India Dismantle Sri Lanka as Suryakumar Yadav Begins Life as Skipper With Fifty in Winning Cause at Pallekele

India got the better of Sri Lanka by 43 runs on Saturday in the opening game of the T20I series between the sides at the Pallekele to establish an early 1-0 lead as the Gautam Gambhir-era got off to a triumphant start.

The Men in Blue put up a total of 213 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs thanks to skipper Suryakumar’s 58-run knock as he led from the front, before the Indian bowling unit wrapped up the hosts for 170 runs in 19.2 overs.

Team India managed to put up the mammoth total riding on the captain’s knock and a 49-run contribution from the bat of Rishabh Pant.

The men in blue were afforded a spectacular start thanks to openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill who put up a 76-run stand for the first wicket before the latter fell to Dilshan Madushanka for 34 off just 16 deliveries.

Jaiswal, who made 40 runs, followed his fellow opener back to the hut on the very next delivery as he was stumped off Wanindu Hasaranga’s ball.

Suryakumar came out to bat and took the game by the scruff of its neck with some trademark shots and sweeps on the on side as Pant settled in slowly. The skipper was sent back after his incredible knock by Pathirana, who also added the scalps of Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag cheaply.

The SL seamer also foxed Pant as the southpaw was scalped one shy of his half-century. Rinku Singh was castled by Asitha Fernando before Axar Patel finished off the innings in style with a six down the ground to set SL a target of 214 runs.

Sri Lanka opened the chase with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, who added 55 runs in the powerplay overs to give the hosts a good start. The pair added 84 runs before the latter fell to Arshdeep Singh in the ninth over of the game. Mendis was caught by Jaiswal in the deep and had to walk back to the dugout after having added 48 runs.

Nissanka took on the charge following the fall of his partner and ensured that the Lankans scaled the triple-digit mark just after the halfway mark of the chase and brought up his half-century to keep the hosts in the hunt.

Nissanka continued the onslaught as he took the attack to the Indian bowlers. He was dropped on 77 by Ravi Bishnoi, But the leggie found his smile back quickly as Nissanka was castled by Axar Patel in the very next delivery.

Axar struck again as he also got rid of Kusal Perera in the very same over with Bishnoi picking up an easy catch to make up for his earlier lapse.

Kamindu Mendis smashes back-to-back boundaries to bring up the 150-run mark for the hosts in the sixteenth over of the chase. Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka was dismissed for a duck by Bishnoi before Dasun Shanaka was run out before he could face a delivery.

SL seemed to have lost the plot when they fell in a heap as Mendis was castled by Riyan Parag. Arshdeep was brought back into the attack after the spinners had destabilised the hosts and the pacer repaid the captain’s faith with the scalp of Hasaranga.

Mohammed Siraj got in on the act with the dismissal of Pathirana as the Lankan chase seemed extinguished by the Indian bowling attack. Parag doubled his tally as he struck timber to dismiss Maheesh Theekshana in the final over. The spinner finished with a three-fer as he dismissed Madushanka to bundle the hosts out for 170 runs in 19.2 overs to claim a 43-run win.