Picture : Twitter/ BCCI
Debutant Shivam Mavi’s four-wicket haul and Axar Patel’s thrilling spell in the last over guided India to a 2-run win over Sri Lanka in the first T20I of the three-match series here at the Wankhede Stadium .
Sri Lanka needed four runs of the last ball to win. However, the duo of Chamika Karunaratne and Dilshan Madushanka failed to take their team home as Madushanka was run out on the last delivery, handing two-run victory to India. Chasing a target of 163, Sri Lanka could make 160 runs.
In a dream debut, Mavi bagged 4 wickets conceding 22 runs in 4 overs while Umran Malik and Harshal Patel scalped two wickets each. Mavi also became just the third player to take a four-wicket haul in men’s T20I debut for India. India have now taken 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka scored the highest for his team with 45 of 27 balls.
Chasing a target of 163, Sri Lanka got off to a bad start as Mavi bowled out Pathum Nissanka for just one run. Dhananjaya de Silva then came out to bat but could not do much as he was sent packing by Mavi who was in good form. Dhananjaya went back to the pavilion after scoring 8 of 6.
It was hard for Sri Lanka to recover from the early two losses but they tried to persist. Umran Malik then rattled the visitor’s top order as he dismissed Charith Asalanka for 12 of 15. In the ninth over of the game, Harshal Patel sent well-set batter Kusal Mendis packing after scoring 28 of 25 deliveries.
Patel also dismissed Bhanuka Rajapaksa who went back after scoring 10 of 11 in the 11th over of the game.
However, captain Dasun Shanaka along with Wanindu Hasaranga tried to form a partnership as they slammed Indian bowlers all around the ground. The Sri Lanka duo hammered Yuzvendra Chahal for 17 runs, featuring two huge sixes.
The equation went down to 40 of 24, on the first ball of the 17th over Shanaka slammed a stunning six off Umran Malik. However, Shanaka’s stint at the crease was cut short by Umran Malik who gave his time a much-needed breakthrough. The Sri Lanka captain went back to the pavilion after scoring 45 runs off 27 delivery, leaving visitors tottering at 131/7.
Mavi struck again in the 18th over scalping his fourth wicket of the match as he dismissed Maheesh Theekshana for just one run.
In the 19th over of the game, Chamika Karunaratne opened his hands as he slammed 16 runs of Harshal Patel’s over and took the winning equation to 13 runs in 6 balls.
Sri Lanka needed 4 runs of 1 ball to win. However, the duo of Chamika Karunaratne and Dilshan Madushanka failed to take their team home as Madushanka was run out on the last delivery, handing two-wicket victory to India.
Earlier, put into bat the Indian team got off to a flying start as wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan slammed 17 runs in the very first over. Maheesh Theekshana brought Sri Lanka back in the game by dismissing debutant Shubman Gill for leg before wicket as the hosts lost their first wicket for 27 in 2.3 overs.
Sri Lankan bowlers bowled tightly and did not allow Indian batters to score runs freely. This forced Suryakumar Yadav to push the current run rate and he perished by getting out to Chamika Karunaratne as India lost their second wicket for 38.
India managed to score only 41 in six overs. Dhanajaya de Silva dealt India with another blow dismissing Sanju Samson for 5 to leave them tottering at 46 for 3.
India scratched their way to 50 runs in 7.1 overs Hardik Pandya joined Ishan Kishan and the duo struck a partnership to help India score 75 runs in 10 overs.
Wanindu Hasaranga broke the 31-run partnership dismissing Ishan Kishan for 37 runs in 29 balls. Dilshan Madushanka dismissed skipper Hardik Pandya for 29 as India lost half of their side for just 94.
India reached the triple-figure mark in 15 overs. With India desperately needing a partnership Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel did exactly that. The duo put on 50 runs for the sixth wicket in just 28 balls. These two took India’s total beyond the 150-run mark in 19.1 overs.
India went on to score 162/5 in 20 overs with Hooda scoring 41 runs off 23 balls hitting four sixes while Axar scored 31 off 20 balls.
