1st T20I: The Gautam Gambhir Era Starts With Win As India Beat Sri Lanka By 43 Runs

Paleekele [Sri Lanka], July 27 (ANI): Bowlers marvellous performance in the second half of the second innings guided India to victory over Sri Lanka by 43 runs in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Chasing a mammoth total opf 214, the hosts were bundled out for 170 runs in 19.2 overs. With this victory, thev Men in Blue lead the three-match series 1-0.

The highest scorer for the side was their opener Pathum Nissanka who played a good innings of 79 runs which came on 48 balls which was laced with seven fours and four sixes. The wicketkeeper-batter, Kushal Mendis also scored crucial 45 runs from just 27 balls with the help of seven fours and a six.

No other batter than these two were able to make the mark. For India, spinner Riyan Parag was the highest wicket-taker. He took three wickets in his spell of 1.2 overs where he conceded just five runs. Two wickets each were bagged by Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and one wicket each was taken by Mohammed Siraj, Ravi Bishnoi in their respective spells.

Earlier in the day, Islanders skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to bowl first in the first-match of the series. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill provided an exceptional start to Men in Blue as both players built a partnership of 74 runs in 35 balls before Gill was sent back to the pavillion on the last bowl of the powerplay after scoring 34 runs in 16 balls with the help of six fours and a six in his innings.

Following Gill's departure, team skipper Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat in the middle along with Jaiswal. The latter was the second one to fell at the score of 74 after scoring 40 runs off 21 balls which ame with five fours and two sixes.

After Jaiswal's dismissal, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant came to bat for the visitors. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side touiched the 100-run mark in the ninth over as Pant took a single on Wanindu Hasaranga's bowling. Suryakumar Yadav was the third one to go back to the dressing room after playing a magnificent score of 58 runs from just 26 balls which was laced by eight boundaries and two maximums when the team score was 150.

At the score of 176, India lost the fourth wicket when Hardik Pandya (9) was dismissed. The fifth wicket to fell was of Riyan Parag (7) at the score of 192. Rishabh was sent back after scoring 49 runs from 33 balls which included six fours and a six in his innings. India finished the innings at 213runs with the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs.

Matheesha Pathirana was the pick of the vbowlers for Sri Lanka as he snapped four wickets in his spell of four overs where he conceded 40 runs. One wicket each was taken by Dilshan Madhushanka, Asitha Fernando, and Haseanga in their respective spells.

Brief Score: Sri Lanka 170 all out in 19.2 overs (Pathum Nissanka 79, Kusal Mendis 45, Riyan Parag 3/5) vs India 213/7 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 58, Rishabh Pant 49, Matheesha Pathirana 4/40). (ANI)