Familiar batting collapse hand India easy win
Despite a promising start from Sri Lankan openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, the home team faltered to hand India a comfortable 43-run win in the opening match of the three-match T20 series here at the Pallekele International Stadium yesterday.
Chasing 214 runs, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 170 as India went one-up in the series.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav laid the foundation for the victory, with spinner Riyan Parag playing a crucial role in the latter stages of Sri Lanka’s run chase, taking three wickets in just 1.2 overs.
Suryakumar Yadav led to India's first win as the new skipper under new coach Gautam Gambhir - AFP
Nissanka and Mendis started strongly, mirroring the aggression of the Indian openers. They brought up Sri Lanka’s 50 in just 31 balls, adding 34 more runs before Mendis was dismissed by left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for a brisk 46 off 27 balls, which included seven boundaries and a six.
Nissanka continued to anchor the innings, forming a 56-run partnership with Kusal Perera for the second wicket. However, he was eventually dismissed by spinner Axar Patel after a quick-fire 79 off 48 balls, featuring seven boundaries and four sixes. From a promising position at 149 for 3, Sri Lanka collapsed, losing their last seven wickets for just 21 runs, finishing with 170. The lower order struggled, with none of the last seven batsmen reaching double figures.
Earlier, India, after being invited to bat first, saw openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill set the tone with a blistering start, reaching 50 in just 24 balls. Gill was the first to go, dismissed by left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka for 34 off 16 balls, an innings that included six boundaries and a six. Jaiswal followed soon after, scoring 40 off 21 balls with five boundaries and two sixes, leaving India at 74 for 2 in 36 balls.
Skipper Yadav and Rishabh Pant then took charge, bringing up India’s 100 in 52 balls and their 50-run partnership in 32 balls. Yadav was particularly aggressive, reaching his half-century in just 22 balls with seven boundaries and two sixes. He was eventually dismissed for 58 off 26 balls by pacer Matheesha Pathirana. He also accounted for Pant, who narrowly missed his half-century, falling for 49.
Despite a few late wickets, India finished with a formidable total of 213 for 7, setting Sri Lanka a challenging target that proved too much for the hosts to chase. The second match will be played today at the same venue.
| Scoreboard | |
| IndiaYashasvi Jaiswal st Mendis b Hasaranga40Shubman Gill c Fernando b Madushanka 34 Suryakumar Yadav lbw b Pathirana ….. 58 Rishabh Pant b Pathirana ………………. 49 Hardik Pandya b Pathirana …………….. 09 Riyan Parag lbw b Pathirana ……………. 07 Rinku Singh b Fernando ………………… 01 Axar Patel not out …………………………. 10 Arshdeep Singh not out ……………….. 01 Extras (w4) ………………………………….. 04 Total (For 7 wickets; 20 overs) ………… 213 Did not bat: Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj Fall of wickets: 1-74 (Gill, 5.6ov), 2-74 (Jaiswal, 6.1ov), 3-150 (Yadav, 13.2ov), 4-176 (Pandya, 16.3ov), 5-192 (Parag, 18.1ov), 6-201 (Pant, 18.5ov), 7-206 (Singh, 19.4ov) Bowling: Dilshan Madushanka 3-0-45-1, Asitha Fernando 4-0-47-1, Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-44-0, Wanindu Hasaranga 4-0-28-1, Kamindu Mendis 1-0-9-0, Matheesha Pathirana 4-0-40-4 Sri Lanka Pathum Nissanka b Patel ………………. 79 Kusal Mendis c Jaiswal b Singh ……….. 45 Kusal Perera c Bishnoi b Patel …………. 20 Kamindu Mendis b Parag ………………. 12 Charith Asalanka c Jaiswal b Bishnoi .. 00 Dasun Shanaka run out ………………… 00 Wanindu Hasaranga c Parag b Singh . 02 Maheesh Theekshana b Parag ……… 02 Matheesha Pathirana c Patel b Siraj … 06 Asitha Fernando not out ……………….. 00 Dilshan Madushanka b Parag ……….. 00 Extras (lb2, w2) …………………………….. 04 Total (all out; 19.2 overs) ……………….. 170 Fall of wickets: 1-84 (Kusal Mendis, 8.4ov), 2-140 (Nissanka, 14.1ov), 3-149 (Perera, 14.6ov), 4-158 (Asalanka, 15.6ov), 5-160 (Shanaka, 16.1ov), 6-161 (Kamindu Mendis, 16.4ov), 7-163 (Hasaranga, 17.1ov), 8-170 (Pathirana, 18.5ov), 9-170 (Theekshana, 19.1ov), 10-170 (Madushanka, 19.2ov) Bowling: Arshdeep Singh 3-0-24-2, Mohammed Siraj 3-0-23-1, Axar Patel 4-0-38-2, Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-37-1, Hardik Pandya 4-0-41-0, Riyan Parag 1.2-0-5-3 |