India v Sri Lanka, 2015-16

Twenty20 internationals (3): India 2, Sri Lanka 1
Series between India and Sri Lanka are not infrequent, but ones with context certainly are, and this tour formed a crucial part of preparations for the World Twenty20 in India the following month. India needed only fine-tuning: they were coming off the back of a 3-0 Twenty20 win in Australia, and had announced their tournament squad before this series began. They even had the luxury of resting Virat Kohli. By contrast, Sri Lanka looked unsure. Lasith Malinga and Angelo Mathews were injured, leaving the captaincy with Dinesh Chandimal. Their coach, Graham Ford, was just beginning his second stint in charge, two years after leaving for Surrey.

And their squad was a muddle: three players had no Twenty20 experience at this level, and 36-year-old seamer Dilhara Fernando was back in international cricket for the first time since 2012. The results varied with the conditions. Sri Lanka surprised many with a convincing victory in the first game in Gahunje, where the track was green enough for M. S. Dhoni to call it "English", and the visiting seamers, led by debutant Kasun Rajitha, knocked India over for 101. From there, the pitches became drier, and India exerted their force. In Ranchi, Shikhar Dhawan powered them towards a massive victory. Ravichandran Ashwin then wove his magic in Visakhapatnam to secure the series. The result reinforced India's position as the favourites for the World T20; Sri Lanka were left with more questions than answers.

Match reports for

1st T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Pune, Feb 9, 2016
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2nd T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Ranchi, Feb 12, 2016
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3rd T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam, Feb 14, 2016
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2nd Match: Sri Lanka v United Arab Emirates at Mirpur, Feb 25, 2016
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5th Match: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka at Mirpur, Feb 28, 2016
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7th Match: India v Sri Lanka at Mirpur, Mar 1, 2016
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10th Match: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Mirpur, Mar 4, 2016
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New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Wankhede, Mar 10, 2016
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Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Mar 14, 2016
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16th Match, Super 10 Group 1: Afghanistan v Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Mar 17, 2016
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21st Match, Super 10 Group 1: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Bengaluru, Mar 20, 2016
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29th Match, Super 10 Group 1: England v Sri Lanka at Delhi, Mar 26, 2016
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32nd Match, Super 10 Group 1: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Delhi, Mar 28, 2016
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