Pathum Nissanka exploded off the blocks before holding back somewhat as Kusal Mendis went on the offensive. India’s bowling looked bereft of ideas and Suryakumar had his work cut out as a packed crowd egged the home side on towards a record chase
Rishabh Pant
In his last Twenty20 International as a stand-in skipper, Suryakumar Yadav made a century, in Johannesburg against South Africa last December. On Saturday, in his first T20I outing as full-time captain, the Mumbaikar threatened an encore with a typically explosive innings until his rampaging knock was cut short
by the classy Mateesha Pathirana.
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Suryakumar’s blazing 58, full of typically innovative strokes, came on the back of a dynamic opening salvo from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who realised 50 by the end of the fourth over and blasted their way to 74 when Gill was dismissed off the last ball of the Powerplay.
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India captain Suryakumar Yadav celebrates his half-century v SL in Pallekele on Saturday. Pic/AFP
The base had been set for a massive total and even though India were pegged back by Pathirana, who finished with four for 40 after only being brought on in the 12th over, 213 for seven was a formidable effort in the first outing in the post-Rohit Sharma era.
Sri Lanka hadn’t chased more than 194 successfully previously, but on an excellent batting deck at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in the first of three T20Is, they made the most of the absence in the Indian ranks of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, two of their ace performers at the T20 World Cup. Rishabh Pant smashed 49 off 33 balls.
Pathum Nissanka exploded off the blocks before holding back somewhat as Kusal Mendis went on the offensive. India’s bowling looked bereft of ideas and Suryakumar had his work cut out as a packed crowd egged the home side on towards a record chase.
Mendis perished to Arshdeep Singh on the pull with a half-century for the taking, but his 84-run partnership with Nissanka off only 52 deliveries had set the Lankans on their way. The diminutive Nissanka reinvoked his attacking spirit after his partner’s fall, launching a series of audacious strokes on his way to his highest T20I innings.
At the end of 14 overs, Sri Lanka were well placed to open up a 1-0 lead, muscling their way to 140 for one with Nissanka holding fort on a fabulous 79 that threatened to mar Gautam Gambhir’s maiden foray as India’s head coach.
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