of their cricket team," he said.

"I think this morning, they have every reason to wake up and not be proud of the team.

"It's a very sad day for Australian cricket.

"One of the unique things about the game of cricket is that it's to be played not only within the laws of the game, but in the spirit of the game.

PHOTO: Cameron Bancroft talks to the umpires on the field after footage of the ball tampering emerged. (AP: Halden Krog)

"And activities on the field yesterday in Cape Town are neither within the laws of the game or within the spirit of the game.

"And for us, at Cricket Australia, that's extremely disappointing, but more importantly, for Australian cricket fans, it's extremely disappointing as well."

Nidahas trophy final- India vs Bangladesh

Nidahas trophy final-India vs Bangladesh summary--

India win the toss and opt to field first-

Bangladesh-166/8(20 overs)

Indai-168/6(20 overs)

India won by 4 wicket

It is  great winning for India...

Summary-

PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Dinesh Karthik

PLAYER OF THE SERIES
Washington Sundar

So how's your heartbeat now? Mine was racing at the speed of a F1 car. Having written all that needs to be written, there's one final thing to do before wrapping up. As Harsha Bhogle so rightly tweeted, tonight's innings should be the second coming of DK. No. 4, 5, 6 or whichever spot in ODIs and T20Is should be stamped and sealed for the foreseeable future. He deserves it for the amount of talent he has. As far as Bangladesh are concerned - they can hold their heads high and try again. Shakib's hope may and hopefully for their sake should be realised someday. But that's for later. We are done for now. On that note it has been Srivathsa who has single-handedly - like DK - brought the action from here for everyone out there. I'm off to rest and recuperate from all the madness witnessed at the Premadasa. Do remember to read up everything that has been served up here and will be from Shirshendu and others. Until next time, it's goodbye from me. Be well and stay safe!

Snapshots: Here's our man Shirshendu Roy chronicling a few interesting moments from the finale. He's titled it 'When the school senior shared notes with his junior,' quite interestingly

Insane finale, right? Here are the Twitter reactions you may not want to miss...

***

As you recover, here are some stats to help you through -

* Most successive wins in T20Is against an opponent:
9 Pak v Zim (2008-15)
8 Ind v Ban (2009-18)*
7 Pak v Ban (2007-14)
7 NZ v Ban (2010-17)
7 Ind v Aus (2013-17)
7 Afg v Zim (2015-18)*
7 Ind v SL (2016-18)

* Hitting a six off the last ball to win a T20I:
C Kapugedara v Ind, Gros Islet, 2010
E Morgan v Ind, Wankhede, 2012
Z Babar v WI, Kingstown, 2013
V Sibanda v Net, Sylhet, 2014
DINESH KARTHIK v Ban, RPS, 2018 *

* India winning a T20I off the last ball:
vs Aus, SCG, 2016 (Tar: 198)
vs Ban, Colombo RPS, 2018 (Tar: 167)

* Teenagers winning Man of the Series awards in T20Is:
Rashid Khan
Shadab Khan
Washington Sundar *

***

Rohit gets the Nidahas Trophy and he will soon be surrounded by his team for the photos. The Indian team is all smiles - why wouldn't they be? The tri-color is flying high. Lots more to come from us. Do stay tuned and read up on everything that's served for you.

Rohit: "Brilliant for the crowd who came out in numbers, on behalf of my team, would want to thank the Sri Lankan crowd for coming out and supporting the way they did. Great tournament for us. Young bunch of lads - lot of learning, we always knew they had lot of talent; it was just about coming here and executing. This tournament win will give them lot of confidence going forward whenever they play for India and wherever they play. Everybody who came and got opportunities stepped in, they showed lot of character and these are high-pressure games and it isn't easy and we understand that. Quite easy to lead them, played with most of them. Lots of work has been done off the field in terms of planning, strategy and things like that. It was about executing them and they did it perfectly. Batters also stepped up whenever needed. The way we finished off was perfect and very happy to see Dinesh doing what he did. He didn't get much of game time, the way he came out and showed character was very very crucial for us. That was the reason I held Dinesh back, I have seen him play over the years and his experience matters a lot. When it doesn't come off, the captain never looks good. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. We always had faith when we went into the dressing room after the first innings. The target I wouldn't say was a very high score or a very low score, it was a par score and with the kind of batting we have, we always had confidence to go and chase the target."

