Young India tame the Lankan Lions | India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Review

After a month-long absence from the cricket field, the so-called “second-string” squad of India returned to action with a tour to our neighbors South of the border while the Indian Test Contingent prepares for the upcoming test series in England. Since the big names were absent from the side, the series gave the perfect opportunity for the youngsters to step up and grab the opportunity with both hands and perform for their side at the International level, under the leadership of veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan and coach Rahul Dravid.

The series consists of 3 ODIs and 3 iT20s, all being played in the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The first ODI between the two old rivals was a completely one-sided affair with India emerging as the better team by a comprehensive margin in all aspects of the game. How did it all unfold? Read the full article to find out just how.

Playing XI:

India: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prithvi Shaw, Ishan Kishan (wk), Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.

 

Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, M. Bhanuka (wk), B. Rajapaksa, Dhananjaya de Silva, Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, C. Karunaratne, Issuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera, Lakshan Sandakan.

 

Sri Lanka Innings: Kul-Cha: The Spin Twins are back in World Cricket

 

After winning the toss, the new captain elect of Sri Lanka; Dasun Shanaka chose to bat first. Despite being the underdogs on their own home soil, Sri Lanka had a fairly decent start to their innings, courtesy of some mesmerizing shots by Avishka Fernando (33). Bhanuka and Rajapaksa joined hands and carried the run rate from there on and Sri Lanka was on quite a roll at 85-1 in 16 overs until the returning Kuldeep Yadav dismissed them both in the same over for 27 and 24 respectively. The Indian spinners held the middle overs tightly and stopped the runs from leaking. The Sri Lankan middle-order comprising de Silva (14), Asalanka (38) and Shanaka (39) all had decent starts to their innings but couldn’t really convert it into anything big, succumbing to the intimidating Indian spin attack. Karunaratne’s hard-hitting innings of 43* of 35 in the death overs was inspired but he could only take Sri Lanka’s total to 262-8 in their quota of 50 overs. Deepak Chahar was the pick amongst the bowlers with his figures of 7-1-37-2 whereas the spin twins Kuldeep and Chahal grabbed two wickets each and the Pandya Brothers grabbed a wicket each as well.

India Innings: Prithvi Came, Prithvi ‘Shaw’, Prithvi Conquered

 Prithvi Shaw returned to International Cricket with a bang after he took the fans on a nostalgic trip to the good old Virendra Sehwag days, giving the Men in Blue a flying start. Boundaries were flowing left, right, and center as Shaw left everyone fascinated by his abilities. In no time India had crossed 50 within the first 5 overs and everyone knew that Sri Lanka had already surrendered. Shaw’s short but impactful innings of 43 from 25 deliveries ended courtesy of Dhananjaya de Silva but Sri Lanka’s troubles were far from over. Enter: Ishan Kishan. The birthday boy announced his arrival in ODI cricket after smashing the first ball for a six and the second for a four. The 23-year-old took to the opposition with his natural attacking brand of cricket and made victory almost certain for India while skipper Dhawan played second fiddle to him. It seemed as if India’s innings were going at a 100-miles-an-hour and in no time, Ishan reached his debut fifty. After Ishan was dismissed for 59, Manish Pandey (26) joined Shikhar and the duo kept the runs coming as Sri Lanka could do nothing but watch it all unfold. Shikhar played the anchor role till the very end and remained not-out at 86 while a quick-fire inning of 31* from debutant Suryakumar Yadav helped the visitors easily cross the threshold with about 80 balls to spare. There was nothing much on offer for the Sri Lankan bowlers yet part-timer Dhananjaya de Silva grabbed two wickets and a wicket for Lakshan Sandakan.

 

Man of the Match: Prithvi Shaw (43 off 25)  

 

Conclusion: Despite lacking the big names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India’s “second-string squad” absolutely dismantled the Sri Lankans as the hosts were left looking for answers after the dust had settled. India would be content with their solid performance here with a few gray areas to work upon like containing runs in the death and grabbing early wickets with the new ball. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have had quite a downfall in recent months and has been plagued with suspensions, contract negotiations, bans, and injuries. They have a few positives to take home and a lot of homework to do to get back on their feet and stand toe-to-toe against the Asian Giants.