1st ODI, Colombo, July 18, 2021, 03:00 PM
262/9(50.0ov)
263/3(36.4ov)
India beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets
Right then! That is all we have from this game and we hope that you enjoyed our coverage. The series is just getting started and the second ODI will be played on 20th July at 1530 Local (0930 GMT). So do join us for that. Till then, take care and goobye!
Shikhar Dhawan, the India skipper, says that most of the players in the team are very mature and that he is very happy. About the wicket, says that it had a bit of turn and all the spinners did well to bring them back in the game. Adds that it was great to watch Prithvi and Kishan bat the way they did and he was encouraging them to play the way they wanted to. About Kishan and Yadav, says that they are very mature and have played very well in the India T20 League. Jokes that he might have to improve his skill after seeing how these young players are batting.
Dasun Shanaka, the Sri Lanka skipper, says that their batters started well but the Indian bowlers bowled quite well and varied the pace. Adds that he is happy to take the responsibility of being the captain. Says that their bowlers need to buck up and need to vary the pace while bowling.
Prithvi Shaw is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH. He says that his head is fine now. Adds that Rahul sir did not say anything to him before he went to bat and that he was just looking to score with intent. Adds that there were a few loose balls and that the pitch was a good one to bat on in the second innings. Says that he is disappointed with the way he got out and he will keep that in mind moving forward.
Earlier in the game, the Indian bowlers bowled really well to keep Sri Lanka to 262. Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal took 2 wickets each while the Pandya brothers took one each. For Sri Lanka, a lot of their batters got starts but none could convert them to a big score. Karunaratne top-scored with 43 but they were well short of a par score as India chased it down with ease.
India came out to bat and seemed in a hurry to finish the chase. Prithvi Shaw put on a brilliant batting show and raced to 43 runs, but fell before he could get to his 50. But Ishan Kishan came out to bat and he too seemed in a hurry to finish the game, he raced to his 50 on debut but fell soon after. While all this was happening, Shikhar Dhawan was quietly scoring runs at the other end and was anchoring the chase with his 86-run knock. Dhawan and Suryakumar Yadav finished the game for India after Manish Pandey fell. For Sri Lanka, it was a tough day with the ball. Most of their bowlers were taken apart and were hit all over the park. Dhananjaya de Silva took 2 wickets but Lakshan Sandakan was the pick of the bowlers as he troubled the batters with his spin on numerous occasions.
A comprehensive win for India and they take the lead in the 3-match series. They should be mighty pleased with their all-round performance. For the hosts, it was a decent batting performance but their bowling was very poor.
In over# 1
1
1
0
1
Lakshan Sandakan 53/1(8.4)
36.4
1
THERE IT IS! Easy does it. Full ball, outside off. Dhawan pushes it past cover for one. India win by 7 wickets!!
36.3
1
The scores are level! Fuller ball, on off. Yadav pushes it to long on for one.
36.2
.
On the pads. Yadav gets hit on the pads as he misses his flick.
36.1
1
Flatter ball, on off. Pushed to covers for one.
In over# 1
0
1
1
0
1
1
Wanindu Hasaranga 45/0(9)
35.6
.
Short and wide outside off. Cut away to point.
35.5
1
Flatter ball, on middle. Dhawan pushes it to long on for one.
35.4
1
Another single as this is eased to long on.
35.3
.
Shorter and wider outside off. Cut away but the man at point dives to stop the ball.
35.2
1
On the pads. Dhawan gets the leading edge to the off side. He takes the quick single before the direct hit comes from short cover.
35.1
1
Shorter ball, outside off. Pushed to long on for one.