India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan(c), Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson(w), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy
Team India returned to winning ways on Sunday as they beat Sri Lanka by 38 runs in the first T20 international to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo.
Chasing a challenging 165 for victory, the visitors bowled out the Lankans at 126 in 18.3 overs thanks to excellent bowling in the death overs from the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar.
Debutant Charith Asalanka played a lone hand of 44 off 26 and had kept his team in the hunt till the time he was at the crease but Chahar put the contest beyond Lanka’s reach by removing the set batsman in the 16th over to tilt the scales in India’s favour.
India vs Sri Lanka 1st T20I: As it happened
Vice-captain Bhuvi ended up as the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets for 22 runs from his 3.3 overs while Chahar bagged a couple. Yuzvendra Chahal, debutant Varun Chakravarthy, Krunal and Hardik Pandya also chipped in with a wicket each.
Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav scored another attractive half-century but Sri Lanka bowlers fought back strongly to restrict India to 164 for 5 after Dasun Shanaka won the toss and put the visitors in to bat.
It was Surya’s second T20I half-century. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan (46 off 38 balls), Ishan Kishan (20 not out off 14 balls), and Sanju Samson (27 off 20 balls) were the other notable contributors for India.
At the start, Prithvi Shaw had a forgettable T20 International debut as Dushmantha Chammera’s (2/24 in 4 overs) outswinger found the edge of his bat off the very first delivery of the match.
Sanju Samson hit his customary six while batting like a millionaire before Wanindu Hasaranga (2/28) trapped him with a googly.
Dhawan then added 62 with Surya in eight overs to provide a solid launch-pad but the latter’s dismissal surely cost India about 15-20 extra runs.
Surya as usual was in his free-flowing elements, hitting those whiplash on-drives, cover drives and ramp shots which is a sight to watch both against pacers and spinners.
However, what was even more exhilarating was how Surya picked all those back-of-the-hand slower deliveries from seamers Isuru Udana and Chamika Karunaratne.
Udana was dispatched with a conventional sweep shot for boundary while Karunaratne was slog swept for a six. It was Surya’s brisk cameo that really helped Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya to launch the final assault.
The second match of the series will be played at the same venue on July 27.
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