India beats Sri Lanka in first T20 match in Kandy.
Sports Desk July 27: India, the world champion, continued its good form and defeated the Sri Lankan team by 43 runs in an opening T20 match at Pallekela International Cricket Stadium Kandy on Saturday.
The home team was chasing the Indian total of 213 runs and was out 170 runs in 19.2 overs.
On a pitch suited for batting, Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to field first.
However, the decision of the Sri Lankan captain went wrong when the Indian openers gave a flying start. India comes up with the new pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill. The left and right-hand combination of Jaiswal and Gill played superbly well and scored quickly in the first 6 overs during the field restriction.
The first four batsmen of India played well: Jaiswal hit 5 boundaries and a couple of sixes scoring 40 in just 21 deliveries. Shubman Gill scored 34 runs in just 16 balls hitting 6 boundaries and 1 six. The first wicket of the Indian inning fell at 74 when Shubman Gill gave the catch to Ashitha Fernando of the seam bowler Dilshan Madhushanka in the sixth over.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was also stumped by Kusal Mendis in the first ball of the seventh over of Wanindu Hasaranga. The second wicket fell on the score of 74 as well.
However, the Indian skipper Surya Kumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant played with the same pace and scored briskly. Surya in particular scored 58 runs quickly in just 26 balls hitting 8 fours and 2 sixes. He was out at the score of 150.
Rishabh Pant was also looking in the good. He stayed on the one end and also scored 49 runs in just 33 deliveries hitting 6 fours and 1 six. The other batsman did not score much and India ended up its inning with 213 runs on the board in 20 overs losing 7 wickets.
Sri Lankan Team started well: In reply to the Indian inning of 213, Sri Lankan openers gave a tremendous start and scored 84 runs for the opening wicket partnership in just 8.4 overs.
Kusal Mendis scored 45 runs in just 27 balls hitting 7 fours and one six. He was out on the bowling or Arshdeep Singh.
Sri Lanka reached the score of 100 in just 10.1 over. At that point, Pathum Nissanka was batting on 49 and Kusal Perera on 6 runs. Nissanka played continued his good form and played superbly. He reached 77 runs in 42 balls and took the home team to 137/1 in 13.2 overs.
Team India turning point: The real pressure starts on the Sri Lankan batsman in 15 over when Axar Patel took the wicket of Nissanka at the score of 79. He played 48 balls hitting 4 sixes and 7 fours. After the end of 15 overs, Sri Lanka needed 65 runs in 30 balls.
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Axar Patel also took the wicket of Kusal Perera as well. Perera scored 20 runs in 14 balls hitting 3 fours.
Axar Patel finished his spell of 4 overs by taking two crucial wickets of Nissanka and Perera at the cost of 38 runs.
Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka was out without troubling the scorers on zero. His wicket was taken by Ravi Bishnoi. Dasun Shanaka was also run out on zero. At that time, the Sri Lankan score was 163 for 7 in 17.1 overs. The home team was required 51 runs in 17 balls and it was looking impossible for them considering only lower-order batsmen were left for batting.
Brief Score.
India:
Surya Kumar Yadav scored 58 runs in 26 hitting 8 fours and 2 sixes.
Rishabh Pant scored 49 runs in 33 balls hitting 6 fours and 1 six.
Yashavi Jaiswal scored 40 runs in 21 balls hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes.
Sri Lanka:
Pathum Nissanka scored 79 runs in 48 deliveries hitting 7 fours and 4 sixes.
Kusal Mendis scored 45 runs in 27 balls hitting 7 fours and 1 six.
Kusal Perera scored 20 runs in 14 balls hitting 3 fours.
For India: Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took 2 wickets each while Riyan Parag was the most successful bowler. He took 3 wickets in just 5 runs of his spell of 1.2 overs. Ravi Bishnoi and Mohammad Siraj also took one wicket each.
EOM.
Photo credit: BCCI