Sundar: "Definitely it means a lot. Such a reward at such a young age means very much. I really need to thank my family for this. This goes for them. When you are playing for your country, you should be ready to face any challenges. I really enjoyed bowling over here, this ground has always been amazing to me. I have always wanted to read the batsmen's mind and that's what I have been trying to do in these five games, most of the balls I won - that's a good feeling. I wanted to be there when we win the game, Dinesh bhai played really well and it turned out to be a memorable tournament for me."

Washington Sundar is the Man of the Series. While DK was named Man of the Match

Shakib: " You can't ask more in a final like this. There was everything in it, I thought we played superbly. Anybody could've won the game but credit to India, they held their nerves, especially Dinesh Karthik for the way he played. We wanted our best bowlers to bowl those two overs [talking about the 18th and 19th overs], even if Rubel would have gone for 15 runs, we would've had 20 to play with but that didn't happen. He didn't miss his length by much but credit to Dinesh Karthik, coming into the wicket and hitting first ball for six is not an easy thing to do. We knew it would be tough to defend, in the dressing room we had a very good feeling. Everyone tried their best, I can't expect more than that. In the end we are on the losing side, so it hurts but we can learn so much from this. It was pre-planned who we want to bowl. It is such a close game, you can say so many things. Hopefully we can work out from here and someday we can be on the winning side."

Shakib is roundly booed as he walks up to have a chat. And it isn't stopping even when he is talking. The Sri Lankans completely against Bangladesh after all that which happened between the two sides in the last game. Not on according to me

Karthik: "Really happy to come out of this performance, really happy for the team - young bunch of boys. We have played some good cricket throughout this tournament and had we not won this final, wouldn't have done justice to the way we have played this tournament. I realised that it wasn't that easy to bat, the way Mustafizur bowled that over, all I needed to do was to go for boundaries as soon as I went in. Touchwood some of the balls landed in a good place for me to hit a shot. I have been practising this - where I hold a good base and swing through the line well and it came off well today. I have been saying this over and over again; the Indian team right now is a tough place to get an opportunity but once you get it - you got to make best use of the opportunity. Credit to the backroom staff - they have always given me the confidence and I'm happy where I'm."

shardul Thakur: "Yeah, I was (in next). We were holding hands and praying in the dugout, let DK hit for a four or a six. He has been in incredible form, in the nets too. I haven't tried the knuckle ball against him in the nets but he'll hit it too, given how he's batting. I'm very confident now. I have been practising it for the last two years and I have bowled it at the high level, in coming matches I will be confident when I'm bowling the knuckle ball."

Yuzvendra Chahal: "Today the wicket was a bit dry, so I just varied my pace. Always works in the powerplay. I'm used to bowling it, in the IPL and with the Indian outfit. I ate through all my nails."

Manish Pandey: "When I got out, I thought somebody has to get the runs. DK has done that in the past. He can get that quick 20 runs and we had the belief in him. And my god he did. They bowled well in the middle overs. Rohit was set and somebody had to go for the big hits. It was my job and I did that."

Having said what needs to be said, one has to feel for the Bangladeshis and especially Soumya Sarkar. They fought till the last ball and were ahead at the end of the 18th over. This defeat will rankle them even more - along with that infamous night at Bangalore in the World T20. These two defeats will take all the stuffing out of the cricket-crazy country. Heartbreak twice and both times losing from near-improbable winning situations will test their resolve, nerve and mettle. They just can't seem to beat India in T20Is - tonight seemed to be their chance until DK turned up. There are sideline interviews which are up now. Do wait for the presentation which should begin anytime now...

Coming to the chase - Rohit Sharma was the one who looked like taking India home, but four overs in the middle when not a boundary was hit, hammered the pressure on him and he succumbed. Vijay Shankar was sent ahead of DK - a move which would've been roundly criticised had India lost, even if they hadn't got across the line off the last ball - because of how well DK hit Rubel in the penultimate over. But that's all history now. And Vijay must be one happy and relieved man.

