The Suryakumar Yadav-Gautam Gambhir era of Indian T20I cricket got off on the right foot as India edged past Sri Lanka by 43 runs to clinch the series opener in Pallekele on Saturday.
Batters ruled the roost on a fresh Pallekele surface that offered close to nothing for the bowlers, with the Indian top-order’s concerted effort proving to be the difference.
Despite chasing a 214-run target, Sri Lanka looked to be in the mix for most of the second innings, thanks to an inspired knock from Pathum Nissanka.
Driven by a vociferous Pallekele crowd which spilled past the grass banks, openers Nissanka and Kusal Mendis set off on a blitzkrieg.
The fuse was lit by Nissanka, who carted left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh for a couple of fours in the first over of the chase. The right-handed batter stepped it up against Mohammed Siraj, clubbing the right-arm pacer for two sixes in his second over.
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Mendis soon caught up his partner with an array of strokes on either side of the wicket as Sri Lanka raced to 77 in eight overs.
The drooping Indian shoulders received a much-needed lift when Mendis mistimed a pull, off Arshdeep, to deep mid-wicket. But Nissanka kept the fight going, taking on the Indian pacers and spinners with equal disdain, as he registered his highest T20I score.
The Lankan opener’s valiant knock came to an end after he was castled by an Axar Patel arm ball. Nissanka’s dismissal proved the turning point as India removed the .remaining nine wickets for 30 runs.
Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka plays a shot during the first T20 International cricket match of a series between India and Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. | Photo Credit: PTI
Earlier on, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill provided the early spark for India with a flurry of boundaries after the team was inserted into bat.
The duo targeted the square fence on either side with cuts, sweeps and pulls to ramp up the pressure, as the home fans watched in dismay.
Jaiswal was the harsher of the two initially, with the left-handed batter smashing a first-ball boundary off all the three Lankan bowlers who had a go in the first six overs.
Gill stepped it up in the final over of the PowerPlay, thumping two fours and a six off Dilshan Madushanka, before skying one for Asitha Fernando to take a smart catch.
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The Lankan joy was immediately doubled as Jaiswal was stumped off leggie Wanindu Hasaranga’s first ball of the day.
But, Suryakumar ensured the intensity didn’t diminish. The newly anointed skipper used his trademark scoops and flicks to unsettle an already rattled Lankan bowling unit.
Sri Lanka’s cause was not helped by its poor fielding as the team dropped catches, offering lives to Suryakumar and Rishabh Pant, and conceded avoidable boundaries.
However, India’s hopes of running away with the game were quashed by some fiery death bowling from Matheesha Pathirana, who speared in yorkers aplenty to scalp four wickets.
But Pathirana, and Nissanka’s effort later on, could not prevent India from taking a series lead.
The second T20I will happen at the same venue on Sunday. The match will start at 7 PM.
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