In the first T20I of the Sri Lanka tour of India 2023, the hosts won the fixture in a nail-biting last-over thriller to acquire a comprehensive lead of 1-0.
Hardik Pandya (29) lost the toss and India was put to bat. Ishan Kishan (37) went full throttle in the first over itself as he smashed 16 runs, which set the tempo for the innings. India lost Shubman Gill for a single-digit score in the third over itself. The in-form Suryakumar Yadav was also caught at short fine leg while scooping over the fielder. After a cracking start, India was suddenly two-down within the powerplay. Sanju Samson was also sent back after contributing just five runs. A thirty-run solid partnership was built between Kishan and Pandya before the former was caught at deep mid-wicket while playing a slog sweep. The Indian skipper was looking good with his stroke play but in the process of acceleration, he knicked the ball to the wicket-keeper in the 15th over itself. With just more than five overs to go, five-wicket down, Axar Patel (31) and Deepak Hooda (41) were present at the crease. The two batters set the death overs ablaze with some quality striking of the ball. The Lankan bowlers bowled well in the first 15 overs but were hammered in all parts of the ground in the slog overs. Hooda and Patel amassed a swashbuckling 68-run stand off 36 balls to set up a competitive total of 162 on the board.
Pandya started with the new ball and was right on the money from the first ball itself. The new ball was offering swing while the pitch provided sufficient pace. In his first spell of international cricket, Shivam Mavi pocketed two wickets and put the visitors in the back seat. The Indians had the game in full control but things started to take a turn after the 15-over mark. Dasun Shanka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne refused to give up despite the fall of early wickets. The Indian bowlers went for runs in the death overs and due to this, the game started slipping from hands. With 13 needed off the last six, Pandya played a big gamble of tossing the ball towards Axar. The left-arm spinner conceded a wide and six in the first three balls itself. With four needed off the last delivery, Patel fired a full-length delivery without any room, Karunaratne couldn’t do much of that delivery apart from hitting it straight to the fielder at deep mid-wicket.
For the hosts, the captain Shanaka shone with the bat, while Hasaranga and Karunaratne made some crucial contributions at the back end of the innings.
The debutant, Mavi was the star with the ball for the Men in Blue as he pocketed four wickets for 22. Harshal Patel and Umran Malik gathered two wickets each.
Dilshan Madushanka, Maheesh Theekshana, Karunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva and Hasaranga got one scalp each for Sri Lanka.
Hooda was named the Man of the Match for his unbeaten 41 off 23 balls with four maximums and one four.
Scorecard:
India: 162/5, Overs 20, Deepak Hooda 41*, Dhananjaya de Silva 1/6
Sri Lanka: 160/10, Overs 20, Dasun Shanaka 45, Shivam Mavi 4/22