But DK has had a rebirth of sorts in recent times and crowned himself in all glory with that six off the last ball. He had given a hint of what he could do in the last game, but tonight was the coup de grace. His career has seen many ups and downs, worthy enough to be made into a movie or a story waiting to be written. But nothing can eclipse what he has done here at the Premadasa tonight. Had India lost, all the blame would've been laid on the youngster - Vijay Shankar but his statemate and senior has ensured that his innings will be forgotten in a hurry.

22:45 Local Time, 17:15 GMT, 22:45 IST: Trust me - this has been as good a match as I have ever covered in my near 10-year career in this business. And certainly one of the most unforgettable and unbelievable finishes that I have had the privilege of calling. The game looked gone when Rubel had the ball at the start of the 19th over. Enter a man called Dinesh Karthik. Single-handedly took India to the trophy with a nerveless display that would rival, match and even outdo his great competitor MSD's many such chases - who kept him out of the Indian team for so long.

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh 6th match

Nidahas trophy 6th match Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh summary-

Bangladesh win the toss and opt to field first...

Sri Lanka-159/7(20 overs)

Bangladesh-160/8(19.5 overs)

Bangladesh won by 2 wickets...

Summary-

PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Mahmudullah

Seen anything from the Rajshri Productions? If this match were a movie, it would be one of them. Think about the home crowd that goes back all teary-eyed; or Sri Lanka who couldn't even qualify for a tournament final being played in the honour of their independence; or Bangladesh, who were passionately rowdy teen-like. Phew, this has been quite a game. Not sure I'm ready for an India-Bangladesh final, which is on Sunday (March 18). We'll see you there anyway; that's what we do. Until then, this is Pratyush Sinha logging out with Raju Peethala, Nikhil Jadhav, Ramakrishnan, Vineet Anantharaman and Venkatesh. Catch your breath, will ya, ta-ta!

Something to read .. Having served as a player, chairman of selectors, administrator and also manager, Michael Tissera led by example, and with a lot of dignity. Here's Shirshendu Roy on 'when Michael taught how to rock'

Shakib - captain, Bangladesh: "You can't expect more than that in a T20 game. There was everything. Emotions, drama, everything. We are lucky to be on the winning side. Kusal Perera and Thisara Perera batted very well, got themselves into a winning position. I had only one hit before I came into the game, so I knew I wasn't 100%. It was important to rotate the strike and give it to Mahmudullah. This is one of our best innings in the last five overs. We always had a healthy competition on the ground (with Sri Lanka); outside, we are friends. Emotions take over sometimes. I need to be careful as the captain and the leader of the team. India are a very good side but we have the momentum, so hopefully we can continue the performance. Hopefully the Sri Lankan crowd can come and support us (laughs innocently)."

Perera - captain, Sri Lanka: "Very tough game. Really disappointed. I have to say something about our crowd -- thanks for everything. I'm sorry about not making it to the final. I sometimes take some time for my batting, I can do something only after that (what went wrong). 160 is a reasonable target. Last few series, we did well. Really good outcome from our juniors."

Mahmudullah - Player of the Match: "One of my best innings. when Shakib came into the team, that was a big boost. Players were eager to do well today. My plan was to strike the ball as hard as I can. To see the ball properly and try to hit accordingly. I was quite nervous (in the last few overs). When I and Shakib were there, I was at ease but Shakib's wicket put pressure on me. Other guys came up to me and believed that we'll do it. The confusion was that the ball (Mustafizur's wicket ball) would be the first bumper of the over but it's in the past now, so let's forget it."

Tears in the crowd that's going back quick.. Here we are with the presentations

SHIVCHARAN says: I just can't believe what i saw through my eyes. Is it Mahmudullah who got angry? Through these years, I haven't seen him in such a state. he was raged and so does Shakib. Both of them are Gentlemen of cricket . It's such a shame to see them lose their cool.

Tamim: "It's very emotional. We saw the leg umpire signalling a no ball and that's why we were complaining. That created the confusion. It's a gentleman's game, everyone should have behaved better, especially from our team, we could have done it nicely. It's all done and dusted now. Sri Lankans are great friends. I don't think this incident will create anything bad. The last six was unbelievable. I am lost for words. I thought I should have continued a bit longer, but in the end we won. We executed the plans given by the coaches. Thisara and Kusal batted brilliantly. They gave us a challenging total, but we finished well."

