MUMBAI: India recorded their first-ever win in a Twenty20 International at the Wankhede Stadium when they edged out Sri Lanka by five wickets to complete a clean sweep of the three-match series here tonight.
The hosts restricted the visitors to a modest 135 and then hit off the required runs in 19.2 overs to claim a hard-fought victory.
India were beaten by a last-ball six when Eoin Morgan blasted medium-pacer Ashok Dinda back in 2012 as T20 International cricket made its debut at this stadium.
That loss to England by six wickets happened three days before Christmas, as compared to the Yuletide-eve victory tonight over the hapless Lanka who are heading back home by catching an early morning flight, having lost both the Test and ODI rubbers to the home team earlier.
The second T20 International featuring India at this stadium had also ended in heartbreak for the hosts who lost to eventual champions West Indies by seven wickets on March 31, 2016 -- in the semifinals of the World T20 Championship.
Lendl Simmons, who was caught off a no-ball bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin early in his innings, played a match-winning knock of 82 off 51 balls to help Windies successfully chase a stiff target of 193 with two balls to spare.
The close victory achieved tonight was IndiaÂ’s seventh successive win over the Emerald Islanders in the T20 format after losing the opening game of the three-game series in 2016 at Pune.