Sadly, Sri Lanka experienced the exact opposite outcome, being skittled out for just 80 before being successfully chased down by hosts Zimbabwe with 5.4 overs remaining and five wickets. At the toss before the second Twenty20 International, Charith Asalanka stated, “We just need to avoid losing wickets on a regular basis.”
Kusal Mendis was the first of ten Sri Lankans to be dismissed after being asked to bat first. He sliced the opening ball of the second over right down the neck of the third man. Then, in the third over, Pathum Nissanka, his opening partner, was caught brilliantly by Tony Munyonga after trying a pull. After the PowerPlay, Sri Lanka was in danger at 37/4 when Blessing Muzarabani returned to take his second wicket, removing Nuwanidu Fernando in the fifth over and Brad Evans bowling Kamil Mishara in the sixth.
Sri Lanka’s hero from the previous match, Kamindu Mendis, was trapped leg before wicket (LBW) by Sikandar Raza for a four-ball duck, meaning he was unable to save his team once more. In an attempt to rally after losing half of their team with just 38 runs scored, captain Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka managed to put together a 26-run partnership, but those runs came at a cost of 37 balls.
Shanaka was out trying to pick up speed in the thirteenth over as pressure mounted beneath a scoreboard that was stagnating. In the next over, Raza delivered a twin blow, first dismissing his opponent Asalanka and then trapping Dushmantha Chameera LBW two balls later. The visitors were now down to 66/8 and could only muster 14 more runs before being dismissed for 80 in 17.4 overs.
Zimbabwe had a great start, but it wasn’t an easy chase.
In the second over, Tadiwanashe Marumani got his team off to a quick start with a pair of boundaries, but in the fourth over, Chameera hit twice in three balls to dismiss Marumani and Sean Williams. In the sixth over, he came back to dismiss Raza cheaply as well, leaving Zimbabwe at 29/3 at the conclusion of PowerPlay.
Brian Bennett and Ryan Burl’s 26-run partnership helped calm the Zimbabwean camp, and although Bennett and Munyonga fell quickly after, Tashinga Musekiwa’s 14-ball, 21-run blitz helped Zimbabwe secure a series-leveling victory.
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