I mean Sri Lanka tried their best. They were 41/5 inside 10 overs and then somehow, miraculously, thanks to the Pereras, racked up 159 that Bangladesh only chased down with a ball to spare. When Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar lost their wickets in consecutive overs, it looked like Bangladesh had undone all the hard work. But Mahmudullah, unburdened from the labours of captaincy today, stood through all that and hauled his side into the finale. How about that. There was drama around how Mustafizur's wicket-ball was a no-ball, Shakib even took his team off the ground, only for them to return and see a win. How about that!

10:32pm local: Look at Mahmudullah, look at him celebrating! He's pumped up. Runs around, fist-pumps and screams in delight. He's calling out to the heavens! And now they all go up, his team-mates, both palms reverse-cupped, fingers curled and waving, not for the catch but celebrating. Gee, it's an invasion by the snake dance, which's become quite a fad now (there were posters tonight in the crowd, I swear). And where's Shakib's t-shirt? Fast forward a minute and here's Tamim, with his hands around Mendis's shoulders to calm him down. Guess there's some words exchanged between him and Sabbir. It's difficult sometimes to comprehend the emotions but try telling that a sportsman.

India vs Bangladesh 5th match

Nidahas trophy 5th match India vs Bangladesh summary-

Bangladesh won the toss and opt to field first...

India-176/3(20 overs)

Bangladesh-159/6(20 overs)

India won by 17 runs...

Summary-

PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Rohit Sharma

 It's all we've got for you. India are coming out on Sunday. Who's clearing the Friday barricade to join them there .. for now, this was Vineet Anantharaman bringing you all the action along with Pratyush Sinha, Abhinand Raghavendran, Rishi Roy and our ace scorer Naga. Ta ta!!

Stat summary courtesy Deepu Narayanan:
~ India have now won seven out of seven T20Is they've played against Bangladesh
~ Rohit Sharma pipped Yuvraj Singh to hit the most number of sixes (75) for India in T20Is
~ Mushfiqur Rahim's 72 was the first ever half-century by a Bangladeshi against India in T20Is
~ Siraj has now conceded the most runs (131) after three T20Is, going past Adam Milne's 130
~ The 65-run stand between Mushfiqur and Sabbir was Bangladesh's best ever for the fifth-wicket
~ Karthik's 50 stumpings in T20s is fourth behind K Akmal (92), Dhoni (70) and Sangakkara (60)

(2/2): I just told Siraj to keep it simple (in the last over) and we knew that that was the way to contain them. They needed 28 runs and we knew that would happen only if they hit big. I asked him to bowl that back of a length ball because we found it tough to hit. From whatever I have seen of him he can do very well. He is a great talent, has all the capabilities of doing what a fast bowler has to do. He's coming back off a break and that's never easy. It wasn't a good game for him, but he has a lot of talent to come back hard.

Rohit Sharma, winning skipper and MoM (1/2): It was important for me to step up. Like I said at the toss I tried to take my time with the bat at the start and then play my shots later on. I felt we were 10-15 runs short with the bat at the end, but they bowled brilliantly at the death. Washington started brilliantly with the ball and his magical spell changed the game for us. The entire bowling unit too stuck to their plans and pulled it off for us. The wicket wasn't the usual wicket we've been playing on for the last week. It was gripping and was slow and hence difficult to play on the up and that is why I wanted to take my time. One set batsman had to bat and I knew a new batsman would find it tough. The partnership between Raina and me was key; he has been timing the ball brilliantly and that is great to see. Hope he can do it for us in the finals as well. [Praising Sundar] He is never afraid of flighting the ball, sets his own field and it says a lot about an individual. It allows me also to breathe easy and set the field accordingly. In the series we played against Sri Lanka in India, we saw that from him and today was no different.

