When the openers bat out the opposition at the half-way stage of a T20 contest, excitement remains at a premium. In response, if the top-order comes apart, the result becomes a foregone conclusion.
This is exactly how the script panned out at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow after Sri Lanka chose to chase. Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma laid the foundation with a 111-run stand and Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 28-ball 57 provided the late flourish in what ended as an emphatic 62-run victory for India.
In reply to India’s 199 for two, the Lankan top-order disappointed much to the chagrin of skipper Dasun Shanaka. Eventually, when Lanka ended at 137 for six, the first encounter of the three-match T20 series resulted in India’s 10th successive win in the shortest format.
Pathum Nissanka played on the first delivery of the innings from Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. Before long, the other opener Kamil Mishara failed to cash in on a dropped catch by Venkatesh Iyer and departed two balls later.
Top-scorer Charith Asalanka (53 not out) was luckier. Dropped on 6 by Shreyas Iyer off Yuzvendra Chahal, the Lankan was adjudged leg-before in the same over but won the review. However, there was no respite for the visitor as Venkatesh sent back Janith Liyanage, Ravindra Jadeja had Dinesh Chandimal stumped and Chahal sent back Shanaka to make it 60/5. Thereafter, the margin of Indian victory was the only point of interest.
The biggest takeaway for India was the manner in which the top-order batted responsibly after the team took the field with debutant Deepak Hooda and five comeback men - Jasprit Bumrah, Jadeja, Chahal, Bhuvneshwar and Sanju Samson.
For the record, Rohit, playing his 123rd match, became the highest run-getter in T20 by overtaking Martin Guptill’s 3299 (in 108 matches) after getting past Virat Kohli’s 3296 (in 97 matches). In his ninth outing, Ishan cracked a 56-ball 89 - his highest - after reaching a second half century.
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Before the dew came in and the odd ball tended to keep low at one end - like the one that sent back Rohit Sharma - India took a firm grip.
Ishan kick-started the onslaught with a hat-trick of boundaries in the third over, first from Chamika Karunaratne, and never looked back. After struggling against the West Indies, Ishan needed an innings of this kind. He grew in confidence and found boundaries at regular intervals. Indeed, Ishan was lucky to be dropped at 43 by Liyanage and survive a bout of cramps.
After Rohit’s departure, Shreyas, too, was happy to keep Ishan on strike. Ishan stepped up the pace off Kumara Lahiru in the 16th over that produced 17 runs. Ishan collected 6, 4, 4. However, in the next over, Ishan’s miscued pull resulted in his dismissal.
Joined by Ravindra Jadeja, Shreyas took charge. In an innings where he allowed just two dot balls, Shreyas smashed an unbeaten 28-ball 57. Shreyas hit two sixes and five boundaries as the last three overs produced 44 runs, with Jadeja’s contribution just two off two deliveries.
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