Surya leads from front to guide India to a 43-run win

PALLEKELE: A new-look Indian team recorded a convincing 43–run win over Sri Lanka in the first of the three T20Is here on Saturday.

Set to chase a daunting 214, the Lankans made a spirited effort to chase it down with opener Pathum Nissanka scoring 79 (48b, 7x4, 4x6). His opening partner Kusal Mendis came up with an enterprising innings of 45 (27b, 7x4, 1x6) as the duo put on 84 runs for the first wicket in 8.4 overs. Riyan Parag was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets for five runs. The host was dismissed for 170 with four balls remaining.

Earlier, skipper Suryakumar Yadav was swift and brutal in equal measure on his first day in office as the Indian top-order plundered Sri Lankan bowling to post a commanding 213 for 7.

In his first match as permanent skipper of India’s T20 team, Surya made a firm statement with a sparkling 58 off 26 balls, maintaining his aggressive approach that made him world’s premier batter.

While Surya was at his dominant best while hitting eight fours and two sixes en route his 20th half-century, the foundation for a big score was laid by young stars Yashasvi Jaiswal (40 off 21 balls) and Shubman Gill (34 off 16 balls) in a 74-run opening stand in the powerplay.

Rishabh Pant (49 off 33 balls) struggled initially but did well to end just one short of half-century with some audacious shots both in-front and behind the square.

If Jaiswal’s approach was a bit on muscular side, Gill showed his artistry bleeding the Lankans with thousand cuts.

The refreshing part was Gill’s approach in the very first game under new coach where he didn’t exactly employ the safety-first approach.

Jaiswal whipped the very first delivery of the match by Dilshan Madushanka while Gill followed the suit with back-to-back cuts to start in earnest with a 13-run over.

With a flurry of boundaries coming in first two overs, Charith Asalanka was forced to bring in Maheesh Theekshana in the third over and Jaiswal welcomed him with a six over long-off and then a whip behind square for a boundary with fifty coming in just four overs.

If Gill waited for Asitha Fernando’s delivery taking that split second to back cut it for boundary behind point and then roll his wrists to put a slow short ball towards backward square leg, Jaiswal just thumped the same bowler wide of long on for a maximum.

Brief scores: India 213/7 in 20 overs (SK Yadav 58, R Pant 49, Y Jaiswal 40, M Pathirana 4/40) bt Sri Lanka 170 in 19.2 overs (P Nissanka 79, K Mendis 45, R Parag 3/5)