Mahmudullah, losing skipper: The effort was there. A bit disappointed though; had someone stood up and made 20-30 quick runs it could have made a difference with Mushy. The chase was on, we needed a good flying start. But we lost wickets early and didn't get the momentum we needed. We also could have conceded 10 lesser runs and that could have made the difference. The plan was to take the pace off the ball and stick to your strengths as a bowler, but they didn't execute that well. Looking forward to the next game, the good thing is that we have a chance to prove ourselves and we need to do it.

Ganesh katigar says: "I think Team India should try Mohammed Siraj in Test Cricket, the way he bowls his length that definitely yields some wickets, another disappointing day for Siraj!!" -- Ah, I was just thinking about that! *Insert Chandler-Rachel telepathy gif*

Pratik says: "Why Siraj? Has nothing, no pace, no good slower balls." -- More of a Test bowler, and he does lack variations. Can't say he has no pace though. Consistently bowls in the 140s.

Washington with his three too did his best to finish it off early. But Mushy had to take it deep. And he found India's weakest link, Siraj to go after. Some help from the other end would have been good. It's simple now, play better cricket and make it to Sunday. For now, let's wait .. the presentations are lined up.

22:21 local: Oh that 19th over. Five runs, completely against the flow of momentum, against Bangladesh's best finisher with moves ready to be unleashed and after being thwarted in his first spell, Thakur produces six dreamy balls. Those knuckle balls have never really been overexposed. But to be fair, for all the drama Mushfiq and Sabbir tried to create at the end, it was the powerplay that stole it from their grasp. That is if Rohit's blitz before that hadn't already. On a sluggish track and an outfield that has tired over the last week, 176 was always going to be beyond most sides.

India vs Sri Lanka 4th match

Nidahas trophy 4th match India vs Sri Lanka summary-

Toss delay due to rain.....

India win the toss and opt to field first... 

Match reduced to 19 overs due to rain...

Sri Lanka-152/9(19 overs)

India-153/4(17.3 overs)

India won by 6 wickets......

Summary-

PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Shardul Thakur

So, another dominating win by the top ODI side in the world - and that too, with two of their bazookas taking rest back in India. They go to the top of the table, but Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have looked in supreme touch and have turned out some phenomenal performances. In such a truncated format and a packed tournament, the team that edges the other on the day takes the game. So, despite India's dominating performance, the tournament is still as wide open as Rahim's smile two nights ago. On that cheery note, it's Rishi Roy bidding you goodbye on behalf ofAkshay Maanay, Sriram AS, Shashikant Singh, and a mysteriously grumpy Raju Peethala. Sayonara folks!

Battle of the Blues- Second-longest uninterrupted rivalry in cricket

Rohit Sharma, India captain: "Smart performance, especially from the bowlers. To restrict a batting unit like that, it was a great effort from the bowlers. The conditions weren't easy for the bowlers, there was a bit of dew on the ground. Neither easy for the spinners nor the pacers, but they have executed their plans really well. Just continued where we left off against Bangladesh. The bowlers came out and executed the ideas and plans really well. We discussed a lot of things and it was very much on display for everyone to see. We bat really deep, and we haven't had a batting line-up like that in a long time. We have a lot of all-rounders, but the middle-order hasn't had opportunities to bat in the recent past, but as you saw today, Manish and DK batted extremely well. Can't single out a performance, it was a complete team effort. We aren't laid back at all, because all three teams are still alive in the tournament. They can all stand at four points. So we need to continue the momentum from hereon. The new guys have all taken their opportunities and made good use of it. So we don't need to go and change anything, we just need to play the way we have over the last two years."

Thisara Perera, Sri Lanka captain: "This is not a 152-run wicket. The batting did well initially, but the middle-order failed. We were 30-40 runs behind. 175-180 would have been competitive and could have been defended. First 6 overs, we couldn't execute the bowling plans. We'll take the positives from the match and we'll see what we can do next match. Next game is a must-win, and I'm sure we can give our 100% next match and win the game."

Shardul Thakur, Man of the Match (4-0-27-4): "I loved it. Happy to receive the award. Always dreamt of winning a game for India and here I am. Frankly there were some nerves but no pressure. Nothing special, we just discussed how to execute our plans and it worked out for the better today."

Prakhar Kothari says: I feel that India have been under utilizing DK for long. He has done tremendously well in whatever limited chances he got.

