By Shanuka Aravinda reporting from Dubai

Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa scampered home off the penultimate ball of the innings, to rescue Sri Lanka and put them within touching distance of the Asia Cup final, stunning India by six wickets in their Super 4 match in Dubai on Tuesday.

With two runs needed off the final two deliveries, Shanaka missed an attempted cut shot but was quick to respond to a call for a single, with Rishabh Pant failing to hit the stumps and run Rajapaksa out at the striker’s end.

Bowler Arshdeep Singh, who collected the through midway down the pitch, then had an opportunity to run Shanaka out at the non-striker’s end, but also missed the stumps, allowing the batsmen to cross again for the winning runs.

It was the culmination of a 64-run unbroken partnership between Shanaka and Rajapaksa, that ensured Sri Lanka did not throw away a chase that they so excellently controlled for the first ten overs.

Openers Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka gave Sri Lanka a perfect start, scoring 57 runs in the Powerplay – Nissanka especially ominous looking, with four boundaries and a six in those six overs.

Nissanka converted that start into a 33-ball half-century, and the partnership with Mendis was nearing what would have been Sri Lanka’s first century opening wicket stand since 2016.

But Nissanka’s wicket at the start of the 11th over triggered a collapse, as Sri Lanka lost 4 wickets for 14 runs, before the Shanaka-Rajapaksa partnership shepherded their team home.

Rajapaksa first released the pressure with sixes in the 15th and 16th overs, before Shanaka took over, scoring four boundaries and a six, leaving Sri Lanka needing seven off the final six balls.

Earlier, left-arm fast-bowler Dilshan Madushanka impressed with 3 for 24 in his four overs, with Sri Lanka keeping India to under the 180-plus score they appeared destined to score.

Two early breakthroughs reduced India to 13 for 2 in the third over – Maheesh Theekshana trapping KL Rahul leg before wicket and Madushanka bringing one back into Virat Kohli – before Rohit Sharma’s 29th T20I half century put India back on track.

Sharma cracked four sixes and five boundaries in his innings and was the mainstay in a 97-run third wicket partnership with Suryakumar Yadav that punished Sri Lanka’s bowlers, particularly leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga who conceded 34 runs in three overs during that passage of play.

However, with India on 109 for 2 after 12 overs, Sri Lanka clawed their way back – Chamika Karunaratne removing Sharma in the next over and Shanaka having Yadav caught at short third man two overs later.

Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant contributed 17 each, but Sri Lanka conceded just 38 runs in the last four overs, with Madushanka taking two wickets in the penultimate over of the innings.