NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka set the crowd on fire with an astonishing display of stroke play in the 2nd T20I between Sri Lanka and West Indies at Dambulla on Tuesday.
The massive over came off Shamar Joseph’s bowling, who had a nightmare delivering the fourth over as Nissanka smashed five consecutive fours after getting a boundary through leg-bye off the very first ball.
It all began with a bit of luck. On the first ball, Nissanka mistimed a heave, but the ball deflected off his pads and rolled to the boundary for four leg byes. The unlucky start rattled Joseph, setting the stage for what followed—an unforgettable exhibition of fearless batting.
On the next delivery, Nissanka danced down the track, meeting a 138kmph length ball with authority. He lofted it elegantly over extra cover.
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What followed next was absolute carnage. Joseph’s slightly short delivery was pulled with brute force over backward square leg, leaving the fielder stranded.
Three boundaries were now on the trot, and Nissanka wasn’t done yet.
The very next ball was drilled straight down the ground through wide mid-off, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.
With Joseph visibly shaken, Nissanka took full advantage.
The over culminated in style as Nissanka waited on a slower back-of-length ball, dissecting the gap between backward point and short third with pinpoint precision.
Six boundaries (including one leg bye) had come off the over, tallying a massive 25 runs!
This blitzkrieg propelled Sri Lanka to an aggressive start, with Nissanka finishing his innings on 54 off 49 balls.
Although Sri Lanka posted a competitive 162/5, it was Nissanka’s insane batting in the fourth over that stole the show.