Manish Pandey: I thought we had a good partnership in the end. They started well, it was important for me to stay till the end. We discuss about that (plans against Sri Lankan bowlers). Batting at number 5, I should be there till the end. They (bowlers) have comeback really well after the first game. We had a couple of plans and we executed them well. We have not got too much batting after 6 and 7, so it was good for DK to stay with me and absorb the pressure.

Bhuvan Dave says: This is what DK is capable of and that's the reason he should be moved up the order to give him more chances.

23:44 Local Time, 18:14 GMT, 23:44 IST: So there it is. India win their second consecutive game, after a disappointing opening game. SL's batting started a marathon with a sprint and tired out by the finish line and ended up at 152 after 19 overs. Shardul, who took a bit of stick the other night against SL redeemed himself with a miserly and penetrative spell today. The Indian batting started off shakily as the openers fell cheaply, only to be followed by Raina. A rare hit-wicket of Rahul followed, and there was some panic in the Indian camp, but Karthik and Pandey nudged and nurdled to accumulate the required runs and played very maturely to hand India a dominating win to lift them to the top of the table. Presentations coming up shortly...

Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 3rd match

Nidahas trophy 3rd match Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka summary-

Bangladesh won the toss and opt to field first...

Sri Lanka -214/6(20 overs)

Bangladesh-215/5(19.4 overs)

Bangladesh won by 5 wickets

Summary-

Gee, Rahim had been saving these celebrations for a couple of years. He had to let it out. What a win for Bangladesh, just terrific. So that's it from us here. I've been Sagar Chawla, and on behalf of Akshay Maanay,Rishi Roy, Raju Peethala and our scorer Venky, it's a goodbye.

Before we leave, here's a gripping piece by our very own Shirshendu Roy about a rivalry between two high schools in Colombo that has endured a Japanese attack and a civil war. They lived through it all and deserve to have their story told...

Mahmudullah, Bangladesh captain: Game of quite a bit of nerves. It was a good wicket to bat on. Batters showed the capability that we have. When we started batting, Tamim and Liton gave us a great start. Mushy was outstanding in the way he held his nerves. Knew that they might bring Akila early, that's why we sent Liton at the top of the order.

Chandimal, SL captain: Really good game of cricket. Credit to the batters for putting a really good total. As a bowling unit, we didn't execute well. I'm sure they will come back in the next game. There were a few plans. It was too good a wicket. I'm sure we'll execute our plans in the next game. Looking forward to the next game.

Rahim, MoM: We badly needed that win. Can't ask much more than this. Gave away too many runs. 190 would have been chaseable. Liton and Tamim were outstanding to set it up. Dedicate this knock to my son, who's only 35 days old. At the end of the day, result is the most important thing. It was just a cramp. Hopefully I will recover soon.

Sahil says: Who would have thought Bangladesh could win this one after the completion of first innings? -- Not many.

Highest targets chased down in T20Is:
244 Aus v NZ, Auckland, 2018
232 WI v SA, Wanderers, 2015
230 Eng v SA, Wankhede, 2016
215 Ban v SL, Colombo RPS, 2018*

You'd have thought that Bangladesh would fizzle away after Liton Das's early fireworks, and then after Tamim's untimely dismissal, but Rahim came out looking in scintillating touch. He overcame the dip in momentum, which Bangladesh endured after a rollicking powerplay, and roared his team to victory. Sri Lanka, who were taken aback by the early onslaught, used their cutters well during the middle. But the pressure got to them in the end. Misfields, high full tosses, too many freebies. Eventually, they were left relying on Bangladesh's track-record. But Rahim wasn't going to choke here. Not today.

23:01 Local Time, 17:31 GMT, 23:01 IST: Those are some scenes out there. There's Rahim who can't stop screaming, he can't stop himself from yelling in Perera's face, and he can't stop himself from doing a cobra dance. It's all preposterous, but go Bangladesh, do what you have to. It's been an absolutely sensational run-chase - thefourth-highest successful chase in T20Is. So much frustration, so many bottled emotions, they're all on display for this mute Sri Lankan crowd to bear witness. The tri-series is alive and kicking.