Sri Lanka v India: India Win Thrilling Match

India Defeats Sri Lanka by 4 Wickets

India defeated Sri Lanka by 4 wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday. India chased down the target of 263 runs with 5 balls to spare, with Shreyas Iyer scoring an unbeaten 80 off 80 balls and Sanju Samson contributing 58 off 49 balls.

India's Batting Performance

Chasing 263 runs, India got off to a solid start with openers Prithvi Shaw (24 off 22) and Ishan Kishan (19 off 20) putting on 43 runs for the first wicket. However, India lost Shaw and Kishan in quick succession, which brought Iyer and Samson together at the crease. Iyer and Samson steadied India's innings with a 93-run partnership for the third wicket. Iyer was the more aggressive of the two, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes during his knock. Samson played a more cautious innings, anchoring the middle order and providing support to Iyer. After Iyer's dismissal, Samson took on the responsibility of leading India's chase. He hit 4 fours and 2 sixes before being dismissed in the 45th over. Deepak Hooda (17 off 11) and Suryakumar Yadav (22 off 17) provided valuable contributions in the lower middle order, ensuring India's victory.

Sri Lanka's Bowling Performance

Sri Lanka's bowlers put up a good fight, but they were unable to defend the total of 262 runs. Kasun Rajitha was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/42, while Dhananjaya de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, and Wanindu Hasaranga each took a wicket.

Sri Lanka's Batting Performance

Earlier, Sri Lanka posted a total of 262 runs on the board after being put in to bat by India. Pathum Nissanka (72 off 80) and Kusal Mendis (54 off 88) were the main contributors with the bat for Sri Lanka. Nissanka and Mendis put on a crucial 103-run partnership for the second wicket to help Sri Lanka recover from the early loss of opener Avishka Fernando (12 off 14). Nissanka hit 10 fours during his knock, while Mendis hit 5 fours. After the dismissals of Nissanka and Mendis, Sri Lanka's middle order failed to capitalize on the good start provided by the openers. Charith Asalanka (38 off 39), Dhananjaya de Silva (29 off 30), and Chamika Karunaratne (27 off 23) all got starts, but none of them were able to convert them into substantial scores.

India's Bowling Performance

India's bowlers bowled well to restrict Sri Lanka to 262 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/50, while Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav each took a wicket. In conclusion, India's victory in the first ODI against Sri Lanka was a result of a solid batting performance led by Iyer and Samson, and a disciplined bowling performance from the entire team. Sri Lanka will need to improve their batting performance in the upcoming matches if they want to level the series.